View source for Kayes Region

{{Infobox region
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| name                    = Kayes Region
| native_name             = 
| native_name_lang        = fr<!-- ISO 639-2 code e.g. "fr" for French language -->
| type                    = [[Regions of Mali|Region]]
| image_skyline           = 
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = 
| nickname                = 
| motto                   = 
| image_map               = Mali Kayes.png
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = Location within Mali
| mapsize                 = frameless
| latd  = 14|latm  = 6|lats  = 54|latNS  = N
| longd = 10|longm = 34|longs = 7|longEW = W
| coordinates_type        = type:adm1st_region:ML_source:nlwiki
| coordinates_display     = inline,title
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name        = {{flag|Mali}}
| established_title       = 
| established_date        = 
| founder                 = 
| named_for               = 
| seat_type               = [[Capital (political)|Capital]]
| seat                    = [[Kayes]]
| government_footnotes    = 
| leader_party            = 
| leader_title            = 
| leader_name             = 
| area_footnotes          = 
| area_total_km2          = 120760
| area_note               = 
| elevation_footnotes     = 
| elevation_m             = 
| population_footnotes    =<ref name=pop2009>{{citation | url=http://instat.gov.ml/documentation/kayes.pdf
 | publisher=République de Mali: Institut National de la Statistique| title=Resultats Provisoires RGPH 2009 (Région de Kayes) | language=French }}.</ref>
 | population_total        = 1996812
| population_as_of        = 2009 census
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_demonym      = 
| population_note         = 
| timezone1               = [[UTC±0|UTC]]
| utc_offset1             = ±0
| postal_code_type        = 
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| area_code_type          = 
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| website                 = 
| footnotes               = 
}}
[[File:Un-mali Kayes Region.png|thumb|right|300px|Kayes Region.<br /> <small>Unpaved roads are dashed lines. Borders of the [[Boucle du Baoulé National Park]] are approximate.</small>]]
'''Kayes Region''' is one of eight first level national subdivisions, called [[Regions of Mali|Regions]] in [[Mali]]. It is the first administrative area of Mali and covers an area of 120,760 [[square kilometer|km²]]. Its capital is the town of [[Kayes]].

== Geography ==

The region of Kayes is bordered to the north by [[Mauritania]], to the west by [[Senegal]], to the south by [[Guinea]] and to the east by the region of [[Koulikoro Region|Koulikoro]].

In 2009 the region has a population of 1,996,812 inhabitants. Ethnic groups of the area include [[Soninké]]s, [[Khassonké]]s, [[Malinké]]s, and [[Fula people|Fulas]] ({{lang-fr|Peuls}}; {{lang-ff|Fulɓe}}).

Several rivers cross the region: the [[Baoulé River|Baoulé]], the [[Bafing River|Bafing]], and the [[Bakoy River|Bakoy]] which join at the town of [[Bafoulabé]] to form the [[Sénégal River]]. The Falls of Félou (4&nbsp;km of Kayes), the [[Gouina Falls|Falls of Gouina]] (100&nbsp;km to the south-east of Kayes on the Sénégal River), [[Talari Gorges]], [[Lake Magui]] and [[Lake Doro]] are located in the region.

At the Guinean border, the climate is rather wet, but becomes [[Sudan (region)|Sudanian]] and later [[Sahel]]ian to the north.

The largest cities in the region are [[Kayes]], [[Nioro du Sahel]], [[Diéma, Mali|Diéma]], [[Yélimané]], [[Sadiola]], [[Bafoulabé]], [[Kénébia]] and [[Kita, Mali|Kita]].

The [[Bafing National Park]] and the [[Boucle du Baoulé National Park]] are located in the region.

== Cercles ==
[[File:Kayes cercles.png|thumb|Cercles of Kayes]]
Kayes is divided into seven [[Cercles of Mali|Cercles]]:
* [[Bafoulabé Cercle]]
* [[Diéma Cercle]]
* [[Kita Cercle]]
* [[Kéniéba Cercle]]
* [[Kayes Cercle]]
* [[Nioro Cercle]]
* [[Yélimané Cercle]]

== History ==
The region of Kayes is the cradle of the Kingdom of [[Khasso]] founded at the beginning of the 19th century.

In 1855, [[Louis Faidherbe]], Governor of Senegal, built a fort at [[Siege of Medina Fort|Medina]] which would be besieged by [[Umar Tall|El Hadj Omar Tall]], in an 1857 war against the sovereign of Khasso. In 1892, the town of [[Kayes]] became the capital of [[French Sudan]].

The construction of the [[railway line of Dakar-Niger]], inaugurated in 1904, made of Kayes a city-crossroads. Essential at the time, the railroad had an important place in the lives of the inhabitants, as described in [[Ousmane Sembène]]'s novel ''God's Bits of Wood''.

==See also==
* [[Regions of Mali]]
* [[Cercles of Mali]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{citation | title= Synthèsis des 120 Plan Communaux de Securité Alimentaire de la Région de Kayes 2007-2011 | publisher=Commissariat à la Sécurité Alimentaire, République du Mali, USAID-Mali | year=2007 | url=http://www.aec.msu.edu/fs2/mali_fd_strtgy/plans/kayes/psa_region_kayes.pdf | language=French }}.


{{Mali regions}}
{{Communes of the Kayes Region}}

[[Category:Kayes Region| ]]
[[Category:Regions of Mali]]
[[Category:French West Africa]]
[[Category:Kayes]]

[[ar:منطقة كايس]]
[[bg:Кайес (регион)]]
[[de:Region Kayes]]
[[et:Kayesi piirkond]]
[[es:Kayes (región)]]
[[eo:Regiono Kayes]]
[[fa:استان کایس]]
[[fr:Région de Kayes]]
[[ko:케이스 주]]
[[id:Region Kayes]]
[[it:Regione di Kayes]]
[[nl:Kayes (regio)]]
[[ja:カイ州]]
[[pl:Region Kayes]]
[[pt:Kayes (região)]]
[[ro:Regiunea Kayes]]
[[ru:Каес (область)]]
[[simple:Kayes Region]]
[[sv:Kayes (region)]]
[[ur:علاقہ کیز]]
[[zh:卡伊區]]