Mali | Stock Photos

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Present-day Mali was once part of three West African empires that controlled trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt and slaves. Today it is one of the most politically and socially stable countries in Africa. Traditionially dependant on cotton, more recently Mali has become the third largest gold producer in Africa. The greatest export however is dust; 100s of millions of tons are thrown into the atmosphere each year with the drying of the Niger River Delta.