Mali
Republic of MaliRepublique de Mali
republicIndependence 22 September 1960 (from France)
Mali as the 2005 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 114 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 with a transitional government and in 1992 when Mali's first democratic presidential election was held. After his reelection in 1997, President Alpha KONARE continued to push through political and economic reforms and to fight corruption. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, he stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou TOURE.
Geography
Western Africa, southwest of Algeria
18 fieldsLand use(2001)
Climate
- subtropical to arid;
- hot and dry February to June;
- rainy, humid, and mild June to November;
- cool and dry November to February
Terrain
mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast
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
Natural hazards
- hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons;
- recurring droughts;
- occasional Niger River flooding
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
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
- landlocked;
- divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese;
- the central, semiarid Sahelian;
- and the northern, arid Saharan
People
20 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2005 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2005 est.)
Male · female
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.93 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.84 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 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 is a high risk in some locations
- water contact disease:
- schistosomiasis
- respiratory disease:
- meningococcal meningitis (2004)
Government
Republic; President Amadou Toumani TOURE (since 8 June 2002); Prime Minister Ousmane Issoufi MAIGA (since 30 April 2004)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale, 147 seats, elected 14 July and 28 July 2002one dot, one seat
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
Administrative divisions
8 regions (regions, singular - region); Gao, Kayes, Kidal, Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou
Legal system
- based on French civil law system and customary law;
- judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court (which was formally established on 9 March 1994);
- has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Amadou Toumani TOURE (since 8 June 2002)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Ousmane Issoufi MAIGA (since 30 April 2004)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
- elections:
- president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (two-term limit);
- election last held 12 May 2002 (next to be held May 2007);
- prime minister appointed by the president
- election results:
- Amadou Toumani TOURE elected president; percent of vote - Amadou Toumani TOURE 64.4%, Soumaila CISSE 35.6%
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 14 July and 28 July 2002 (next to be held July 2007)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Hope 2002 coalition 66, ADEMA 51, other 30
Political parties and leaders
- Alliance for Democracy or ADEMA [Diounconda TRAORE, party chairman];
- Block of Alternative for the Renewal of Africa or BARA [Yoro DIAKITE];
- Democratic and Social Convention or CDS [Mamadou Bakary SANGARE, chairman];
- Hope 2002 [leader NA];
- Movement for the Independence, Renaissance and Integration of Africa or MIRIA [Mohamed Lamine TRAORE, Mouhamedou DICKO];
- National Congress for Democratic Initiative or CNID [Mountaga TALL, chairman];
- Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Me Idrissa TRAORE];
- Party for National Renewal or PARENA [Yoro DIAKITE, chairman; Tiebile DRAME, secretary general];
- Rally for Democracy and Labor or RDT [Ali GNANGADO];
- Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Almamy SYLLA, chairman];
- Rally for Mali or RPM [Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA, chairman];
- Sudanese Union/African Democratic Rally or US/RDA [Mamadou Bamou TOURE, secretary general];
- Union of Democratic Forces for Progress or UFDP [Youssouf TOURE, secretary general];
- Union for Democracy and Development or UDD [Moussa Balla COULIBALY];
- Union for Republic and Democracy or URD [Soumaila CISSE]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Patriotic Movement of the Ghanda Koye or MPGK; United Movement and Fronts of Azawad or MFUA
International organization participation
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
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
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 332-6603
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Vicki HUDDLESTONE
- embassy:
- Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed V, Bamako
- mailing address:
- B. P. 34, Bamako
- telephone:
- [223] (2) 223-833
- FAX:
- [223] (2) 223-712
Flag description
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
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.
35 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2001 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
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 African franc in January 1994 have pushed up economic growth to a sturdy 5% average in 1996-2004. Worker remittances and external trade routes have been jeopardized by continued unrest in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire.
Population below poverty line
- 64% average;
- 30% of the total population living in urban areas;
- 70% of the total population living in rural areas) (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities
petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, textiles
Currency (code)
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- domestic system unreliable but improving; provides only minimal service
- domestic:
- network consists of microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone communications stations; expansion of microwave radio relay in progress
- international:
- country code - 223; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 28, shortwave 1 note: the shortwave station in Bamako has seven frequencies and five transmitters and relays broadcasts for China Radio International (2001)
Transportation
7 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Military
Army, Air Force, National Guard
6 fieldsMilitary service age and obligation
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Mali.” The World Factbook 2005. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/mali/2005.