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Muslim World Study:
Mali
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Background:
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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. |
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Location:
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Western Africa, southwest of Algeria
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Geographic coordinates:
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17 00 N, 4 00 W |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 1.24 million
sq km
land: 1.22 million sq km
water: 20,000 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less than twice the size of Texas
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Land boundaries:
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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 |
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked) |
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked) |
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Climate:
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subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to
June; rainy, humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry
November to February |
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Terrain:
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mostly flat to rolling northern plains
covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Senegal River 23 m
highest point: Hombori Tondo 1,155 m |
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Natural resources:
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gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone,
uranium, gypsum, granite, hydropower
note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper
deposits are known but not exploited |
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Land use:
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arable land: 3.82%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 96.15% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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1,380 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during
dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River
flooding |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; desertification;
inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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landlocked; divided into three natural zones:
the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid
Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan |
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Population:
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12,291,529 (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 47.1%
(male 2,910,944/female 2,876,010)
15-64 years: 50% (male 2,955,496/female 3,185,666)
65 years and over: 3% (male 165,867/female 197,546)
(2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 16.35 years
male: 15.79 years
female: 16.92 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.74% (2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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46.77 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
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Death rate:
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19.05 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.03
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 116.79
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 123.32 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 110.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
48.64 years
male: 46.68 years
female: 50.66 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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6.5 children born/woman (2005 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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1.9% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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140,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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12,000 (2003 est.) |
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree of risk:
very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal
diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some
locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2004)
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Nationality:
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noun: Malian(s)
adjective: Malian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul
17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5%
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Religions:
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Muslim 90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian
1% |
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Languages:
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French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous
African languages |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15
and over can read and write
total population: 46.4%
male: 53.5%
female: 39.6% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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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
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Bamako |
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Administrative divisions:
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8 regions (regions, singular - region); Gao,
Kayes, Kidal, Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou
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Independence:
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22 September 1960 (from France) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 22 September (1960)
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Constitution:
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adopted 12 January 1992 |
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Legal system:
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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
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state:
President Amadou Toumani TOURE (since 8 June 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Ousmane Issoufi
MAIGA (since 30 April 2004)
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 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% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 July 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - Hope 2002 coalition 66, ADEMA 51, other 30
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or Cour Supreme |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance for Democracy or ADEMA [Diounconda
TRAORE, 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 Boubacar 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]; Union for Republic and Democracy or URD
[Soumaila CISSE] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Patriotic Movement of the Ghanda Koye or
MPGK; United Movement and Fronts of Azawad or MFUA
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International organization participation:
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ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM,
OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL,
UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission:
Ambassador Abdoulaye DIOP
chancery: 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-2249, 939-8950
FAX: [1] (202) 332-6603 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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 |
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Flag description:
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three equal vertical bands of green (hoist
side), yellow, and red; uses the popular pan-African colors
of Ethiopia |
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Economy - overview:
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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 1996-2004.
Worker remittances and external trade routes have been
jeopardized by continued unrest in neighboring Cote
d'Ivoire. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$11 billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4% (2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $900 (2004 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 45%
industry: 17%
services: 38% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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3.93 million (2001 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture and fishing 80% (2001 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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14.6% urban areas; 5.3% rural areas (2001
est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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64% average; 30% of the total population
living in urban areas; 70% of the total population living in
rural areas) (2001 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by
percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 1.8%
highest 10%: 40.4% (1994) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini
index:
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50.5 (1994) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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4.5% (2002 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $764
million
expenditures: $828 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (2002 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cotton, millet, rice, corn, vegetables,
peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats |
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Industries:
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food processing; construction; phosphate and
gold mining |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA (FY96/97) |
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Electricity - production:
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700 million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 41.7%
hydro: 58.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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651 million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh; note - recent hydropower developments
may be providing electricity to Senegal and Mauritania
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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4,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Exports:
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$915 million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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cotton, gold, livestock |
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Exports - partners:
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China 31.6%, Pakistan 10%, Italy 6.9%,
Thailand 5.8%, Germany 5.1%, India 4.8%, Bangladesh 4.5%,
Taiwan 4% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$927 million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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petroleum, machinery and equipment,
construction materials, foodstuffs, textiles |
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Imports - partners:
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France 14.5%, Senegal 9.8%, Cote d'Ivoire
7.6% (2004) |
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Debt - external:
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$3.3 billion (2000) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$596.4 million (2001) |
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Currency (code):
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Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF);
note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West
African States |
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Currency code:
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XOF |
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Exchange rates:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF)
per US dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002),
733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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56,600 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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250,000 (2003) |
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Telephone system:
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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: country code - 223; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
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Radio broadcast stations:
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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) |
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Radios:
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570,000 (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (plus repeaters) (2001) |
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Televisions:
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45,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.ml |
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Internet hosts:
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187 (2003) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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13 (2001) |
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Internet users:
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25,000 (2002) |
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Railways:
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total: 729 km
narrow gauge: 729 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
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Highways:
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total: 15,100 km
paved: 1,827 km
unpaved: 13,273 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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1,815 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Koulikoro |
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Airports:
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28 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 19
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 8 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army, Air Force, National Guard |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary
military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years
(2004) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 18-49:
2,206,728 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 18-49:
1,231,930 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$22.4 million (2004) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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0.4% (2004) |
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Transnational Issues |
Mali |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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