The Mali Federation was a country in West Africa. It was formed by a union between Senegal and Mali (known at the time as the Sudanese Republic). It was founded on April 4 1959 and became entirely self-governing when it gained independence from France on June 20 1960.
The Federation's president was Modibo Keita, and its government was based in Dakar. It collapsed shortly after independence when Senegal withdrew on 20 August due to political disagreements.