| Somankidi | |
|---|---|
| Urban commune and town | |
  Somankidi Location in Mali | |
| Coordinates: 14°32′49″N11°36′25″W / 14.54694°N 11.60694°W Coordinates: 14°32′49″N11°36′25″W / 14.54694°N 11.60694°W | |
| Country |  |
| Region | Kayes Region |
| Cercle | Kayes Cercle |
| Population (2009 census) [1] | |
| • Total | 6,622 |
| Time zone | GMT (UTC+0) |
Somankidi or Somankidy is a small town and urban commune in the Cercle of Kayes in the Kayes Region of south-western Mali. The town lies on the north bank of the Senegal River, 22 km northwest of Kayes. In 2009 the commune had a population of 6,622.
A Commune is the third level administrative unit in Mali. Mali is divided into eight regions and one capital district (Bamako). These subdivisions bear the name of their principal city. The regions are divided into 49 Cercles. The Cercles and the district are divided into 703 Communes, with 36 Urban Communes and 667 Rural Communes, while some larger Cercles still contain Arrondissements above the Commune level, these are organisational areas with no independent power or office. Rural Communes are subdivided in Villages, while Urban Communes are subdivided into Quartier. Communes usually bear the name of their principal town. The capital, Bamako, consists of six Urban Communes. There were initially 701 communes until the Law No. 01-043 of 7 June 2001 created two new Rural Communes in the desert region in the north east of the country: Alata, Ménaka Cercle in the Gao Region and Intadjedite, Tin-Essako Cercle in the Kidal Region.
Kayes Cercle is an administrative subdivision of the Kayes Region of Mali. Its seat is the city of Kayes, which is also the capital of its Region and its largest city. The Cercle is further divided into Communes. The city of Kayes is subdivided into Urban Communes and Wards. Kayes Cercle's population in 2009 was 513,362.
Kayes Region is one of eight first level national subdivisions in Mali called “Regions”. It is the first administrative area of Mali and covers an area of 120,760 square kilometres or 46,630 square miles. Its capital is the town of Kayes. The province was historically part of the Ghana Empire and the Mali Empire.
