CIA World Factbook 2002:
Mali
Introduction Mali
-----------------
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 continued to push
through political and economic
reforms and to fight corruption. In
1999 he indicated he would not run
for a third term, in keeping with
the Malian constitution's two-term
limit.
Geography Mali
--------------
Location: Western Africa, southwest of Algeria
Geographic coordinates: 17 00 N, 4 00 W
Map references: Africa
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
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: 3.77%
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 96.19% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,380 sq km (1998 est.)
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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: 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; divided into three
natural zones: the southern,
cultivated Sudanese; the central,
semiarid Sahelian; and the northern,
arid Saharan
People Mali
-----------
Population: 11,340,480 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 47.2% (male 2,687,998;
female 2,658,605)
15-64 years: 49.8% (male 2,698,789;
female 2,950,276)
65 years and over: 3% (male 160,604;
female 184,208) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.97% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 48.37 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 18.32 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 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: 0.87 male(s)/
female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 119.63 deaths/1,000 live births
(2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.39 years
female: 48.64 years (2002 est.)
male: 46.18 years
Total fertility rate: 6.73 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.7% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 140,000 (2001 est.)
AIDS:
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: 38%
male: 45%
female: 31% (1998 est.)
Government Mali
---------------
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
Government type: republic
Capital: Bamako
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: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Amadou
Toumani TOURE (since 8 June 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister
Modibo KEITA (since 18 March 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%
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 NA July
2002); note - much of the opposition
boycotted the election
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - ADEMA
95, RPM 35, PARENA 8, CDS 4, UDD 3,
PDP 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
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]; 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 Patriotic Movement of the Ghanda
leaders: Koye or MPGK; United Movement and
Fronts of Azawad or MFUA
International organization ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS,
participation: FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIPONUH, NAM,
OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional),
WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Cheick
Oumar DIARRAH
FAX: [1] (202) 332-6603
telephone: [1] (202) 332-2249, 939-
8950
chancery: 2130 R Street NW,
Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Michael
US: E. 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 Mali
------------
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 70% 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. In 2001, GDP
decreased by 1.2% mainly due to a
50% drop in cotton production in
2000-01.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $9.2
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -1.2% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $840 (2001
est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 45%
industry: 17%
services: 38% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: 64% average; 30% of the total
population living in urban areas;
76% of the total population living
in rural areas) (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 1.8%
percentage share: highest 10%: 40.4% (1994)
Distribution of family income - Gini 50.5 (1994)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 3.93 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture and fishing 80% (2001
est.)
Unemployment rate: 14.6% urban areas; 5.3% rural areas
(2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $764 million
expenditures: $828 million,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2002 est.)
Industries: food processing; construction;
phosphate and gold mining
Industrial production growth rate: NA
Electricity - production: 462 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 43.29%
hydro: 56.71%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 429.66 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: cotton, millet, rice, corn,
vegetables, peanuts; cattle, sheep,
goats
Exports: $575 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: cotton 43%, gold 40%, livestock
(2001 est.)
Exports - partners: Brazil 10.6%, South Korea 9.9%,
Italy 7.3%, Canada 7% (2000)
Imports: $600 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment,
construction materials, petroleum,
foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners: Cote d'Ivoire 21%, France 12.4%,
Senegal 4%, Germany 4%, Benelux
(2000)
Debt - external: $3.3 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: $596.4 million (2001)
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine
franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the
West African States
Currency code: XOF
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine
francs (XOF) per US dollar - 742.79
(January 2002), 733.04 (2001),
711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95
(1998), 583.67 (1997); 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
Communications Mali
-------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 45,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 40,000 (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)
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)
Radios: 570,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus repeaters) (2001)
Televisions: 45,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .ml
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 13 (2001)
Internet users: 10,000 (2000)
Transportation Mali
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Railways: total: 729 km
narrow gauge: 729 km 1.000-m gauge
note: linked to Senegal's rail
system through Kayes (2001)
Highways: total: 15,100 km
paved: 1,827 km
unpaved: 13,273 km (1996)
Waterways: 1,815 km
Ports and harbors: Koulikoro
Airports: 27 (2001)
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 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 9 (2001)
Military Mali
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Military branches: Army, Air Force, Gendarmerie,
Republican Guard, National Guard,
National Police (Surete Nationale)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,369,578 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 1,358,646 (2002
service: est.)
Military expenditures - dollar $50 million (FY01)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 2% (FY01)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Mali
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Disputes - international: none