錫卡索大區是馬里的第三行政大區，位于馬里南部，面積7萬(wàn)多平方公里，占馬里國土的5.66%，大區內南部為丘陵，中部和北部是平原，有?？ɡ岷?、巴戈埃河、巴烏萊河和第一巴尼芬河四條主要河流。居住著(zhù)塞努福族、米尼昂卡族、博博族、波耳族等，各族人民和睦共處。豐富的水利資源為錫卡索大區的農業(yè)、林業(yè)、畜牧業(yè)發(fā)展提供了優(yōu)越的條件。錫卡索大區自然條件優(yōu)越，農產(chǎn)品豐富，是棉花基地。錫卡索大區不僅擁有悠久的歷史，而且當地多民族交融的地域文化頗有特色。作為巴拉豐木琴的發(fā)源地，錫卡索大區每年一度的巴拉豐木琴文化節，總會(huì )吸引許多來(lái)自周邊幾個(gè)國家的音樂(lè )家們與馬里本土藝人同臺競技、大顯身手，如今已成為馬里與鄰國文化交流領(lǐng)域的一大盛事。

云南省與錫卡索大區于1990年11月24日正式締結友好省區關(guān)系，成為云南省第一對省級國際友城。自結好以來(lái)，雙方在高層互訪(fǎng)、農業(yè)領(lǐng)域展開(kāi)了友好交流與合作。上世紀90年代，云南省向錫卡索贈送了優(yōu)質(zhì)稻種、抽水泵、太陽(yáng)能燈和蒿甲醚注射液。兩省還就水稻栽培，茶葉種植、加工、銷(xiāo)售，甘蔗種植、加工，單晶硅太陽(yáng)能電池合作等方面進(jìn)行了有益探討。

Sikasso Region, the Republic of Mali

Located in the south of the country, Sikasso Region is the third largest administrative region of Mali. Sikasso boasts a land area of more than 70,000 square kilometers, accounting for 5.66% of the nation’s total. Geographically, the region is flat in the center and north while hilly in the south, with four major rivers running through, namely the Sankarani River, the Bagoé River, the Baoulé River and the Banifing River. People from a variety of ethnic groups, including the Senufo people, the Minianka people, the Bobo people and the Fula people, etc., form a harmonious coexistence in the region. Sikasso enjoys abundant water resources that provide superior support for the region’s development in agriculture, forestry and livestock farming. Endowed with ideal natural conditions, the region produces abundant agricultural products and is a well-known center for cotton farming. Sikasso is also marked by a long history and an exceptional culture formed by the fusion of various ethnic groups. As the birthplace of Balafon, Sikasso hosts the annual Triangle du balafon, a music festival that constantly attracts musicians from Mali’s neighboring countries to compete against the locals and showcase their musical talents. The Triangle du balafon has become a major cultural event facilitating the cultural exchange between Mali and its neighboring countries.

Sikasso and Yunnan officially became friendship provinces on November 24, 1990, making Sikasso Region Yunnan’s first ever overseas friendship province. Since the establishment of the friendly relationship, the two sides have seen expansions in friendly exchanges and cooperation in high-level visits and agricultural issues. High quality rice seeds, water pumps, solar lights and artemether injections were among Yunnan’s gifts to Sikasso in the 1990s. The two sides have also engaged in beneficial discussions on cooperation in rice cultivation, tea cultivation, processing and marketing, sugar cane cultivation and processing, and single-crystalline-silicon solar cells manufacturing, etc.