Mali

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

13 (2001)

Internet country code

.ml

Internet users

30,000 (2002)

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)

Telephone 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: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

45,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular

40,000 (2001)

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus repeaters) (2001)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $764 million expenditures: $828 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.)

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code

XOF

Debt - external

$3.3 billion (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

50.5 (1994)

Economic aid - recipient

$596.4 million (2001)

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 1996-2002. Worker remittances and external trade routes have been jeopardized by continued unrest in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire.

Electricity - consumption

446.6 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh; note - recent hydropower developments may be providing electricity to Senegal and Mauritania (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

480.2 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 41.7% hydro: 58.3% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)

Exports

$680 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

cotton, gold, livestock

Exports - partners

Thailand 13.9%, Italy 9.8%, India 7.7%, Brazil 5.5%, Germany 5%, Spain 4.9%, Portugal 4.3%, Taiwan 4.3% (2002)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $9.775 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

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

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $900 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.5% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.8% highest 10%: 40.4% (1994)

Imports

$630 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Cote d'Ivoire 17.1%, France 13.5%, Senegal 6.5%, Germany 4% (2002)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.5% (2002 est.)

Labor force

3.93 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture and fishing 80% (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

4,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

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.)

Unemployment rate

14.6% urban areas; 5.3% rural areas (2001 est.)

Area

total: 1.24 million sq km water: 20,000 sq km land: 1.22 million sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Climate

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Senegal River 23 m highest point: Hombori Tondo 1,155 m

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

Geographic coordinates

17 00 N, 4 00 W

Geography - note

landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan

Irrigated land

1,380 sq km (1998 est.)

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

Land use

arable land: 3.77% permanent crops: 0.04% other: 96.19% (1998 est.)

Location

Western Africa, southwest of Algeria

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding

Natural resources

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

Terrain

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

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Bamako

Constitution

adopted 12 January 1992

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Mali conventional short form: Mali local short form: Mali former: French Sudan and Sudanese Republic local long form: Republique de Mali

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Abdoulaye DIOP FAX: [1] (202) 332-6603 telephone: [1] (202) 332-2249, 939-8950 chancery: 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Executive branch

chief of state: President Amadou Toumani TOURE (since 8 June 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed Mohamed Ag HAMANI (since 9 June 2002) 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 NA 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%

Flag description

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

Government type

republic

Independence

22 September 1960 (from France)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

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

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 NA July 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Hope 2002 coalition 66, ADEMA 51, other 30

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 September (1960)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Democracy or ADEMA [Diounconda Traore 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]; 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 Bonbasor 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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Patriotic Movement of the Ghanda Koye or MPGK; United Movement and Fronts of Azawad or MFUA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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 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.

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$419.7 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

15% (FY02)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 2,441,769 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,400,711 (2003 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 47.2% (male 2,759,802; female 2,727,226) 15-64 years: 49.8% (male 2,771,532; female 3,017,348) 65 years and over: 3% (male 161,983; female 188,328) (2003 est.)

Birth rate

47.79 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate

19.21 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.7% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

11,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

110,000 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 119.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 112.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 125.72 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 45.43 years male: 44.7 years female: 46.19 years (2003 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 46.4% male: 53.5% female: 39.6% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 16.3 years male: 15.7 years female: 16.9 years (2002)

Nationality

noun: Malian(s) adjective: Malian

Net migration rate

-0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Population

11,626,219 (July 2003 est.)

Population growth rate

2.82% (2003 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.66 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Disputes - international

armed bandits based in Mali attack southern Algerian towns

Airports

26 (2002)

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 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 8 (2002)

Highways

total: 15,100 km paved: 1,827 km unpaved: 13,273 km (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

Koulikoro

Railways

total: 729 km narrow gauge: 729 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Waterways

1,815 km