Queen Elizabeth II 25th Anniversary Coronation First Day Cover, Mali postmarked on September 18, 1978.

Mali

Mali (larger than France, Spain and Portugal together) consists of plains and plateaus landlocked by Mauretania, Sene- gal, Algeria, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Upper Volta and Niger. The country is of three main regions; in the north the Sahara, with rainfall averaging only 2 to 7 inches per year, and peopled by nomadic tribes of Berber origin; the intermediate Sahel, with 7 to 20 inches per year, peopled by Fulani herders; and the riverine fore®': galleries and savannah of the southern Mandingos, who enjoy up to 60 inches of rain a year It is here in the south that most of Mali's 5 million population earn their living. Subsistance cultivation of millet, corn and rice, and commercial production of cotton, groundnuts and tobacco are assisted by the regular flooding of the Niger river. The Niger also greatly assists communication for part of the year, gives hydroelectric power to Mali's new industry, and contributes towards making the country the third biggest fish producer in West Africa.

Although Mali is today one of the poorest nations in the world, it was for a thousand years of its history the home of some of Africa's richest civilisations. From the 9th to the 12th century flourished the Ghana Empire; between the 12th and 17th, the Western Mandingo Mali Empire spread to the Atlantic, and in the east the Empire of Songhay spread its fame afar. In 1861 the area was again united, the kingdoms of Macina, Segou and Kaarta becoming the Tukulor Empire.

Conquered in 1892, Mali remained under the sway of France until internal autonomy in 1959. During most of this period the area was named the French Sudan, from the Arabic phrase bilad es Sudan "land of the black people", and only returned to its Mandingo name 'Mali' in 1960.

This 500F stamp, celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Coronation of H.M. Queen Elizabeth, was designed by Ky Phungchaleun and printed in multicolour offset by Cartor S.A. It depicts the Coronation coach in front of Buckingham Palace.

The State Coach, now part of the Coronation tradition, was built in 1762 for George III. It weighs four tons and has a top speed of 3 mph.