ABSTRACT
Mali is the heir to a large number of cultural traditions, which in recent decades have been modified by modernization, urbanization, and the gradual conversion of the followers of indigenous religions to Islam. The limited economic opportunities in rural areas have resulted in a rural exodus to the towns and cities and to the job markets of Mali's coastal neighbor, the Ivory Coast. Race and ethnic attitudes in Mali are often determined by ethnocentric worldviews influenced by religious affiliation. In view of Mali's diverse ethnic groups, it is remarkable that the country has been relatively free from the overt racial and ethnic strife found in so many other areas of Africa. Malians who attempt cross-caste marriages usually precipitate serious social conflicts within their families. Islam has gradually won converts in Mali since its introduction with North African traders in the eleventh century a.d. some 65 percent of the people embrace Islam.
