Posted on January 20, 2018
The landlocked nation of Mali, which is located in Western Africa, celebrates its military forces today.
Unfortunately, Malian armed forces were involved in conflict with their own people - a group of people called the Tuareg, who tried to break away from Mali, grabbing a chunk of land from the northern part of the nation, where they wanted to form the independent nation of Azawad. 
All of that happened in 2012 and 2013; I certainly hope things have been peaceful since then!
Check out some of the marvelous sights in Mali:
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| The ancient settlement of the Tellem people in the background, and the old, now-abandoned structures of the Dogon people in the foreground. The teeny house-looking structures are meant to store grain. |
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| This lovely landscape (above and below) shows the contrast between the dry and wet seasons. The Hand of Fatima at Hombori. |
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| The people - particularly the children - are beautiful, partly because of their gorgeous, colorful clothing! |
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| Goats hanging with elephants? Priceless! Also, check out the ultra-cool architecture: |
Also on this date:
National Heroes' Day in Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau
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