Mali

Republic of MaliRepublique de Mali

republicIndependence 22 September 1960 (from France)

Mali as the 2008 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 130 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBamako, UTC

Position17 00 N, 4 00 W

Area1.24 million sq km

LocationWestern Africa, southwest of Algeria

Populationas each edition published it

12.32 million July 2008 est. · 8.14m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.725% 2008 est. · 2.66% in 1993

Median ageyears

15.8 years 2008 est. · 16.3 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

49.94 years 2008 est. · 45.45 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

7.34 children per woman 2008 est. · 7.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

103.83 deaths per 1,000 live births 2008 est. · 116 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,100 2007 est. · $265 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

2.8% 2007 est. · -0.2% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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.

Geography

Western Africa, southwest of Algeria

20 fields

Land use(2005)

arable land 3.76%permanent crops 0.03%other 96.21% (2005)irrigated 2,360 sq km (2003)

Area

1.24million sq km

land: 1.22 million sq kmwater: 20,000 sq kmslightly less than twice the size of Texas

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Highest point

1,155m

Hombori Tondolowest point: Senegal River 23 m

Land boundaries

7,243km

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

Location

Western Africa, southwest of Algeria

Geographic coordinates

17 00 N, 4 00 W

Map references

Africa

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

Total renewable water resources

100 cu km (2001)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

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

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, Whaling
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

22 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2008 est.)

150,597

65 and over3.1%

227,544

2,976,314

15-6448.7%

3,028,433

3,004,003

0-1448.2%

2,937,138

MaleFemale

Population

12,324,029

(July 2008 est.)growth rate: 2.725% (2008 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2008 est.)

Birth

49.38Death

16.16Net migration

-5.97

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2008 est.)49.94

48 · 51.94Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)103.83

113.41 · 93.97Literacy (2003 est.)46.4%

53.5% · 39.6%

TotalMale · femaleMedian age years (2008 est.)15.8

15.4 · 16.2School life expectancy years (2005)7

8 · 5

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

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

Religions

Muslim 90%Christian 1%indigenous beliefs 9%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.9%

(2003 est.)

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.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

140,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

12,000 (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)

Nationality

noun:: Malian(s)
adjective:: Malian

Languages

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

Education expenditures

4.5% of GDP (2006)

Government

Republic; President Amadou Toumani TOURE (since 8 June 2002); Prime Minister Modibo SIDIBE (since 28 September 2007)

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Presidential electionpercent of vote

71.2%

Amadou Toumani TOURE 71.2%Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA 19.2%other 9.6%election last held on 29 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2012)

National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale, 147 seats, elected 1 and 22 July 2007one dot, one seat

ADP coalition (including ADEMA 51, URD 34, MPR 8, CNID 7, UDD 3, and other 10) 113FDR coalition (including RPM 11, PARENA 4) 15SADI 4independent 15

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

Government type

republic

Capital

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

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

22 September 1960 (from France)

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 September (1960)

Constitution

adopted 12 January 1992

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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%

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

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

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

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 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
FAX:: [223] 270-2479

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.

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GDP, purchasing power parity

$13.63billion

(2007 est.)official exchange rate: $6.745 billion (2007 est.)

GDP per capita, PPP

$1,100

(2007 est.)

Real growth rate

2.8%

(2007 est.)industrial production growth: NA%

Inflation, consumer prices

2.5%

(2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2001 est.)

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

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

19.6%

China

4.9%

4.5%

France

12.9%

Senegal

12.7%

Cote d'Ivoire

10.9%

10.5%

Thailand

4.6%

Brazil

4.5%

Indonesia

Exports $294 million f.o.b. (2006)Imports $2.358 billion f.o.b. (2006)(2007)

Budget

Revenues

$1.5 billionExpenditures

$1.8 billion (2006 est.)

Electricity

Electricity production

505 million (2006 est.)Electricity consumption

469.7 million (2006 est.)

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.

Labor force

5.4 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Unemployment rate

30% (2004 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

40.1 (2001)

Central bank discount rate

4.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

NA (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$1.58 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$697.1 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit

$1.099 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products

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

Industries

food processing;
construction;
phosphate and gold mining

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption

4,640 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2006)

Oil - imports

4,860 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2007 est.)

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 - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance

-$446 million (2007 est.)

Exports

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

Exports - commodities

cotton, gold, livestock

Imports

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

Imports - commodities

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

Debt - external

$2.8 billion (2002)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

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 - 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

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

2.483 million

(2007)

Internet users

387

(2008)

Fixed lines

85,000

(2007) · country code .ml

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)