Mali

§1. Mali Introduction

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.

§2. Mali Geography

Location:
  Western Africa, southwest of Algeria

Geographic coordinates:
  17 00 N, 4 00 W

Map references:
  Africa

Area:
  total: 1.24 million kmē
  land: 1.22 million kmē
  water: 20,000 kmē

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 kmē (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

§3. Mali People

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.)

§4. Mali Government

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

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:
  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

§5. Mali Economy

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:
  NA

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture and fishing 80% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  NA%

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

Currency code:
  XOF

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

§6. Mali Communications

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)

Radios:
  570,000 (1997)

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)

§7. Mali Transportation

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)

Waterways:
  1,815 km

Ports and harbors:
  Koulikoro

Airports:
  27 (2000 est.)

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.)

§8. Mali Military

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)

§9. Mali Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none
