2008 Edition

Background

The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France in 1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 by a military coup - led by the current president Amadou TOURE - enabling Mali's emergence as one of the strongest democracies on the continent. President Alpha KONARE won Mali's first democratic presidential election in 1992 and was reelected in 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, KONARE stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou TOURE, who was subsequently elected to a second term in 2007. The elections were widely judged to be free and fair.

Area

total: 1.24 million sq km land: 1.22 million sq km water: 20,000 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Climate

subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Senegal River 23 m highest point: Hombori Tondo 1,155 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 6.55 cu km/yr (9%/1%/90%) per capita: 484 cu m/yr (2000)

Geographic coordinates

17 00 N, 4 00 W

Geography - note

landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan

Irrigated land

2,360 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 7,243 km border countries: Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina Faso 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Cote d'Ivoire 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km

Land use

arable land: 3.76% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 96.21% (2005)

Location

Western Africa, southwest of Algeria

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding

Natural resources

gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, gypsum, granite, hydropower note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited

Terrain

mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast

Total renewable water resources

100 cu km (2001)

Age structure

0-14 years: 48.2% (male 3,004,003/female 2,937,138) 15-64 years: 48.7% (male 2,976,314/female 3,028,433) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 150,597/female 227,544) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

49.38 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

16.16 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

4.5% of GDP (2006)

Ethnic groups

Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

12,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

140,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 103.83 deaths/1,000 live births male: 113.41 deaths/1,000 live births female: 93.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Languages

French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 49.94 years male: 48 years female: 51.94 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 46.4% male: 53.5% female: 39.6% (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2008)

Median age

total: 15.8 years male: 15.4 years female: 16.2 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Malian(s) adjective: Malian

Net migration rate

-5.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Population

12,324,029 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

2.725% (2008 est.)

Religions

Muslim 90%, Christian 1%, indigenous beliefs 9%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 7 years male: 8 years female: 5 years (2005)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

7.34 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Administrative divisions

8 regions (regions, singular - region); Gao, Kayes, Kidal, Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou

Capital

name: Bamako geographic coordinates: 12 39 N, 8 00 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

adopted 12 January 1992

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Mali conventional short form: Mali local long form: Republique de Mali local short form: Mali former: French Sudan and Sudanese Republic

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Gillian A. MILOVANOVIC embassy: located just off the Roi Bin Fahad Aziz Bridge just west of the Bamako central district mailing address: ACI 2000, Rue 243, Porte 297, Bamako telephone: [223] 270-2300

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Abdoulaye DIOP chancery: 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-2249, 939-8950

Executive branch

chief of state: President Amadou Toumani TOURE (since 8 June 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Modibo SIDIBE (since 28 September 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 29 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2012); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Amadou Toumani TOURE reelected president; percent of vote - Amadou Toumani TOURE 71.2%, Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA 19.2%, other 9.6%

FAX

[1] (202) 332-6603

[223] 270-2479

Flag description

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Government type

republic

Independence

22 September 1960 (from France)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Legal system

based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 1 and 22 July 2007 (next to be held in July 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ADP coalition 113 (including ADEMA 51, URD 34, MPR 8, CNID 7, UDD 3, and other 10), FDR coalition 15 (including RPM 11, PARENA 4), SADI 4, independent 15

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 September (1960)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Democratic Change (political group comprised mainly of Tuareg from Mali's northern region); African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence or SADI [Oumar MARIKO, secretary general]; Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP (a coalition of political parties including ADEMA and URD formed in December 2006 to support the presidential candidacy of Amadou TOURE); Alliance for Democracy or ADEMA [Diounconda TRAORE]; Convergence 2007 [Soumeylou Boubeye MAIGA]; Front for Democracy and the Republic or FDR (a coalition of political parties including RPM and PARENA formed to oppose the presidential candidacy of Amadou TOURE); National Congress for Democratic Initiative or CNID [Mountaga TALL]; Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Me Idrissa TRAORE]; Party for National Renewal or PARENA [Tiebile DRAME]; Patriotic Movement for Renewal or MPR [Choguel MAIGA]; Rally for Democracy and Labor or RDT; Rally for Mali or RPM [Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA]; Sudanese Union/African Democratic Rally or US/RDA [Mamadou Bamou TOURE]; Union for Democracy and Development or UDD [Moussa Balla COULIBALY]; Union for Republic and Democracy or URD [Soumaila CISSE]

Political pressure groups and leaders

other: the army; Islamic authorities; rebels in the northern region; state-run cotton company CMDT; tuaregs

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

cotton, millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats

Budget

revenues: $1.5 billion expenditures: $1.8 billion (2006 est.)

Central bank discount rate

4.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

NA (31 December 2007)

Currency (code)

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code

XOF

Current account balance

-$446 million (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$2.8 billion (2002)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

40.1 (2001)

Economic aid - recipient

$691.5 million (2005)

Economy - overview

Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with 65% of its land area desert or semidesert and with a highly unequal distribution of income. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger. About 10% of the population is nomadic and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in farming and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities. Mali is heavily dependent on foreign aid and vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices for cotton, its main export, along with gold. The government has continued its successful implementation of an IMF-recommended structural adjustment program that is helping the economy grow, diversify, and attract foreign investment. Mali's adherence to economic reform and the 50% devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994 have pushed up economic growth to a 5% average in 1996-2007. Worker remittances and external trade routes for the landlocked country have been jeopardized by continued unrest in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire.

Electricity - consumption

469.7 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh; note - recent hydropower developments may be providing electricity to Senegal and Mauritania (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

505 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 41.7% hydro: 58.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003) note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro

Exports

$294 million f.o.b. (2006)

Exports - commodities

cotton, gold, livestock

Exports - partners

China 19.6%, Thailand 10.5%, Brazil 4.6%, France 4.5%, Indonesia 4.5% (2007)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 45% industry: 17% services: 38% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,100 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.8% (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$6.745 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$13.63 billion (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.4% highest 10%: 30.2% (2001)

Imports

$2.358 billion f.o.b. (2006)

Imports - commodities

petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners

France 12.9%, Senegal 12.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 10.9%, China 4.9% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.5% (2007 est.)

Labor force

5.4 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (2005 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

4,640 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2006)

Oil - imports

4,860 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

36.1% (2005 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$1.099 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$1.58 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$697.1 million (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

30% (2004 est.)

Internet country code

.ml

Internet hosts

387 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

13 (2001)

Internet users

100,000 (2007)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 230 (27 regional and government stations, and 203 private stations), shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios

570,000 (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: domestic system unreliable but improving; provides only minimal service domestic: fixed-line availability is gradually increasing, but subscribership remains less than 1 per 100 persons; increasing use of local radio loops to extend network coverage to remote areas; mobile-cellular subscribership has increased sharply to 20 per 100 persons international: country code - 223; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean) (2007)

Telephones - main lines in use

85,000 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular

2.483 million (2007)

Television broadcast stations

2 (plus repeaters) (2007)

Televisions

45,000 (1997)

Airports

29 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 21 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 8 (2007)

Ports and terminals

Koulikoro

Railways

total: 729 km narrow gauge: 729 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Roadways

total: 18,709 km paved: 3,368 km unpaved: 15,341 km (2004)

Waterways

1,800 km (2007)

Malian Armed Forces

Army, Republic of Mali Air Force (Force Aerienne de la Republique du Mali, FARM), National Guard (2008)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 2,603,700 females age 16-49: 2,441,776 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,594,184 females age 16-49: 1,529,871 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 144,293 female: 136,381 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures

1.9% of GDP (2006)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2008)

Disputes - international

none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 6,300 (Mauritania) (2007) This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008