region, the middle course of the Niger River in Mali, between Ségou and Timbuktu (Tombouctou), where its braided channels form a vast inland delta extending 300 mi (480 km) northeast–southwest. The depression is covered by a network of lakes, swamps, and channels and is flooded during the rainy season, making the area one of the most fertile in Africa. A large dam at Sasanding supplies irrigation canals. Millet is the chief crop, and cattle and sheep are bred by the Fulani.