Dioila

Dioïla is the seat of its own cercle in the Koulikoro Region of southern Mali; before 1977 the area was combined with what is now the Kati Cercle and the Bamako District into a single larger "Bamako Cercle." The cercle is home mainly to Bambara and Malinké farming communities and formed part of the pre-colonial Bambara Empire, with animist traditions persisting well into the 20th century alongside Muslim Maraka, Fula, and Bozo fishing populations. Under French colonial rule the area was pressed into cotton production, and Dioïla remains a collection and processing point for cotton grown in the surrounding cercle before it moves on to Bamako's commercial markets.

By Car / Road

Reached by road from Bamako or Koulikoro.

Tô (a millet or sorghum porridge served with sauce) and rice with grilled or sauced meat are staples of Malian home cooking countrywide.

Sweet mint tea (attaya) is the customary drink across Mali. Bottled water is recommended for travelers.

• Koulikoro — regional capital
• Bamako — national capital