Kidal Region | |
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 Interactive map of Kidal Region in Mali | |
| Coordinates:19°58′24″N0°44′49″E / 19.97333°N 0.74694°E /19.97333; 0.74694 | |
| Country | Mali |
| Capital | Kidal |
| Government | |
| • Governor | El Hadj Ag Gamou |
| Area | |
• Total | 151,450 km2 (58,480 sq mi) |
| Population (2009 census)[1] | |
• Total | 67,638 |
| • Density | 0.44660/km2 (1.1567/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC±0 (UTC) |
| ISO 3166 code | ML-8 |
| HDI (2017) | 0.386[2] low ·5th |
Kidal Region (Bambara: ߞߌߘߊߟ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Kidal Dineja) the eighth administrative region ofMali, covering 151,450 square kilometres or 58,480 square miles. This area was formerly part ofGao Region, but was created as a separate region in 1991. It is located in the north of the country, within the territory which theNational Movement for the Liberation of Azawad proclaimed to be the independent nation-state ofAzawad on 6 April 2012. This independence has not been recognized by any country or international organization. It was under the control of different armed movements such as theAnsar Dine and MNLA until January 2013, when French forces liberated the region.[3] The Region's administrative capital is the town ofKidal.
The region is bordered on the west byTaoudénit Region, to the south byGao Region andMénaka Region, to the east byNiger and to the north byAlgeria.
Kidal has a desert climate with day-time temperatures that reach as high as 45 °C (113 °F).
In 2009 the region had a population of 67,638.[1] In addition 30% of its population, mostlyTuareg andSonghai were displaced to North Africa during the 1990s.
The largest towns of the region are Kidal,Tessalit, andAguel'hoc.
The primary trades of Kidal Region include livestock breeding, craft-making, and commerce. Commercial farming has been developed in some areas. The region is extremely isolated, with no paved highways or rivers for transportation.
The region saw Tuareg Rebellions in 1963–1964 and in 1990–1991. The accords of Tamanresset followed on January 6, 1991, creating the Kidal Region by decree on August 8, 1991.
By the end of 2011, another group ofTuareg rebels, theNational Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, were active in the region.[4] The Movement declared Azawad to be an independent republic in April 2012, with the Kidal region as part of the new (but unrecognised) state.
The region is peopled primarily by Tuaregs, a nomadic ethnicity ofBerber origin. Their writing is theTifinagh alphabet.
Thoughnomadism remains the lifestyle best adapted to the difficult environment of the region, several settlements have emerged at Kidal:Aguel'hoc,Tessalit, andTinzawatène.
As of 2023, the Kidal Region is divided into fivecercles encompassing 11communes:[5] A fifth cercle, Achibogo, was added sometime after 2016. No map is available depicting the new cercle divisions.
| Cercle name | Area (km2) | Population Census 1998 | Population Census 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kidal | 21,353 | 16,495 | 33,087 |
| Tessalit | 39,000 | 12,362 | 16,289 |
| Abeïbara | 23,750 | 7,363 | 10,286 |
| Tin-Essako | 2,554 | 7,976 |
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