Mali

This landlocked country in west Africa is characterized by an arid sparsely populated northern region of which Timbuktu is the historical frontier town to the Sahara desert, and the more tropical and densely populated southern region.  The Mali Empire was at its height in the 1300s, flourishing with mathematics, astronomy, literature and art.  The gold riches of the city however were looted sometime between then and the time the Europeans such as Mungo Park were venturing into the interior and up the Niger River.  France claimed it as a colony anyway as it provided slaves, gold, and salt.  Mali gained independence in 1960 and became a democratic state in 1991 after a political coup.  Bakamo, meaning crocodile tail, is the capital of and largest city in the country and one of the fastest growing cities in the region.