Flags, Symbols, & Currencies of Mali

The Mali flag was officially adopted on March 1, 1961. The national flag of Mali has a simple design and is modeled after the French Tricolore. It is a tricolor featuring equal vertical bands of green(left/hoist side), gold (middle), and red (right). These colors are the Pan-African colors. Mali’s flag is nearly identical to Guinea’s flag, however the colors are arranged in the reverse order. The national flag of Mali has a height to length proportion of 2:3.

The green color in the flag of Mali symbolizes the fertility of land. The gold color represents the country's mineral wealth, as well as purity. The red color is a reminder of the blood that was shed to gain independence from the French rule, gold represents the country's mineral wealth and purity, while green stands for its forests and fertility of the land. .

History of Mali's Flag

The current national flag of Mali was adopted on March 1, 1961. However, Mali's first flag was adopted in 1959, when Mali joined the Mali Federation. The original flag was similar to the current flag but featured a human stick figure on the middle stripe. The figure was black in color and had its arms raised towards the sky. Following opposition by Muslim fundamentalists, the figure was removed from the flag.

National Anthem

• Anthem Title: Le Mali ("The Mali")
• Music composer: Banzumana Sissoko
• Lyricist: Seydou Badian Kouyaté
• Date of Adoption: 1962

Le Mali (The Mali), commonly known as "Pour l'Afrique et pour toi, Mali" ("For Africa and for you, Mali"), is the national anthem of Mali, adopted on August 9, 1962. Seydou Badian Kouyaté wrote the anthem's lyrics and Banzumana Sissoko set the lyrics to music. Like most African national anthems, Le Mali is themed around African unity and patriotism. It highlights Malian's willingness to sacrifice their lives for their nation and liberty. 

The currency of Mali is the West African CFA franc, which is denoted by the symbol CFAF, and has an ISO code of XOF. The West African CFA franc broken into 100 subdivisions known as centimes. Mali previously had an independent currency known as Malian franc, that was in use between 1962 and 1984, before readopting the CFA franc as the official currency. Although the CFA franc is subdivided into 100 centimes, the subdivisions are not in circulation in the country.

CFA franc is a name given to the two currencies issued in West and Central Africa. The two currencies assume permanent parity and are effectively interchangeable. The CFA franc coins and notes are issued in Mali by the Central Bank of West Africa. The currency is issued in 14 West and Central African states. The CFA franc was developed in 1945 as a result of the weakness of the French franc after the World War II. It was created in French colonies to cushion the colonies from the strong devaluation of the French franc and thereby enhance export to France.

Banknotes and Coins

In 1961, aluminum coins dated 1961 were issued in different denominations including 5, 10, and 25 francs. The second series of coins made of aluminum and bronze were issued between 1975 and 1977 in additional denominations of 50 and 100 francs. In 1962, banknotes in the denomination of 50, 100, 500, 1000, and 5000 francs were issued by the Bank of the Republic of Mali. A second series of banknotes were issued in 1967 in the same denominations as the notes issued in 1962. In 1971, the Central Bank of Mali began issuing notes, producing the third series of banknotes in denominations ranging from 100 to 10,000 francs.

Historical Currencies of Mali

The West African CFA franc was used as Mali's currency until 1962 when it was replaced by the Malian franc. The Malian franc was at par with the CFA franc and subdivided into 100 centimes, though the subdivisions were not issued. However, in 1967 the Malian franc significantly declined in value relative to CFA franc, with Mali suffering a trade deficit lasting until the 1970s. Mali readopted the CFA franc at an exchange rate of 2 Malian francs for 1 CFA franc in 1984.