{{Infobox administrative division | name = Nara | native_name = | settlement_type = Region | image_map = Nara in Mali 2023.svg | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Mali | seat_type = Capital | seat = Nara | area_total_km2 = 31250 | population_total = 303584 | population_as_of = 2023 | population_density_km2 = auto | iso_code = | coordinates = {{coord|15.168461|-7.290154|type:adm1st_region:ML|display=inline,title}} }}
'''Nara Region''' is an administrative region of Mali that was created from the division of Koulikoro Region in 2023. Its capital is the town of Nara.
== Geography == The region is located in the south-west of the country and covers an area of 31,250 km², corresponding to 2.5% of the national territory.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/mali/cities/ |title=Mali: Regions, Cities & Urban Localities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information |website=Citypopulation.de |access-date=8 May 2026}}</ref> Nara Region borders three Malian regions (Nioro, Koulikoro, Ségou) and Mauritania to the north. Its relief consists of an extensive sandy plain with a Sahelian climate and annual rainfall between 200 and 600 mm. Most of the region lies within the drainage basin of the Senegal River. There are no permanent watercourses in the region, but there are many ponds. These store rainwater for between three and ten months and are used for watering livestock, vegetable cultivation and traditional fish farming.
== History == Nara Cercle belonged to Koulikoro Region until 2023. Its elevation to a separate region had already been decided in 2012, but due to the poor security situation in the country and political factors, it could only be implemented in 2023 through the adoption of Law No. 2023-006.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://de.scribd.com/document/767883735/Nouveau-decoupage-administratif-du-Mali |title=Loi n°2023-006 du 13 mars 2023 portant création des circonscriptions administratives en République du Mali |trans-title=New Administrative Division of Mali |publisher=République du Mali |date=13 March 2023 |format=PDF |language=fr |access-date=8 May 2026}}</ref>
== Administrative divisions == The region is divided into six ''cercles''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ab-mli |title=Mali - Subnational Administrative Boundaries |website=The Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX) - OCHA Global Subnational Administrative Boundaries |publisher=UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Field Information Services Section (FISS), Geneva, Switzerland |date=2 April 2026 |format=XLSX; GeoJSON; Shape; GDB |language=en |access-date=7 May 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://malinewstv.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Projet-de-loi-portant-création-des-circonscriptions-administratives-au-Mali.pdf |title=Projet de loi portant création des circonscriptions administratives au Mali |language=fr |access-date=8 May 2026}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" ! Cercle code ! Cercle ! Communes |- |1401 |Nara |3 |- |1402 |Ballé |3 |- |1403 |Dilly |2 |- |1404 |Mourdiah |2 |- |1405 |Guiré |2 |- |1406 |Fallou |2 |}
== Population == In 2023, the population was estimated at 303,584, based on the census carried out the previous year.<ref name=":0" /> The main ethnic groups are the Soninke, Bambara, Peul and Moors.
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Population |- |1998 |166,783 |- |2009 |241,904 |- |2023 |303,584 |}
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Regions of Mali}} Category:Regions of Mali