Tambacounda, formerly known as
Sénégal Orientale, is a region of
Senegal. It used to be part of the
Mali Empire before the borders were created to separate Mali from Senegal. Tambacounda is physically the largest of Senegal's 14 regions, but is sparsely populated and its economy lags behind the rest of the country. The department of
Kédougou was separated from Tambacounda in 2008, and became a separate region.