Country Mali Time zone UTC (UTC±0) | Capital Gao Area 170,572 km² | |
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The Gao Region is located in northeastern Mali. The capital city is Gao. The region is bordered to the north by Kidal Region, to the west by Tombouctou Region, and to the east and most of the south by Niger, with a very small portion of the southern border shared with Burkina Faso. Common ethnicities in the Gao Region include the Songhai, Bozo, Tuareg, Bambara, and Kounta. The towns include Gao, Bourem, and Bamba.
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Map of Gao Region, Mali
The Gao Region is part of Azawad, the northern part of Mali that was separated and declared independent by the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) during the Tuareg rebellion of 2012. After the 1st Battle of Gao, the MNLA lost their control of the territory to Islamist militias. Several other battles have taken place in the region during the war, particularly in the city of Gao itself.
Administrative subdivisions
For administrative purposes, the Gao Region is divided into four cercles:
History
Gao Region formerly comprised the entire eastern portion of the country, east of Tombouctou Region. However, in 1991 the northern half of Gao Region was separated off to become the new Kidal Region.