Banamba
Encyclopedia
Banamba is the capital of Banamba Cercle
, one of the seven Cercles of the Koulikoro Region
of Mali
. Its estimated 2008 population is 7000. The town lies due north of the regional capital of Koulikoro
, and is connected by a 40km all weather road via the town of Sirakorola
, about half way between the two. It is the location of the Lycée Franco-Arabe de Banamba.
(to the South) and from Kiban
(to the East) are laterite
. A line of ponds, dry before the rainy season, lies to the West of the market.
. The original settlers, whose family names are Simpara and Makaji, are related to the Soninke. Everyone speaks Bambara except some of the bush people, particularly Fulani, who come in to market on Mondays, though other languages can be heard, including Moor.
On holidays (Muhammad
's birthday and baptism, Ramadan
, Tabaski
) women dance to drums in various little corners around town. Sometimes on moonlit nights children dance to xylophone.
Banamba has a day reserved for weddings in June each year, and on that day dozens of marriages take place.
A day in March or April is marked for seining the fish out of the ponds. Until that day the fish are untouched. Then dozens of men and boys wade in with their homemade nets.
) who do not get along well enough to share water.
Kiban is also nearby and sports a pretty little mosque.
Sirakola (Koulikoro Cercle
) has a large market on Thursdays, on which days there is plenty of public transportation.
There is a big hill to the West, visible from town, and a couple smaller ones about five kilometers to the North on the road to Nara
. The hills to the North are piles of bare boulders, hosts to hardy baobabs, good for watching sunsets.
, which contains nine Communes, including Banamba. The Commune
of Banamba contains not only the town itself, but is the administrative center for the following urban Quarters and rural villages:
Banamba Cercle
Banamba Cercle is an administrative subdivision of the Koulikoro Region of Mali. Its seat is the town of Banamba, which is also its largest settlement...
, one of the seven Cercles of the Koulikoro Region
Koulikoro Region
Koulikoro is a region in Mali. It is the second administrative area of Mali and covers an area of 90,120 km². Its capital is the city of Koulikoro.- Geography :...
of Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
. Its estimated 2008 population is 7000. The town lies due north of the regional capital of Koulikoro
Koulikoro
Koulikoro is a city in Mali. The capital of the Koulikoro Region, Koulikoro is located on banks of the Niger River, from Mali's capital Bamako....
, and is connected by a 40km all weather road via the town of Sirakorola
Sirakorola
Sirakorola is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Koulikoro in the Koulikoro Region of south-western Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 27859.It is located 18 kilometres from Koulikoro city.-References:...
, about half way between the two. It is the location of the Lycée Franco-Arabe de Banamba.
Physical layout
It takes about twenty minutes to walk from one end to the other. There are old neighborhoods with narrow, winding alleys, and newer neighborhoods (particularly the NE) with a grid of wider streets. The market, the great mosque, the pharmacy, the post office, the Cercle building, the library, and the schools are all close together. Roads approach the town from all directions; the roads from KoulikoroKoulikoro
Koulikoro is a city in Mali. The capital of the Koulikoro Region, Koulikoro is located on banks of the Niger River, from Mali's capital Bamako....
(to the South) and from Kiban
Kiban
Kiban is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Banamba in the Koulikoro Region of south-western Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 9,781....
(to the East) are laterite
Laterite
Laterites are soil types rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are rusty-red because of iron oxides. They develop by intensive and long-lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock...
. A line of ponds, dry before the rainy season, lies to the West of the market.
Ethnic groups, customs
The main ethnic groups found in Banamba are the Bambara, the Soninke, and the FulaniFula people
Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
. The original settlers, whose family names are Simpara and Makaji, are related to the Soninke. Everyone speaks Bambara except some of the bush people, particularly Fulani, who come in to market on Mondays, though other languages can be heard, including Moor.
On holidays (Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
's birthday and baptism, Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
, Tabaski
Eid ul-Adha
Eid al-Adha or "Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a sheep— to sacrifice...
) women dance to drums in various little corners around town. Sometimes on moonlit nights children dance to xylophone.
Banamba has a day reserved for weddings in June each year, and on that day dozens of marriages take place.
A day in March or April is marked for seining the fish out of the ponds. Until that day the fish are untouched. Then dozens of men and boys wade in with their homemade nets.
Social life, sports
There are several soccer teams that play regularly. People play basketball and volleyball and ping pong at the lycée. Day to day social life consists mainly of walks around town chatting with passersby or making tea with family and friends. There are movies every night, including an occasional drama amid the karate spectacles. Dances are held at the school as often as once a month.Surrounding area
Touba is within cycling distance. It is the home of a famous (so say the locals) Arabic school and a beautiful mosque on a hill. The town is divided by two Muslim sects (one of the WahhabiteWahhabism
Wahhabism is a religious movement or a branch of Islam. It was developed by an 18th century Muslim theologian from Najd, Saudi Arabia. Ibn Abdul Al-Wahhab advocated purging Islam of what he considered to be impurities and innovations...
) who do not get along well enough to share water.
Kiban is also nearby and sports a pretty little mosque.
Sirakola (Koulikoro Cercle
Koulikoro Cercle
Koulikoro Cercle is an administrative subdivision of the Koulikoro Region of Mali. Its seat is the town of Koulikoro, which is also the capital of the region. A major trade and industrial town on the Niger River, Koulikoro has been surpassed by Kati to the west as the largest town in the region...
) has a large market on Thursdays, on which days there is plenty of public transportation.
There is a big hill to the West, visible from town, and a couple smaller ones about five kilometers to the North on the road to Nara
Nara, Mali
Nara is a city of Mali's Koulikoro Region and the capital of its Cercle. The Cercle is located near the Mauritanian border and was estimated in 2004 to contain 11,000 people...
. The hills to the North are piles of bare boulders, hosts to hardy baobabs, good for watching sunsets.
Administrative structure
Banamba town is the administrative center of Banamba CercleBanamba Cercle
Banamba Cercle is an administrative subdivision of the Koulikoro Region of Mali. Its seat is the town of Banamba, which is also its largest settlement...
, which contains nine Communes, including Banamba. The Commune
Communes of Mali
A Commune is the third level administrative unit in Mali. Mali is divided into eight regions and one capital district . These subdivisions bear the name of their principal city. The regions are divided into 49 Cercles...
of Banamba contains not only the town itself, but is the administrative center for the following urban Quarters and rural villages:
- Badoucourebougou
- Bakaribougou
- Bamarobougou
- Banamba
- Bougounina
- Dankolo
- Diangalambougou
- Diassani
- Diatouroubougou
- Fadabougou
- Falembougou
- Galo
- Galo-Marka
- Gana
- Kassela
- Kolondialan
- Kouna
- Madina
- N'galamadiby
- N'ganou
- N'ganouba
- Ouleny-Marka
- Ouleny-Peulh
- Sabalibougou
- Sinzena
- Tiontala
- Tomba
- Zambougou