Kayes

This article is about the town in Mali. For the town in Congo, see Kayes, Congo.

Kayes Kayi, Xaayi
Commune and city
Men cross a busy street in Kayes, 2006.
Country	Mali
Region	Kayes
Cercle	Kayes Cercle
Town founded	1880s
Elevation	20 m (68 ft)
Population  (2006)
• Total	100,583
	estimate
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)

Kayes (Bambara Kayi, Soninké Xaayi) is a city in western Mali on the Sénégal River, with a population of roughly 100,000 people. Kayes is the capital of the administrative region of the same name. The name "Kayes" comes from the Soninké word "karré", which describes a low humid place that floods in rainy season. The city is located 317 miles (510 km) north-west of the capital Bamako.

Climate

Kayes, Mali
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     0   34 17     0.4   37 19     0.1   39 22     0.6   42 26     12   42 28     83   38 27     155   34 24     216   32 23     141   33 23     41   36 23     2.7   37 20     1.1   34 17 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: World Weather Information Service
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0   92 62     0   98 67     0   103 72     0   107 78     0.5   107 83     3.3   101 80     6.1   92 76     8.5   90 74     5.5   92 74     1.6   97 73     0.1   98 68     0   92 63 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Kayes is nicknamed the "pressure cooker of Africa" due to its extreme heat; the town is surrounded by iron-rich mountains which contribute to the temperature. Kayes is often described as the hottest continuously-inhabited town in Africa. The average daily high temperature in the city is 35 °C (95 °F), with temperatures usually peaking in April and May at an average 46 °C (115 °F).

History

Prior to French colonial expansion, Kayes was a small village. Its location on the path of the future Dakar-Niger Railway, and the French need for trade centers, led to the creation of the Kayes market town in 1881. It remains a transport hub, primarily for Senegalese trade, to this day. In 1892, Kayes became the capital of the French Sudan; Bamako replaced it as the capital, first of the state of Haut Sénégal-Niger on October 17, 1899, then as the capital of all of French Sudan in 1908.

Economy and transport

The town has an international airport (Kayes Airport), and lies on the Dakar-Niger Railway, in an area rich in gold and iron.

Area

Baobab tree.

Different sites found in and around Kayes include:

• Fort du Médine
• the falls of Félou 4 kilometres (2 mi)
• the Gouina Falls, 100 kilometres (62 mi) to the southeast on the Senegal river
• the tata (fortification) of Koniakari, constructed by El Hadj Umar Tall, 70 kilometres (43 mi) to the northeast
• Lake Magui and Lake Doro
• the Manantali Dam

Infrastructure

Kayes contains a postal office. Telephone and electricity services are available for residents of the town.

References

• Portions of this article are a translation of French language Wikipedia's Kayes.
• Colonial history of Kayes, from Web Site of Dr. Jim Jones, "African History Since 1875", West Chester University Department of History.
• View of Sénégal River Bridge at Kayes: Kidira Border Crossing into Mali, December 16, 2004 by NKOverland.