1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy, humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry November to February
Coastline
none--landlocked
Comparative area
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Disputes
the disputed international boundary between Burkina and Mali was submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in October 1983 and the ICJ issued its final ruling in December 1986, which both sides agreed to accept; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger
Environment
hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; desertification
Land boundaries
7,243 km total; Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Ivory Coast 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km
Land use
arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and woodland 7%; other 66%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Maritime claims
none--landlocked
Natural resources
gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium; bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited
Note
landlocked
Terrain
mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast
Total area
1,240,000 km2; land area: 1,220,000 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
51 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
21 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
Mande (Bambara, Malinke, Sarakole) 50%, Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 5%, other 10%
Infant mortality rate
114 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
2,666,000 (1986 est.); agriculture 80%, services 19%, industry and commerce 1% (1981); 50% of population of working age (1985)
Language
French (official); Bambara spoken by about 80% of the population; numerous African languages
Life expectancy at birth
45 years male, 47 years female (1991)
Literacy
32% (male 41%, female 24%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun--Malian(s); adjective--Malian
Net migration rate
- 6 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
National Union of Malian Workers (UNTM) is umbrella organization for over 13 national unions
Population
8,338,542 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)
Religion
Muslim 90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1%
Total fertility rate
7.0 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
7 regions (regions, singular--region); Gao, Kayes, Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou; note--there may be a new capital district of Bamako
Capital
Bamako
Communists
a few Communists and some sympathizers (no legal Communist party)
Constitution
2 June 1974, effective 19 June 1979; amended September 1981 and March 1985; suspended following the coup of 26 March 1991
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Mohamed Alhousseyni TOURE; Chancery at 2130 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-2249 or 939-8950; US--Ambassador Herbert D. GELBER; Embassy at Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed V., Bamako (mailing address is B. P. 34, Bamako); telephone [223] 223712
Elections
President--last held on 9 June 1985 (next to be held June 1991); results--General Moussa TRAORE was reelected without opposition; National Assembly--last held on 26 June 1988 (next to be held June 1991); results--UDPM is the only party; seats--(82 total) UDPM 82; note--following the military coup of 26 March 1991 President TRAORE was deposed and the UDPM was disbanded; the new ruling National Reconciliation Council, formed of 17 soldiers, has promised to institute a multiparty democracy and is expected to hold elections by December 1991
Executive branch
National Conciliation Council led by the military, following the coup of 26 March 1991
Flag
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Independence
22 September 1960 (from France; formerly French Sudan)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders
Chief of State--following the military coup of 26 March 1991 President Gen. Moussa TRAORE was deposed and the National Reconciliation Council, led by Lt. Col. Amadou Toumani TOURE and Lt. Col. Kafougouna KONE, was installed; Head of Government--Interim Premier Soumana SACKO (since 2 April 1991)
Legal system
based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Section of Court of State; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (Assemble Nationale)
Long-form name
Republic of Mali
Member of
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 22 September (1960)
Political parties and leaders
formerly the only party, the Democratic Union of Malian People (UDPM), was disbanded after the coup of 26 March 1991, and the new regime legalized the formation of political parties on 5 April 1991; new political parties are--Union of Democratic Forces (UFD), Demba DIALLO; Union for Democracy and Development (UDD), Moussa Bala COULIBALY; Sudanese Union/African Democratic Rally (US-RDA), Mamadou Madeira KEITA; African Party for Solidarity and Justice (ADEMA), Alpha Oumar KONARE; Party for Democracy and Progress (PDP), Idrissa TRAORE; Democratic Party for Justice (PDJ), Abdul BA; Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), Almany SYLLA; Party for the Unity of Malian People (PUPM), Nock AGATTIA; Hisboulah al Islamiya, Hamidou DRAMERA; Union of Progressive Forces (UFP), Yacouba SIDIBE; National Congress of Democratic Initiative (CNID), Mountaga TALL; Assembly for Justice and Progress, Kady DRAME; other parties forming
Suffrage
universal at age 21
Type
republic; the single-party constitutional government was overthrown on 26 March 1991; the new ruling National Reconciliation Council has promised a multiparty democracy
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 50% of GDP; most production based on small subsistence farms; cotton and livestock products account for over 70% of exports; other crops--millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; livestock--cattle, sheep, and goats
Budget
revenues $329 million; expenditures $519 million, including capital expenditures of $178 (1989 est.)
Currency
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $349 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.65 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $92 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $190 million
Electricity
253,000 kW capacity; 730 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
Exports
$285 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--livestock, peanuts, dried fish, cotton, skins; partners--mostly franc zone and Western Europe
External debt
$2.2 billion (1989 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$2.0 billion, per capita $250; real growth rate 9.9% (1989 est.)
Imports
$513 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--textiles, vehicles, petroleum products, machinery, sugar, cereals; partners--mostly franc zone and Western Europe
Industrial production
growth rate 19.9% (1989 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP
Industries
small local consumer goods and processing, construction, phosphate, gold, fishing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA% (1987)
Overview
Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with about 70% of its land area desert or semidesert. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger. About 10% of the population live as nomads and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
37 total, 29 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
Highways
about 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
Railroads
642 km 1.000-meter gauge; linked to Senegal's rail system through Kayes
Telecommunications
domestic system poor but improving; provides only minimal service with radio relay, wire, and radio communications stations; expansion of radio relay in progress; 11,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Air Force; paramilitary Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Guard, National Police
Defense expenditures
$45 million, 2.4% of GDP (1988) _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 1,631,445; 940,954 fit for military service; no conscription