Ségou
Encyclopedia
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in south-central 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...
, lying 235 kilometres (146 mi) northeast of Bamako
Bamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
on the River Niger, in the region of Ségou. It was founded by the Bozo people
Bozo people
The Bozo are a West African ethnic group located predominantly along the Niger River in Mali. The name Bozo is thought to derive from Bambara bo-so, 'Bamboo house'; the people accept it as referring to the whole of the ethnic group but use more specific clan names such as Sorogoye, Hain, and Tieye...
, on a site about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the present town. With 100,000 inhabitants, it is the third largest city in Mali.
Capital of the Bambara Empire
Bambara Empire
The Bamana Empire was a large pre-colonial West African state based at Ségou, now in Mali. It was ruled by the Kulubali or Coulibaly dynasty established circa 1640 by Kaladian Coulibaly also known as Fa Sine or Biton-si-u...
in the past, Ségou is now the capital 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...
’s fourth largest administrative region of Ségou. It is known also as the city of “Balanzan,” named after the local tree Acacia albida. Ségou has faced numerous conquests and changes of administration, but has always benefited from trade with nearby commercial centres such as Djenné
Djenné
Djenné is an Urban Commune and town in the Inland Niger Delta region of central Mali. In the 2009 census the commune had a population of 32,944. Administratively it is part of the Mopti Region....
and Timbuktu
Timbuktu
Timbuktu , formerly also spelled Timbuctoo, is a town in the West African nation of Mali situated north of the River Niger on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. The town is the capital of the Timbuktu Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali...
, and been an administrative center and commercial center for cereal and cattle.
History
The city prospered after Biton Mamary Coulibaly became king in 1712 and founded the Ségou (or Bamana) Empire. Mungo ParkMungo Park (explorer)
Mungo Park was a Scottish explorer of the African continent. He was credited as being the first Westerner to encounter the Niger River.-Early life:...
became the first European known to have visited this city in 1796. The empire gradually declined and was conquered by El Hadj Umar Tall's Toucouleur Empire
Toucouleur Empire
The Toucouleur Empire was founded in the nineteenth century by El Hadj Umar Tall of the Toucouleur people, in part of present-day Mali....
in 1861 (see battle of Ségou
Battle of Segou
The Battle of Ségou was a decisive point in the growth of the Toucouleur Empire , which spread throughout the upper Niger River and Senegal River bassins in the late 19th century...
), then by the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
Colonel Louis Archinard
Louis Archinard
Louis Archinard was a French Army general at the time of the Third Republic, who contributed to the colonial conquest of French West Africa. He was traditionally presented in French histories as the conqueror and "Pacifier" of French Soudan . Archinard's campaigns brought about the end of the...
in 1892.
Origin
Ségou has contested origins. Some claim that the word Ségou come from “Sikoro,” meaning to the foot of a shea butter tree. Others argue that it was named after Cheikou, a maraboutMarabout
A marabout is a Muslim religious leader and teacher in West Africa, and in the Maghreb. The marabout is often a scholar of the Qur'an, or religious teacher. Others may be wandering holy men who survive on alms, Sufi Murshids , or leaders of religious communities...
who founded the city, while sill other theories support the claim that Ségou was founded by the Bozo fishermen coming from the north, who established their villages along the Niger River.
The 11th century CE saw an influx of the Soninke people, who were trying to escape from the expansion of the Ghana Empire
Ghana Empire
The Ghana Empire or Wagadou Empire was located in what is now southeastern Mauritania, and Western Mali. Complex societies had existed in the region since about 1500 BCE, and around Ghana's core region since about 300 CE...
, with Mandinka
Mandinka people
The Mandinka, Malinke are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa with an estimated population of eleven million ....
populations following. It is believed that Kaladjan Koulibaly, founder of the Bambara Kingdom's Koulibaly dynasty established the first sedentary villages here at his time. The later Diarra dynasty moved the capital of the Bambara Kingdom to Ségou.
Segou Koro
Segou Koro is located at about fifteen kilometres from Ségou, on the road to Bamako. Segou Koro was created by the founder of the Bambara dynasty. During the 17th century, Bambara coming from Djenné, led by Kaladjan Koulibaly settled down along the Niger River. Danfassari, Koulibaly’s son continued his father’s work by building his city there. After Koulibaly’s death, his eldest grandson Mamari—also known as Biton—ruled the city and made it flourish. Today the town in some ways conserves the tradition and architecture of the ancient city.Bambara Kingdom
The Bambaras from Djenné with Kaladjan Koulibaly, established their nation along the Niger River, and founded the town of Ségou-Koro, the capital of the Bambara state. Bortolot (2003) says that Ségou evolved from a simple social structure, characterized by hunting and farming, to a more complex city dominated by a dynasty system. One of Koulibaly’s descendants, Mamary Coulibaly, became the chief of the Bi-Ton, and later took the name Biton. Biton spread terror, organised the army and restructured the association into a city. He expanded the territory from Segou Koro to Timbuktu. Under his rule, the Macina and Djenné trading centers became a part of Ségou. Timbuktu was not part of Ségou. It remained autonomous and paid tribute to Biton. After Biton’s death in 1755, one of the Coulibaly family slaves, Ngolo Diarra, obtained power to control the Bambara kingdom and established the Diarra dynasty. Ngolo Diarra ruled Ségou until the 19th century. He moved the kingdom’s capital from Segou-Koro to Ségou, close to the site of the current city. Diarra continued Biton’s conquest and extended the kingdom from Guinea to Timbuktu.Conquest
In 1860, El Hadj Oumar Tall conquered the city and influenced the population to become MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
. El Hadj Oumar Tall gave control of Ségou to his son and successor Ahmadu, who ruled until 1890. The French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
colonial army invaded during the 1890s made Ségou the administrative center for the Office du Niger which was created in 1932.
Location
Ségou is situated 240 km from BamakoBamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
, on the Niger River
Niger River
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
and has a surface area of 64 947 km². The region has frontiers with Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
at the south-east, Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
at the north, Mopti
Mopti
Mopti is a city at the confluence of the Niger and the Bani in Mali, between Timbuktu and Ségou. The city lies on three islands linked by dykes: the New Town, the Old Town and Medina Coura. As a result it is sometimes known as the "Venice of Mali".-History:The city of Mopti derives its name from...
, Mali at the east, 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....
, Mali at the west and Sikasso
Sikasso
Sikasso is a city in the south of Mali and the capital of the Sikasso Region. With 130,700 residents, Sikasso recently passed Ségou to become Mali's second-largest city.-Geography:...
, Mali at the south.
Climate
The Ségou region is characterized by a semi-arid climate and irrigated by two important waterways: the Niger and the Bani RiverBani River
The Bani River is the principal tributary of the Niger River in Mali. Its length is about 1100 km. The Bani is formed from the confluence of the Baoulé and Bagoé rivers some 160 km east of Bamako and merges with the Niger near Mopti.-Geography:...
. Ségou has two seasons: a rainy season and a dry season. The rainy season starts in June and lasts about four months until September. Ségou's dry season includes a cold period and a period of heat. The average yearly rainfall is about 513 mm. The harmattan
Harmattan
The Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind. It blows south from the Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March...
is the dominant wind in the dry season and it blows from north to south. The monsoon blowing from south to north-west is more frequent during rainy season (hivernage).
Demography
The Ségou Region’s population was about 1,769,201 in 1998. With a rural population that is largely nomadic semi-sedentary or sedentary, the population consists of many ethnic groups, such as Bambara, Bozo, 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...
, Soninke, Malinke and Toucouleur
Toucouleur
The Toucouleurs are a Fula agricultural people who live primarily in West Africa: the north of Senegal in the Senegal River valley, Mauritania, and Mali.-History:...
. Bambaras are mostly farmers and are the most numerous ethnic group. Their language is Bambara or Djoula. The Bozos are the second most populous ethnic group. They typically live near the shore of the Niger river, in small towns of small houses. The Bozo economy is based on fishing. Bozo people have a monopoly on the transport system because of their knowledge of the Niger, its shallows and seasonal lakes, and are regarded as the masters of water. The Somono, also fisherman, are not a distinct ethnic group but a mixture of Bambara, Bozo and Soninke. The Malinké, Maninka, and Mandinka are closely related to Bambaras. They have the same costumes, religious beliefs and practices as Bambaras. The Marka
Marka people
The Marka people are a Soninke people of northwest Mali. They speak the Manding Marka language.-History:...
, Saracollé or Soninke are merchants and warriors. The Soninke people are great travellers and Muslims, and have largely conserved their traditions.
Art and Culture
The Bambaras used to transmit their knowledge by oral tradition, hence much of their art and cultureCulture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
is unknown. Ségou’s cultural heritage includes traditional musical instruments, wonderful griot
Griot
A griot or jeli is a West African storyteller. The griot delivers history as a poet, praise singer, and wandering musician. The griot is a repository of oral tradition. As such, they are sometimes also called bards...
s, folkloric groups and the traditional masks and marionettes. The history of the Bambara state’s traditional religious practices are ambiguous. They practice animism and fetishism as cultural practices, and also totemic and monism (cult of ancestors). The most famous Ségou handcrafts are based on pottery, weaving (blankets, wrappers and carpets), manufacturing of Bogolan ( a distinctive variation of Mud cloth), painting and sculpture. Ségou is also regarded as the capital of Malian pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
with a large pottery district in Kalabougou situated on the left bank. Women make the pottery by hand with the clay coming from the Niger River
Niger River
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
and bring the finished works to the local Monday market. Ségous also do weaving and it includes tapestries.
Architecture
Ségou has two architectural styles: French ColonialFrench Colonial
French Colonial a style of architecture used by the French during colonization. Many French colonies, especially those in South-East Asia, have previously been reluctant to promote their colonial architecture as an asset for tourism, however in recent times, the new-generation of local authorities...
and traditional Sudanese
Sudano-Sahelian
The Sudano-Sahelian covers an umbrella of similar architectural styles common to the Islamized peoples of the Sahel and Sudanian regions of West Africa, south of the Sahara, but above the savanna and fertile forest regions of the coast...
and neo-Sudanese. The Sudanese style influenced public building and important residences. Monuments and great mosques are also built according to this style. Many of Sudano-Sahelian
Sudano-Sahelian
The Sudano-Sahelian covers an umbrella of similar architectural styles common to the Islamized peoples of the Sahel and Sudanian regions of West Africa, south of the Sahara, but above the savanna and fertile forest regions of the coast...
's kings built imposing palaces in the cities over which they ruled and most of these buildings are in red clay. The materials used for building are generally quite poor and many of the buildings need to be restored to maintain their state.
Economy
Today, Ségou is known for its potteryPottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
, its market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
and its fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
industry. Attractions in the old town of Ségou-Koro included a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, Coulibaly's tomb and an ancient tree. In the city center, the main landmark is the water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
.
The main economic activities of the Sudano-Sahelian region are agri-business, cattle farming and fishing. The Sudano-Sahelian people apply essential traditional farming methods. The region produces the major part 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...
’s food including sedentary cattle farming. The economy is essentially informal as it is oriented towards the populations' primary needs, while industrial production is weak and based on the food industry. Large scale agribusiness consists of three factories, COMATEX, CMDT and SUKALA. Commerce consists mostly of the small scale exchange and sale by of products from the primary sector, sold weekly at the large Sudano-Sahelian market, drawing customers from far outside of the city. The main products sold are vegetables, pottery, cotton, gold, leather, fruits, ovens, cattle and cereals.
People from Ségou
Notable people from Ségou include Adame Ba KonareAdame Ba Konaré
Adame Ba Konaré is a noted Malian historian and writer who is married to Alpha Oumar Konaré, former President of Mali. She is active in several causes for newborns and refugees....
, Fanta Damba
Fanta Damba
Fanta Damba is a Malian jalimuso known to her fans as La Grand Vedette Malienne. She began singing as a child, growing up in a family of musicians. She began recording in her early twenties with Radio Mali. In 1975, she became the first jalimuso to tour Europe solo...
, Garan Fabou Kouyate
Garan Fabou Kouyate
Garan Fabou Kouyaté is a member of Mali's Higher Islamic Council and a former member of the CENI on behalf of the religious groups, and the first general secretary of the Fédération Malienne de Football . Kouyaté is a well-known and respected man in Mali...
, and Mountaga Tall
Mountaga Tall
Mountaga Tall is a Malian politician. He is the President of the National Congress for Democratic Initiative and a Deputy in the National Assembly of Mali; he has also served as a member of the Pan-African Parliament....
.
Maryse Condé
Maryse Condé
Maryse Condé is a Guadeloupean, French language author of historical fiction, best known for her novel Segu . Maryse Condé was born as Maryse Boucolon at Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, the youngest of eight children. In 1953, her parents sent her to study at Lycée Fénelon and Sorbonne in Paris,...
's historical novel
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
Segu tells the city's history from 1797 to its 1860 defeat by El Hajj Oumar Tall's Army.
Cercle
The Cercle of Ségou includes the urban commune of Ségou and 29 rural communes (PélenganaPelengana
Pelengana is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 19,561.-References:...
, Sébougoubou, Konodimini
Konodimini
Konodimini is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 13,178.-References:...
, N'Gara
N'Gara, Ségou
N'Gara is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 9,292.-References:...
, Massala, Sakoïba
Sakoïba
Sakoïba is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 13,226.-References:...
, Soignébougou
Soignébougou
Soignébougou is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 2,225.-References:...
, Cinzana
Cinzana
Cinzana is a town and commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 28,738.-References:...
, Samené, Dioro, Farakou-Massa, Kamiandougou
Kamiandougou
Kamiandougou is a commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of Mali. The principal town lies at Nonongo. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 14,262.-References:...
, Diédougou
Diedougou
Diedougou may refer to:* Diédougou, a commune of the Dioïla Cercle in the Koulikoro Region of Mali* Diédougou, a commune of the Kati Cercle in the Koulikoro Region of Mali...
, Koumandougou, Bellen
Bellen
Bellen is a commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of Mali. The principal town lies at Sagala. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 18,388....
, Baguidadougou, Farako
Farako, Ségou
Farako is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 10,640.-References:...
, Sama-Foulala, Souba
Souba
Souba is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 15,677.-References:...
, Digandougou, Katiéna
Katiena
Katiena is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 21,489.-References:...
, Fatiné
Fatine
Fatine or Fatine Marka is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 20,650. Digani Mosque is one of the notable landmarks.-References:...
, Diouna
Diouna
Diouna is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 6,910.-References:...
, Markala
Markala
Markala is a city in Mali's Ségou Region on the Niger River, 35 km downriver from the city of Ségou. Markala is the site of Mali's primary irrigation dam....
, Dougabougou
Dougabougou
Dougabougou is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 14,483.-References:...
, Togou
Togou
Togou is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 8,546.-References:...
, Boussin
Boussin
Boussin is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Ségou in the Ségou Region of southern-central Mali. As of 1998, the commune had a population of 8,700.-References:...
, Sansanding et Sibila) totaling 554 villages and neighborhoods.
The cercle's 469,219 residents include Bambaras, Fulas
Fula 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...
(Fulani), Miniankas, Bozos
Bozo people
The Bozo are a West African ethnic group located predominantly along the Niger River in Mali. The name Bozo is thought to derive from Bambara bo-so, 'Bamboo house'; the people accept it as referring to the whole of the ethnic group but use more specific clan names such as Sorogoye, Hain, and Tieye...
, Somonos, Dogon
Dogon people
The Dogon are an ethnic group living in the central plateau region of Mali, south of the Niger bend near the city of Bandiagara in the Mopti region. The population numbers between 400,000 and 800,000 The Dogon are best known for their religious traditions, their mask dances, wooden sculpture and...
s and Soninkés.
Sister cities
- Angoulême
Angoulême-Main sights:In place of its ancient fortifications, Angoulême is encircled by boulevards above the old city walls, known as the Remparts, from which fine views may be obtained in all directions. Within the town the streets are often narrow. Apart from the cathedral and the hôtel de ville, the...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, since 1984. - Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
External links
- Histoire : Ségou, une ville coloniale. La voix du Balanzan, 23 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-23 - History of Ségou from 1910 to 1945