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39-398: In the middle of the 19th century there were four villages with the name of Ségou spread out over a distance of around 12 km (7.5 mi) along the right bank of the river. They were, starting from the most upstream, Ségou-Koro (Old Ségou), Ségou-Bougou, Ségou-Koura (New Ségou) and Ségou-Sikoro. The present town is on the site of Ségou-Sikoro. Ségou has contested origins. Some claim that

78-804: A final -ea. Harmattan The Harmattan is a season in West Africa that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by the dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind , of the same name, which blows from the Sahara over West Africa into the Gulf of Guinea . The name is related to the word haramata in the Twi language. The temperature is cold mostly at night in some places but can be very hot in certain places during daytime. Generally, temperature differences can also depend on local circumstances. The Harmattan blows during

117-561: A large irrigation scheme in the Ségou Region to the north of the Niger River. Ségou used to be served by Ségou Airport ( IATA : SZU, ICAO : GASG). The airport lay south-west of the city center and is visible on old maps as well as satellite imagery. Notable people from Ségou include Adame Ba Konare , Fanta Damba , Garan Fabou Kouyate , Mountaga Tall , and Bassekou Kouyate . Maryse Condé 's historical novel Segu tells

156-514: A regional commercial center. Bambaras are mostly farmers and are the most numerous ethnic group. Their language is Bambara or Djoula . The Bozos are the second most populous ethnic group. They typically live near the shore of the Niger river, in small towns of small houses. The Bozo economy is based on fishing. Bozo people have a monopoly on the transport system because of their knowledge of the Niger, its shallows and seasonal lakes, and are regarded as

195-423: A relatively mild period followed by a period of sweltering heat. The average yearly rainfall is about 640 millimetres or 25 inches. The harmattan is the dominant wind in the dry season and it blows from north to south. The monsoon blowing from south to north-west is frequent during rainy season ( hivernage ). As of the 2009 Mali Census, Ségou has a population of 130,690, up from 105,305 in 1998. A 2007 estimate put

234-632: Is / ʃ iː / (rhyming with "tea"), although the pronunciation / ʃ eɪ / (rhyming with "day") is common and is listed second in major dictionaries. The tree is called ghariti in the Wolof language of Senegal , which is the origin of the French name of the tree and the butter, karité . In Hausa language the tree is called Kaɗe or Kaɗanya . Indeed, the shea tree is so indispensable in Mole-Dagbang culinary and ethno-botanical practices that

273-574: Is also regarded as the capital of Malian pottery with a large pottery district in Kalabougou situated on the left bank. Women make the pottery by hand with the clay coming from the Niger River and bring the finished works to the local Monday market. The most well-known festival in Ségou is the annual Festival sur le Niger (Festival on the Niger). This festival celebrates music and the arts and culture of

312-462: Is characterized by cold, dry, dust-laden wind, and also wide fluctuations in the ambient temperatures of the day and night. Temperatures can easily be as low as 9 °C (48 °F) all day, but sometimes in the afternoon the temperature can also soar to as high as 30 °C (86 °F), while the relative humidity drops under 5%. It can also be hot in some regions, like in the Sahara. The air

351-459: Is indigenous to Africa . The shea fruit consists of a thin, tart, nutritious pulp that surrounds a relatively large, oil-rich seed from which shea butter is extracted. It is a deciduous tree usually 7–15 m (23–49 ft) tall, but has reached 25 m (82 ft) and a trunk diameter of 2 m (6.6 ft). The shea tree is a traditional African food plant. It has been claimed to have potential to improve nutrition, boost food supply in

390-595: Is particularly dry and desiccating when the Harmattan blows over the region. The Harmattan brings desert-like weather conditions: it lowers the humidity, dissipates cloud cover, prevents rainfall formation and sometimes creates big clouds of dust which can result in dust storms or sandstorms . The wind can increase fire risk and cause severe crop damage. The interaction of the Harmattan with monsoon winds can cause tornadoes . In some countries in West Africa,

429-623: Is subdivided into 15 quartiers : Alamissani, Angoulême, Bagadadji, Bougoufié, Comatex, Dar Salam, Hamdallaye, Médine, Mission Catholique, Missira, Ségou Coura, Sido Soninkoura, Somono, Sokalakono, Bananissabakoro. Ségou has a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen BSh ). The city is irrigated by two important waterways: the Niger and the Bani River . Ségou has two seasons: a rainy season and a dry season. The rainy season starts in June and lasts about four months until September. Ségou's dry season includes

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468-600: Is unknown. Ségou's cultural heritage includes traditional musical instruments, wonderful griots , folkloric groups and the traditional masks and marionettes. The history of the Bambara state's traditional religious practices are ambiguous. They practice animism and fetishism as cultural practices, and also totemic and monism (cult of ancestors). The most famous Ségou handcrafts are based on pottery, weaving (blankets, wrappers and carpets), manufacturing of Bogolan (a distinctive variation of Mud cloth ), painting and sculpture. Ségou

507-585: Is used extensively for food, is a major source of dietary fat , and for medicinal purposes. In Ghana and Nigeria, shea butter is a major ingredient for making the African black soap . The edible protein-rich caterpillars of the moth Cirina butyrospermi which feed solely on its leaves are widely collected and eaten raw, dried or fried. Shea butter extract is a complex fat that in addition to many nonsaponifiable components (substances that cannot be fully converted into soap by treatment with alkali ) contains

546-571: The Bambara Empire . In the subsequent decades, he expanded its territory to encompass regional commerce centers such as Macina and Djenné . The city of Timbuktu would become a tributary state to Bitòn's Bambara Empire. At this time Segou was capital of the Bambara Empire, and a distinct urban architecture began to emerge at Ségou Koro, including mosques . After Bitòn's death in 1755 a period of instability followed, during which

585-566: The places of worship , they are predominantly Muslim mosques. There are also Christian churches and temples : Roman Catholic Diocese of Ségou ( Catholic Church ), Église Chrétienne Évangélique du Mali ( Alliance World Fellowship ), Assemblies of God . Ségou has two architectural styles: French Colonial and traditional Sudanese and neo-Sudanese. The Sudanese style influenced public building and important residences. Monuments and great mosques are also built according to this style. Many of Sudano-Sahelian 's kings built imposing palaces in

624-419: The "annual hungry season", foster rural development, and support sustainable land care. The tree starts bearing its first fruit when it is 10 to 15 years old; full production is attained when the tree is about 20 to 30 years old. It then produces nuts for up to 200 years. The fruits resemble large plums 4 to 8 centimetres long weighing between 10 and 57 grams each. These fruits take 4 to 6 months to ripen;

663-547: The Bambara people, and includes the Caravane culturelle de la paix since 2013. The 16th edition of the festival took place in 2019, when for the first time it combined with Ségou' Art, a contemporary art fair . The two festivals continue to be combined for the 2023 event, which takes place over six days in early February. The University of Ségou was founded in 2009. As of 2008, Ségou has 13 kindergartens , 33 primary schools , 17 secondary schools , and 40 madrasas . Among

702-514: The Congo , and Guinea . The habitat area extends over more than 5,000 kilometres (3,100 mi). A testa found at the site of the medieval village of Saouga is evidence of shea butter production by the 14th century. Shea butter has many uses and may or may not be refined. In the West it is most commonly used as an emollient in cosmetics and is less commonly used in food. Throughout Africa it

741-522: The Empire's prosperity: The view of this extensive city, the numerous canoes on the river, the crowded population, and the cultivated state of the surrounding countryside, formed altogether a prospect of civilization and magnificence that I little expected to find in the bosom of Africa. On March 10, 1861, the Muslim Toucouleur leader, El Hadj Oumar Tall , conquered the town. Under his rule,

780-546: The Northern Ghanaian city of Tamale etymologically derives its name from the more traditional Dagomba name 'Tama-yile' (meaning 'Home of Shea nuts'). The tree was formerly classified in the genus Butyrospermum , meaning "butter seed". The species name parkii honors Scottish explorer Mungo Park , who learned of the tree while exploring Senegal . Park's Scottish origin is reflected in the English word shea , with

819-475: The average yield is 15 to 20 kg (33 to 44 lb) of fresh fruit per tree, with optimum yields up to 45 kilograms (99 pounds). Each kilogram of fruit gives approximately 400 grams (14 ounces) of dry seeds. The fruit is edible. Vitellaria is a monotypic genus, i.e., it comprises only one species.  The species has variously been known botanically as Vitellaria paradoxa , Butyrospermum parkii , and Butyrospermum paradoxum .  Many botanical works from

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858-399: The capital of the Empire moved repeatedly. In 1766 Ngolo Diarra , a former slave and warrior, took control the Bambara Empire and inaugurated a period of prosperity. The Diarra dynasty ruled Ségou until the mid-19th century. He moved the kingdom's capital from Segou-Koro to Ségou-Sikoro, close to the site of the current city. Mungo Park , passing through Segou in 1797 recorded a testament to

897-406: The cities over which they ruled and most of these buildings are in red clay. The materials used for building are generally quite poor and many of the buildings need to be restored to maintain their state. Today, Ségou is known for its pottery, its market and its fishing industry. Attractions in the old town of Ségou-Koro included a mosque, Coulibaly's tomb and an ancient tree. In the city center,

936-424: The city's history from 1797 to its 1860 defeat by El Hajj Oumar Tall's army. Ségou is twinned with: Vitellaria Butyrospermum paradoxum Butyrospermum parkii Vitellaria paradoxa (formerly Butyrospermum parkii ), commonly known as shea tree , shi tree ( / ˈ ʃ iː ( ə )/ ), or vitellaria , is a tree of the family Sapotaceae . It is the only species in the genus Vitellaria , and

975-711: The city's population at 118,814. The population of the Ségou Region is largely rural, and nomadic semi-sedentary or sedentary. The population consists of many ethnic groups, such as Bambara , Bozo, Fulani , Soninke , Malinke and Toucouleur . The town of Ségou itself is home to a variety of ethnic groups, including the Malinke, the Soninke, the Fulani, and the Toucouleur, due to its complex history and status as

1014-518: The collapse of the Ghana Empire , with Mandinka populations following. Around 1650 Kaladian Coulibaly overthrew the ruling Koita dynasty and established a powerful if short-lived kingdom with Ségou-Koro as capital. One of Koulibaly's great-grandsons, Mamary Coulibaly , also known as Bitòn, became the chief of his tòn , an association of men, sometime after 1700. By 1712, Bitòn had used his military strength to displace local elders and expand

1053-566: The dry season, which occurs during the months with the lowest sun. In this season, the subtropical ridge of high pressure stays over the central Sahara and the low-pressure Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) stays over the Gulf of Guinea. On its passage over the Sahara, the Harmattan picks fine dust and sand particles (between 0.5 and 10 microns). It is also known as the "doctor wind", because of its invigorating dryness compared with humid tropical air. This season differs from winter because it

1092-436: The fishing, while women usually market the fish. While most consumer goods are imported into Ségou, the city produces, and exports, handicraft and agricultural products. As of 2008, the town is served by two telecom operators: Ikatel and Sotelma . There are two factories processing cotton: Compagnie Malienne des Textiles (COMATEX) and Compagnie malienne pour le développement du textile (CMDT). Commerce consists mostly of

1131-482: The following fatty acids : oleic acid (40–60%), stearic acid (20–50%), linoleic acid (3–11%), palmitic acid (2–9%), linolenic acid (<1%) and arachidic acid (<1%). It also contains the vitamins A, E and F. The common name is shíyiri (in N'Ko : ߛ߭ߌ߭ߦߌߙߌ ) or shísu ( ߛ߭ߌ߭ߛߎ , lit. "shea tree") in the Bambara language of Mali . This is the origin of the English word, whose primary pronunciation

1170-415: The heavy amount of dust in the air can severely limit visibility and block the sun for several days, comparable to a heavy fog . This effect is known as the Harmattan haze. It costs airlines millions of dollars in cancelled and diverted flights each year. When the haze is weak, the skies are clear. The extreme dryness of the air may cause branches of trees to die. A 2024 study found that dust carried by

1209-419: The late 19th and much of the 20th centuries used the name Butyrospermum parkii , which is still commonly found in the cosmetics trade.  However, Vitellaria paradoxa is the oldest name (published in 1807) and has been generally used in recent decades, as necessitated by the rules of botanical nomenclature; efforts in 1962 to make Butyrospermum the official scientific name for the genus (i.e., to "conserve"

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1248-531: The main landmark is the water tower . The most important economic activities are fishing, cattle herding and small scale farming. Millet is the main crop in Ségou, with other major cereals including sorghum , and cowpea . The main type of millet crop is rice pearl millet . Black-eyed peas are also grown. Crop yields in Ségou are generally low. Common types of livestock in Ségou includes sheep , poultry , cattle , goats , and donkeys . Both artisanal and commercial fishing are practiced in Ségou. Men often do

1287-624: The masters of water. The Somono  [ fr ] , a group known to specialize in fishing and boating, are largely concentrated in Ségou and its surroundings. The Malinké/Mandinka/Manink a are closely related to Bambaras: They share costumes, religious beliefs, and practices with the Bambaras. The Marka , Saracollé or Soninke are merchants and warriors. The Soninke people are great travelers and Muslims, and have largely conserved their traditions. The Bambaras used to transmit their knowledge by oral tradition, hence much of their art and culture

1326-493: The name) were unsuccessful. The species comprises two subspecies: Vitellaria paradoxa subsp. paradoxa  (roughly from the Nigeria-Cameroon border westward). Vitellaria paradoxa subsp. nilotica (Kotschy) A.N. Henry & Chithra & N.C. Nair (roughly from the Nigeria-Cameroon border eastward). The shea tree grows naturally in the wild in the dry savannah belt of West and South from Senegal in

1365-460: The prominent military architect Samba Ndiaye rebuilt some of the town's defenses. On his death in 1864, he was succeeded by his son Ahmadu Tall , who dealt repeatedly with rebellions and challenges from his brothers. After years of tensions and conflict, Segou was conquered by the French when forces led by Colonel Louis Archinard entered the town on April 6, 1890. France attempted indirectly ruling Ségou until March 13, 1893, when they incorporated

1404-460: The small scale exchange and sale of products from the primary sector, sold weekly at the large Sudano-Sahelian market, drawing customers from far outside of the city. The main products sold are vegetables, pottery, cotton, leather, fruit, ovens, cattle and cereals. The headquarters of the Office du Niger is based in the town. The Office du Niger is a semi-autonomous government agency that administers

1443-466: The town as the capital of a local cercle . Ségou continued to serve as a regional commercial center throughout French rule. Ségou is situated 235 kilometres (146 mi) from Bamako , on the right bank of the Niger River . The urban commune is bordered to the east by the commune of Pelengana , to the west by the commune of Sébougou and to the south by the commune of Sakoïba . The commune

1482-521: The west to Sudan and South Sudan in the east, and onto the foothills of the Ethiopian highlands. It occurs in 19 countries across the African continent, namely Benin , Burkina Faso , Cameroon , Central African Republic , Chad , Ethiopia , Ghana , Guinea Bissau , Ivory Coast , Mali , Niger , Nigeria , Senegal , Sierra Leone , South Sudan , Sudan , Togo , Uganda , Democratic Republic of

1521-541: The word Ségou come from "Sikoro", meaning to the foot of a shea butter tree . Others argue that it was named after Cheikou, a marabout who founded the city, while still other theories support the claim that Ségou was founded by the Bozo fishermen coming from the north in the 4th century, who established their villages along the Niger River. The 11th century CE saw an influx of the Soninke people , who were trying to escape from

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