Mali

Airports

35 total, 27 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

no major transport aircraft

Highways

about 15,700 km total; 1,670 km paved, 3,670 km gravel and improved earth, 10,360 km unimproved earth

Inland waterways

1,815 km navigable

Railroads

642 km 1.000-meter gauge; linked to Senegal's rail system through Kayes

Telecommunications

domestic system poor but improving; provides only minimal service with radio relay, wire, and radio communications stations; expansion of radio relay in progress; 11,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT

Branches

Army, Air Force, Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Guard, National Police, Surete Nationale

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $41 million, 2% of GDP (1989)

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 1,701,050; 966,293 fit for military service; no conscription

Agriculture

accounts for 50% of GDP; most production based on small subsistence farms; cotton and livestock products account for over 70% of exports; other crops - millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; livestock - cattle, sheep, and goats

Budget

revenues $329 million; expenditures $519 million, including capital expenditures of $178 (1989 est.)

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural - francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $349 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3,020 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $92 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $190 million

Electricity

260,000 kW capacity; 750 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January 1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987)

Exports

$285 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.) commodities: livestock, peanuts, dried fish, cotton, skins partners: mostly franc zone and Western Europe

External debt

$2.2 billion (1989 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $2.2 billion, per capita $265; real growth rate 2.2% (1990 est.)

Imports

$513 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.) commodities: textiles, vehicles, petroleum products, machinery, sugar, cereals partners: mostly franc zone and Western Europe

Industrial production

growth rate 19.9% (1989 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP

Industries

small local consumer goods and processing, construction, phosphate, gold, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-1.6% (1990)

Overview

Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with about 70% 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 live as nomads and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Climate

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

Coastline

none - landlocked

Comparative area

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Disputes

the disputed international boundary between Burkina and Mali was submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in October 1983 and the ICJ issued its final ruling in December 1986, which both sides agreed to accept; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger

Environment

hot, dust-laden harmattan; haze common during dry seasons; desertification

Land area

1,220,000 km2

Land boundaries

7,243 km; Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Ivory Coast 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km

Land use

arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and woodland 7%; other 66%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Maritime claims

none - landlocked

Natural resources

gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium; bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited

Note

landlocked

Terrain

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

Total area

1,240,000 km2

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Bamako

Constitution

2 June 1974, effective 19 June 1979; amended September 1981 and March 1985; new constitution presented during national reform conference in August 1991; a constitutional referendum is scheduled for 16 January 1992

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Mohamed Alhousseyni TOURE; Chancery at 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-2249 or 939-8950 US: Ambassador Herbert D. GELBER; Embassy at Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed V., Bamako (mailing address is B. P. 34, Bamako); telephone [223] 225470; FAX [233] 22-80-59

Elections

President: last held on 9 June 1985 (next to be held March 1992); results - Gen. Moussa TRAORE was reelected without opposition National Assembly: last held on 26 June 1988 (next to be held NA 1992); results - UDPM was the only party; seats - (82 total) UDPM 82; note - following the military coup of 26 March 1991, President TRAORE was deposed and the UDPM was disbanded; the 25-member CTSP has instituted a multiparty system, and presidential elections are to be held on 26 March 1992 and legislative elections on 9 February 1992 (new National Assembly to have 116 seats)

Executive branch

Transition Committee for the Salvation of the People (CTSP) composed of 25 members, predominantly civilian

Flag

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

Independence

22 September 1960 (from France; formerly French Sudan)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Leaders

Chief of State: Lt. Col. Amadou Toumani TOURE Head of Government: Prime Minister Soumana SAKO (since 2 April 1991)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

Transition Committee for the Salvation of the People (CTSP)

Long-form name

Republic of Mali

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday

Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 22 September (1960)

Political parties and leaders

formerly the only party, the Democratic Union of Malian People (UDPM), was disbanded after the coup of 26 March 1991, and the new regime legalized the formation of political parties on 5 April 1991; new political parties are Union of Democratic Forces (UFD), Demba DIALLO; Union for Democracy and Development (UDD), Moussa Bala COULIBALY; Sudanese Union/African Democratic Rally (US-RDA), Mamadou Madeira KEITA; African Party for Solidarity and Justice (ADEMA), Alpha Oumar KONARE; Party for Democracy and Progress (PDP), Idrissa TRAORE; Democratic Party for Justice (PDJ), Abdul BA; Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), Almany SYLLA; Party for the Unity of Malian People (PUPM), Nock AGATTIA; Hisboulah al Islamiya, Hamidou DRAMERA; Union of Progressive Forces (UFP), Yacouba SIDIBE; National Congress of Democratic Initiative (CNID), Mountaga TALL; Assembly for Justice and Progress, Kady DRAME; Sudanese Progressive Party (PPS), Sekene Mody SISSOKO; numerous small parties formed in 1991; 46 total parties

Suffrage

universal at age 21

Type

republic; an interim government appointed by the national reform conference has organized a series of democratic elections and is scheduled to hand over power to an elected government on 26 March 1992

Birth rate

52 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

21 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

110 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

2,666,000 (1986 est.); agriculture 80%, services 19%, industry and commerce 1% (1981); 50% of population of working age (1985)

Languages

French (official); Bambara spoken by about 80% of the population; numerous African languages

Life expectancy at birth

43 years male, 47 years female (1992)

Literacy

32% (male 41%, female 24%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun - Malian(s); adjective - Malian

Net migration rate

-5 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

National Union of Malian Workers (UNTM) is umbrella organization for over 13 national unions

Population

8,641,178 (July 1992), growth rate 2.5% (1992)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

7.3 children born/woman (1992)