The Republic of Mali, a land locked country in the interior of West Africa southwest of Algeria, has an area of 478,764 sq. mi. (1,240,000 sq. km.) and a population of 12.56 million. Capital: Bamako. Livestock, fish, cotton, and peanuts are exported. ,Malians are descendants of the ancient Malinke Kingdom of Mali that controlled the middle Niger from the 11th to the 17th centuries. The French penetrated the Sudan (now Mali) about 1880, and established their rule in 1898 after subduing fierce native resistance. In 1904 the area became the colony of Upper-Senegal-Niger (changed to French Sudan in 1920), and became a part of the French Union in 1946. In 1958 French Sudan became the Sudanese Republic with complete internal autonomy. Senegal joined with the Sudanese Republic in 1959 to form the Mali Federation which, in 1960, became a fully independent member of the French Community. Upon Senegal?s subsequent withdrawal from the Federation, the Sudanese, on September 22, 1960, proclaimed their nation the fully independent Republic of Mali and severed all ties with France.,, ,Mali seceded from the African Financial Community in 1962, then rejoined in 1984. Issues specially marked with letter D for Mali were made by the Banque des Etats de l?Afrique de l?Quest. See also French West Africa, and West African States.,, Monetary System:,,, ,1 Franc = 100 Centimes ,,