A cercle (French for "circle") is the second-level administrative unit in Mali. Mali is divided into 19 régions and one capital district (Bamako); the régions are subdivided into 159 cercles.Administrative divisions of Mali These subdivisions bear the name of their principal city.

During French colonial rule in Mali, a cercle was the smallest unit of French political administration that was headed by a European officer. A cercle consisted of several cantons, each of which in turn consisted of several villages. In 1887, the Cercle of Bafoulabé was the first cercle to be created in Mali. In most of former French West Africa, the term cercle was changed to prefecture or department after independence, but this was not done in Mali.

Some cercles (and the district) were, prior to the 1999 local government reorganisation, further divided into arrondissements, especially in urban areas or the vast northern regions (such as Kidal), which consisted of a collection of communes. Since these reforms, cercles are now directly subdivided into rural and urban communes, which in turn are divided in quartiers (quarters, or villages and encampments in rural areas) which have elected councils at each level. database of all registered electors in Mali (2007), includes a hierarchical list of every cercle, commune, and quarter in the nation. There are 819 communes, 36 urban communes (including six in Bamako District) and over 700 rural communes.. The cercles are listed below.

Bamako Capital District

Bamako

Kayes Region Kayes Cercle Bafoulabé Cercle Yélimané Cercle Kéniéba Cercle Ambidédi Cercle Aourou Cercle Diamou Cercle Oussoubidiagna Cercle Ségala Cercle Sadiola Cercle

Koulikoro Region Koulikoro Cercle Banamba Cercle Kangaba Cercle Kati Cercle Kolokani Cercle Nyamina Cercle Siby Cercle Néguéla Cercle

Sikasso Region Sikasso Cercle Kadiolo Cercle Dandérésso Cercle Kignan Cercle Kléla Cercle Lobougoula Cercle Loulouni Cercle Nièna Cercle

Ségou Region Ségou Cercle Bla Cercle Barouéli Cercle Niono Cercle Macina Cercle Dioro Cercle Farako Cercle Nampala Cercle Sokolo Cercle Markala Cercle Sarro Cercle

Mopti Region Mopti Cercle Djenné Cercle Tenenkou Cercle Youwarou Cercle Konna Cercle Korientzé Cercle Sofara Cercle Toguéré-Coumbé Cercle

Tombouctou Region Timbuktu Cercle Goundam Cercle Diré Cercle Niafunké Cercle Gourma-Rharous Cercle Bintagoungou Cercle Saraféré Cercle Bambara Maoudé Cercle Léré Cercle Gossi Cercle Tonka Cercle Ber Cercle Gargando Cercle

Gao Region Gao Cercle Bourem Cercle Ansongo Cercle Almoustrat Cercle Bamba Cercle Ouattagouna Cercle Soni Aliber Cercle Djebock Cercle Talataye Cercle Tessit Cercle N'Tillit Cercle Gabéro Cercle Ersane Cercle Tabankort Cercle Tin-Aouker Cercle Kassambéré Cercle

Kidal Region Kidal Cercle Abeibara Cercle Tin-Essako Cercle Tessalit Cercle Achibogho Cercle Anétif Cercle Timétrine Cercle Aguel-Hoc Cercle Takalote Cercle

Taoudénit Region Taoudénit Cercle Araouane Cercle Foum-Elba Cercle Boudje-Béha Cercle Al-Ourche Cercle Achouratt Cercle

Ménaka Region Ménaka Cercle Tidermène Cercle Inékar Cercle Andéramboukane Cercle Anouzagrène Cercle Inlamawane Cercle

Nioro Region Nioro du Sahel Cercle Diéma Cercle Diangounté Camara Cercle Sandaré Cercle Troungoumbé Cercle Béma Cercle

Kita Region Kita Cercle Sagabari Cercle Sébékoro Cercle Toukoto Cercle Séféto Cercle Sirakoro Cercle

Dioïla Region Dioïla Cercle Banco Cercle Béléko Cercle Fana Cercle Massigui Cercle Ména Cercle

Nara Region Nara Cercle Ballé Cercle Dilly Cercle Mourdiah Cercle Guiré Cercle Fallou Cercle

Bougouni Region Bougouni Cercle Yanfolila Cercle Kolondiéba Cercle Garalo Cercle Koumantou Cercle Sélingué Cercle Ouélessébougou Cercle Kadiala Cercle Fakola Cercle Dogo Cercle

Koutiala Region Koutiala Cercle Yorosso Cercle M'Péssoba Cercle Molobala Cercle Koury Cercle Konséguéla Cercle Kouniana Cercle Zangasso Cercle

San Region San Cercle Tominian Cercle Kimparana Cercle Yangasso Cercle Fangasso Cercle Mandiakuy Cercle Sy Cercle

Douentza Region Douentza Cercle Boré Cercle Hombori Cercle N'Gouma Cercle Mondoro Cercle Boni Cercle

Bandiagara Region Bandiagara Cercle Koro Cercle Bankass Cercle Kendié Cercle Ningari Cercle Diallassagou Cercle Sangha Cercle Kani Cercle Sokoura Cercle

See also Arrondissements of Mali Regions of Mali

References

MATCL - Ministère de l'Administration Territoriale et des Collectivités Locales: government of the Republic of Mali. Mali Maplibrary: vector maps of national subdivisions of Mali. Regions, Cercles and Places in Mali, African Development Information Services Database. Contains listing of Arrondissements under each Cercle page, as well as some Communes and places of interest in each Cercle.

Colonial usage Benton, Lauren: Colonial Law and Cultural Difference: Jurisdictional Politics and the Formation of the Colonial State in Comparative Studies in Society and History, Vol. 41, No. 3 (Jul., 1999) Crowder, Michael: West Africa Under Colonial Rule Northwestern Univ. Press (1968) ASIN: B000NUU584 Crowder, Michael: Indirect Rule: French and British Style Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, Vol. 34, No. 3 (Jul., 1964) Mortimer, Edward France and the Africans, 1944–1960, A Political History (1970) Jean Suret-Canele. French Colonialism in Tropical Africa 1900–1945. Trans. Pica Press (1971)