| Background: |
The Sudanese
Republic and Senegal became independent of France in 1960 as
the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few
months, 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. Since his
reelection in 1997, President KONARE has continued to push
through political and economic reforms and to fight
corruption. In 1999 he indicated he would not run for a
third term. |
| Location: |
Western Africa,
southwest of Algeria |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
17 00 N, 4 00 W |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime
claims: |
none (landlocked) |
| 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 |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Senegal River 23 m
highest point: Hombori Tondo 1,155 m |
| Natural
resources: |
gold, phosphates,
kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, hydropower
note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and
copper deposits are known but not exploited |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 25%
forests and woodland: 6%
other: 67% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
780 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
hot, dust-laden
harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts |
| Environment
- current issues: |
deforestation;
soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies of
potable water; poaching |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban |
| Geography
- note: |
landlocked |
| Population: |
11,008,518 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
47.2% (male 2,612,215; female 2,583,370)
15-64 years: 49.73% (male 2,610,142; female
2,864,127)
65 years and over: 3.07% (male 158,486; female
180,178) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.97% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
48.79
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
18.71
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-0.36 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
121.44
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 47.02 years
male: 45.84 years
female: 48.24 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
6.81 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
2.03% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
100,000 (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
9,900 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Malian(s)
adjective: Malian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Mande 50% (Bambara,
Malinke, Soninke), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg
and Moor 10%, other 5% |
| Religions: |
Muslim 90%,
indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1% |
| Languages: |
French
(official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 31%
male: 39.4%
female: 23.1% (1995 est.) |
| 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 |
| 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 (which was formally
established on 9 March 1994); has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
21 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: President Alpha Oumar KONARE (since 8 June
1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Mande SIDIBE
(since September 2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote
for a five-year term; election last held 11 May 1997 (next
to be held NA May 2002); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: Alpha Oumar KONARE reelected
president; percent of vote - Alpha Oumar KONARE 95.9%,
Mamadou DIABY 4.1% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20 July and 3 August 1997
(next to be held in two rounds in 2002); note - much of the
opposition boycotted the election
election results: percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - ADEMA 130, PARENA 8, CDS 4, UDD 3, PDP
2 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court or
Cour Supreme |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Alliance for
Democracy or ADEMA [Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA, party chairman];
Block of Alternative for the Renewal of Africa or BARA [Yoro
DIAKITE]; Democratic and Social Convention or CDS [Mamadou
Bakary SANGARE, chairman]; 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];
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] |
| 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,
CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC,
NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UN Security Council (temporary),
UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Cheick Oumar DIARRAH
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 Michael RANNEBERGER
embassy: Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed V,
Bamako
mailing address: B. P. 34, Bamako
telephone: [223] 22 54 70
FAX: [223] 22 37 12 |
| Flag
description: |
three equal
vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; uses
the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia |
| Economy
- overview: |
Mali is among the
poorest countries in the world, with 65% 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 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. In 1997, the
government 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 1996-2000. Growth should remain
around 5% in 2001-02, and inflation should stay less than
2%. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $9.1 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
4.8% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $850 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
46%
industry: 21%
services: 33% (1998) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
1.8%
highest 10%: 40.4% (1994) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
0.8% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture and
fishing 80% (1998 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$730 million
expenditures: $770 million, including capital
expenditures of $320 million (1997 est.) |
| Industries: |
minor local
consumer goods production and food processing; construction;
phosphate and gold mining |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA |
| Electricity
- production: |
445 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
44.94%
hydro: 55.06%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
413.9 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
cotton, millet,
rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats |
| Exports: |
$480 million
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
cotton 50%, gold,
livestock (1999 est.) |
| Exports
- partners: |
Italy 18%,
Thailand 15%, Germany 7%, Portugal 4% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$575 million
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment, construction materials, petroleum, foodstuffs,
textiles |
| Imports
- partners: |
Cote d'Ivoire
19%, France 19%, Senegal 4%, Benelux 3% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$3 billion (1999) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$596.4 million
(1995) |
| Currency: |
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 - 699.21
(January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998),
583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996); note - from 1 January 1999,
the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per
euro |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
23,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
2,842 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: domestic system poor 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: satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 14,
shortwave 7 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (plus two
repeaters) (1997) |
| Televisions: |
45,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.ml |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
10,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
729 km (linked to Senegal's rail system through Kayes)
narrow gauge: 729 km 1.000-m gauge |
| Highways: |
total:
15,100 km
paved: 1,827 km
unpaved: 13,273 km (1996) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Koulikoro |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 9 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Air Force,
Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Guard, National
Police (Surete Nationale) |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 2,284,632 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 1,309,612 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$49 million
(FY96) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2% (FY96) |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
