• The West African country of Mali has a population of about 12 million people.
• Mali is surrounded by the countries of Algeria, Niger, Senegal and Mauritania.
• Mali is one of the poorest nations in the world.
• The northern region of the country lies in the Sahara Desert, the world’s largest desert.
• The southwestern region of Mali has the most rivers and it also receives the most rainfall of any region in the country. The climate in this region offers more comfortable living conditions than are found in other parts of the country.
• The country’s most important geographical feature is the Niger River. It provides fish for food and water for drinking and farming.
• The Malian people depend on the Niger River flooding to create fertile land for growing food.
• Domestic agriculture and livestock production have become essential to the Malian economy. Its major agricultural products are cotton, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts, cattle, sheep and goats.  
• About 80 percent of Mali’s labor force is devoted to farming and fishing. As a less developed nation, it imports a majority of its machinery, equipment, construction materials, petroleum and textiles.
• Many ethnic groups are represented in Mali: the Bambara, Songhai, Mandinka, Senoufo, Fula and Dogon.
• Most Malians reside in rural areas; about 18 percent of the population lives in urban areas.
• The majority of the population is Muslim.
• The government is structured as a multiparty democracy. The president, Amadou Toumani Toure, acts as chief-of-state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
• The country boasts a rich cultural heritage known for its literature, textile traditions and performing arts.

What are donkeys?

• The donkey is a domesticated member of the horse family and an ungulate (animal having an odd number of toes on each hoof).
• Donkeys are hindgut fermenters -- that is, they digest plant cellulose in their intestines rather than in their stomachs.
• In the western United States, the donkey is sometimes called a burro (from the Spanish word for the animal).
• A male donkey is called a jack, a female is a jenny, and offspring less than 1 year old is called a foal (a male is a colt, a female is a filly).
• Jennies are pregnant for approximately 11 months and usually give birth to one foal. Twins are very rare.
• Donkey/horse offspring are almost always sterile. Nonetheless, horse/donkey hybrids are popular for their durability and vigor. A mule is the offspring of a jack (male donkey) and a mare (female horse). The much rarer successful mating of a male horse and a female donkey produces a hinny.
• Donkeys continue to be important beasts of burden in many countries today.
• As a rule, donkeys are easy keepers and need less feed than horses of comparable height and weight.
• Donkeys can defend themselves with a powerful kick of their hind legs as well as by biting and striking with their front feet.
• Donkeys are not easily frightened and are not easily forced into doing something they don’t want to do because of their highly developed sense of self-preservation.
• There are about 44 million donkeys in the world today. China has the most, with 11 million, followed by Pakistan, Ethiopia and Mexico. It’s believed that many donkeys go uncounted.
• The vast majority of donkeys are used for the same types of work that they have been doing for 6,000 years: transportation, pulling carts and farm work.