1981 Edition

Area

1,204,350 km2; only about a fourth of area arable, forests negligible, rest sparse pasture or desert

Communists

negligible number

Government leader

President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM

Land boundaries

7,459 km

Member of

Colombo Plan, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMCO, IMF, ITU, NAM, UN, UPU, WHO, WMO

Suffrage

universal over age 21 Political parties and leaders: no organized political parties; country governed by the Didi clan for the past eight centuries

Ethnic divisions

99% native African including tribes of both Berber and Negro descent

Labor force

2.8 million

Language

French official; several African languages, of which Mande group most widespread

Literacy

under 5%

Nationality

noun — Malian(s); adjective — Malian

Organized labor

National Union of Malian Workers (UNTM) is umbrella organization over 13 national unions

Population

7,015,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.7%

Religion

90% Muslim, 9% animist, 1% Christian

Branches

executive authority exercised by Military Committee of National Liberation (MCNL) composed of 1 1 army MALI (Continued) officers; under MCNL functional Cabinet composed of civilians and army officers; judiciary

Capital

Bamako

Communists

a few Communists and some sympathizers

Elections

constitutional elections took place June 1979

Government leaders

Brig. Gen. Moussa TRAORE, President of MCNL, Chief of State, and head of government

Legal system

based on French civil law system and customary law; constitution adopted 1974, came into full effect in 1979; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Section of Court of State; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Member of

AFDB, APC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77. GATT (de facto), IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, ISCON, ITU, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OMVS (Organization for the Development of the Senegal River Valley), UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 September

Official name

Republic of Mali

Political subdivisions

7 administrative regions; 42 administrative districts (cercles), arrondissements, villages; all subordinate to central government

Suffrage

universal over age 21 Political parties and leaders: Democratic Union of Malian People (UDPM), is the sole political party under civilian leadership

Type

republic; military regime in power since November 1968; fulfilled its plans in June 1979 for a phased return to civilian rule

Agriculture

crops — coconut and millet; shortages — rice, sugar, flour

main crops — millet, sorghum, rice, corn, peanuts; cash crops — peanuts, cotton, and livestock

Budget

(1980 est.) revenue $5.6 million; expenditure $7.1 million

(1980) revenues $181.4 million, current expenditures $187.5 million

Electric power

4,500 kW capacity (1981); 9 million kWh produced (1981), 57 kWh per capita

50,000 kW capacity (1980); 115 million kWh produced (1980), 17 kWh per capita

Exports

$10.7 million (1980 prov.); fish

$175.4 million (f.o.b., 1980); livestock, peanuts, dried fish, cotton, and skins

Fiscal year

calendar year

calendar year

Fishing

catch 27,700 metric tons (1979)

catch 95,000 tons (1980)

GDP

$1.15 billion (1980), $163 per capita; annual real growth rate 5.7% (1980)

GNP

$23 million (1978), $160 per capita

Imports

$26.9 million (1980 prov.); rice, sugar

$300.9 million (f.o.b., 1980); textiles, vehicles, petroleum products, machinery, and sugar

Major industries

fishing; some coconut processing; tourism

small local consumer goods and processing

Major trade partners

Japan, Sri Lanka, Singapore

mostly with franc zone and Western Europe; also with USSR, China

Monetary conversion rate

3.93 Maldivian rupees=US$l, official rate; 7.55 rupees=US$l, market rate (average 1980)

422.6 Mali francs=US$l (1980)

Airfields

2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

44 total, 39 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

1 major transport aircraft, leased in

3 major transport aircraft

Highways

none

approximately 15,700 km total; 1,670 km bituminous, 3,670 km gravel and improved earth, 10,360 km unimproved earth

Inland waterways

1,815 km navigable

Military manpower

males 15-49, 1,521,000; 767,000 fit for military service; no conscription

Ports

2 minor (Male, Gan)

Railroads

none

642 km meter gauge (1.00 m)

Telecommunications

minimal domestic and international telecommunication facilities; 550 telephones (0.4 per 100 pop!.); 2 AM stations, 1 TV station; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT station CSee reference map VII)

domestic system poor and provides only minimal service; radio-relay, wire, and radiocommunications stations in use; expansion of radio relay in progress; 8,000 telephones; 2 AM, no FM, and no TV stations; 2 antennas for Atlantic and Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellites DEFENSE FORCES