Mali
Republic of MaliRepublique de Mali
republicIndependence 22 September 1960 (from France)
Mali as the 2010 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 130 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 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 fieldsLand useshare of 1,240,192 sq km
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
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
23 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2010 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.95 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.92 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 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 (2009)
Government
Republic; President Amadou Toumani TOURE (since 8 June 2002); Prime Minister Modibo SIDIBE (since 28 September 2007)
19 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale, 147 seats, elected 1 and 22 July 2007one 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
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
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
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; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- 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 (ADEMA 51, URD 34, MPR 8, CNID 7, UDD 3, and other 10), FDR coalition 15 (RPM 11, PARENA 4), SADI 4, independent 15
Political parties and leaders
- African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence or SADI [Oumar MARIKO, secretary general];
- Alliance for Democracy or ADEMA [Diounconda TRAORE];
- 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 Democratic Change (political group comprised mainly of Tuareg from Mali's northern region);
- 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 [Mady KONATE];
- Party for National Renewal or PARENA [Tiebile DRAME];
- Patriotic Movement for Renewal or MPR [Choguel MAIGA];
- Rally for Democracy and Labor or RDT [Amadou Ali NIANGADOU];
- Rally for Mali or RPM [Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA];
- Sudanese Union/African Democratic Rally or US/RDA [Mamadou Basir GOLOGO];
- 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, CD, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Mamadou TRAORE
- 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
note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors from left to right are the same as those of neighboring Senegal (which has an additional green central star) and the reverse of those on the flag of neighboring Guinea
National anthem
- name:
- "Le Mali" (Mali)
- lyrics/music:
- Seydou Badian KOUYATE/Banzoumana SISSOKO
note: adopted 1962; the anthem is also known as "Pour L'Afrique et pour toi, Mali" (For Africa and for You, Mali) and "A ton appel Mali" (At Your Call, Mali)
Economy
Among the 25 poorest countries in the world, Mali is a landlocked country highly dependent on gold mining and agricultural exports for revenue.
45 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2001 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Among the 25 poorest countries in the world, Mali is a landlocked country highly dependent on gold mining and agricultural exports for revenue. The country's fiscal status fluctuates with gold and agricultural commodity prices and the harvest. Mali remains dependent on foreign aid.
Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger River and about 65% of its land area is desert or semidesert. 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.
The government has continued an IMF-recommended structural adjustment program that has helped the economy grow, diversify, and attract foreign investment. Mali is developing its cotton and iron ore extraction industries to diversify its revenue sources because gold production has started to fall.
Mali has invested in tourism but security issues are hurting the industry. 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 1996-2010. Worker remittances and external trade routes for the landlocked country have been jeopardized by continued unrest in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire, however, Mali is building a road network that will connect it to all adjacent countries and it has a railway line to Senegal. In 2010, Mali experienced a regional drought that hurt livestock and livelihoods.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
40.1 (2001) · 50.5 (1994) country comparison to the world: 61
Central bank discount rate
4.25% (31 December 2009) · 4.75% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 97
Stock of narrow money
$1.758 billion (31 December 2009) · $1.559 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 124
Stock of broad money
$2.514 billion (31 December 2009 est.) · $2.12 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Stock of domestic credit
$994.9 million (31 December 2009) · $1.095 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 150
Imports - commodities
petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, textiles
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 506.04 (2009), 447.81 (2008), 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006)
note: since 1 January 1999, the West African CFA franc (XOF) has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; West African CFA franc (XOF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using Central African CFA francs (XAF),
and vice versa, even though the two currencies trade at par
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- domestic system unreliable but improving; increasing use of local radio loops to extend network coverage to remote areas
- domestic:
- fixed-line subscribership remains less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has increased sharply to nearly 30 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 223;
- satellite communications center and fiber-optic links to neighboring countries;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean) (2008)
Broadcast media
- national public TV broadcaster;
- 2 privately-owned companies provide subscription services to foreign multi-channel TV packages;
- national public radio broadcaster supplemented by a large number of privately-owned and community broadcast stations;
- transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)
Transportation
7 fieldsAirports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Airports - with paved runways
total: 8; 2,438 to 3,047 m:; 4; 1,524 to 2,437 m:; 3; 914 to 1,523 m:; 1 (2010)
Waterways
1,800 km (downstream of Koulikoro; low water levels on the River Niger cause problems in dry years; in the months before the rainy season the river is not navigable by commercial vessels) (2010) country comparison to the world: 46
Military
Malian Armed Forces: Army, Republic of Mali Air Force (Force Aerienne de la Republique du Mali, FARM), National Guard (2008)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Malian Armed Forces: Army, Republic of Mali Air Force (Force Aerienne de la Republique du Mali, FARM), National Guard (2008)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2010)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 2,759,648
- females age 16-49:
- 2,894,776 (2010 est.)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Mali.” The World Factbook 2010. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/mali/2010.