Map of Mali | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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 by a military coup that ushered in a period of democratic rule. President Alpha KONARE won Mali's first two democratic presidential elections in 1992 and 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit he stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou Toumani TOURE who was elected to a second term in a 2007 election that was widely judged to be free and fair. Malian returnees from Libya in 2011 exacerbated tensions in northern Mali and Tuareg ethnic militias rebelled in January 2012. Low- and mid-level soldiers frustrated with the poor handling of the rebellion overthrew TOURE on 22 March. Intensive mediation efforts led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) returned power to a civilian administration in April with the appointment of Interim President Dioncounda TRAORE. The post-coup chaos led to rebels expelling the Malian military from the country's three northern regions and allowed Islamic militants to set up strongholds. Hundreds of thousands of northern Malians fled the violence to southern Mali and neighboring countries exacerbating regional food shortages in host communities. An international military intervention to retake the three northern regions began in January 2013 and within a month most of the north had been retaken. In a democratic presidential election conducted in July and August of 2013 Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA was elected president.


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Location: interior Western Africa southwest of Algeria north of Guinea Cote d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso west of Niger

Geographic coordinates: 17 00 N 4 00 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 1,240,192 km²
Land: 1,220,190 km²
Water: 20,002 km²
Rank: 24
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 7,908 km
Border countries: (7) Algeria 1359 km; Burkina Faso 1325 km; Cote d'Ivoire 599 km; Guinea 1062 km; Mauritania 2,236 km; Niger 838 km; Senegal 489 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
Extremes highest point: Hombori Tondo 1155 m

Natural resources: gold phosphates kaolin salt limestone uranium gypsum granite hydropower
Note: bauxite iron ore manganese tin and copper deposits are known but not exploited

Land use
Agricultural land: 34.1%
Forest: 10.2%
Other: 55.7%

Irrigated land: 2,358 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 100 km³ (2011)

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

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


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Population: 16,955,536 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 67
Growth rate: 2.98% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 8
Below poverty line: 36.1% (2005 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Malian
Adjective: Malian

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

Languages: French (official) Bambara 46.3% Peul/foulfoulbe 9.4% Dogon 7.2% Maraka/soninke 6.4% Malinke 5.6% Sonrhai/djerma 5.6% Minianka 4.3% Tamacheq 3.5% Senoufo 2.6% unspecified 0.6% other 8.5%
Note: Mali has 13 national languages in addition to its official language

Religions: Muslim 94.8% Christian 2.4% Animist 2% none 0.5% unspecified 0.3% (2009 Census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 47.44%
15-24 years: 19.09%
25-54 years: 26.75%
55-64 years: 3.75%
65 years and over: 2.97% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 100.2%
Youth dependency ratio: 95.1%
Elderly dependency ratio: 5%
Potential support ratio: 19.8%

Median age
Total: 16.1 years
Male: 15.5 years
Female: 16.8 years

Population growth rate: 2.98% (2015 est.)
Rank: 8

Birth rate: 44.99 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 2

Death rate: 12.89 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 19

Net migration rate: -2.26 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 172

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 39.9% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 5.08% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: BAMAKO (capital) 2.515 million (2015)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection Wetlands Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male/female
15-24 years: 0.91 male/female
25-54 years: 0.87 male/female
55-64 years: 1 male/female
65 years and over: 1 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 102.23 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 108.88 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 95.37 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 2

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 55.34 years
Male: 53.48 years
Female: 57.25 years
Rank: 208

Total fertility rate: 6.06 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 3

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 10.3% (2012/13)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.08 physicians/1000 population (2010)

Hospital bed density: 0.1 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.42% (2014 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 35
People living with hivaids: 133,400 (2014 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 35
Deaths: 5,300 (2014 est.)
Deaths rank: 29

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
Animal contact disease: rabies

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 5.7% (2014)
Rank: 166

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 27.9% (2006)
Rank: 20

Education expenditures: 4.8% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 83

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 38.7%
Male: 48.2%
Female: 29.2%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 8 years
Male: 9 years
Female: 7 years

Youth unemployment


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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
Name: Bamako
Geographic coordinates: 12 39 N 8 00 W
Time difference: UTC 0

Administrative divisions: 8 regions (regions singular - region) 1 district*; District de Bamako* Gao Kayes Kidal Koulikoro Mopti Segou Sikasso Tombouctou (Timbuktu)

Dependent areas

Independence: 22 September 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day 22 September (1960)

Constitution: several previous; latest drafted August 1991 approved by referendum 12 January 1992 effective 25 February 1992; amended 1999; note - suspended briefly in 2012 (2012)

Legal system: civil law system based on the French civil law model and influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA
Head of government: Prime Minister Modibo KEITA
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; election last held on 28 July 2013 with a runoff on 11 August 2013 (election delayed from April 2012 due to a coup in March 2012); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA elected president in runoff; percent of vote - Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA 77.6% Soumaila CISSE (URD) 22.4%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
Elections: last held in two rounds on 24 November 2013 and on 15 December 2013 ; note - the scheduled July 2012 election was cancelled due to a coup d'etat and the Tuareg Rebellion
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FDR coalition 64 ADP coalition 42 (ADEMA 20 URD 18 CNID 4) FARE 5 CODEM 5 SADI 4 ASMA-CFP 4 Yelema 2 independent 16 other 5; note - 13 seats were from voters abroad

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme ; Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court members appointed by the Ministry of Justice to serve 5-year terms; Constitutional Court members selected - 3 each by the president the National Assembly and the Supreme Council of the Magistracy; members serve single renewable 7-year terms
Subordinate courts: High Court of Justice

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU CD ECOWAS EITI (compliant country) FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MONUSCO NAM OIC OIF OPCW UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNISFA UNMISS UNWTO UPU WADB (regional) WAEMU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Tiena COULIBALY
In the us chancery: 2,130 R Street NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 332-2,249 939-8,950
In the us FAX: [1] 332-6,603
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Paul A. FOLMSBE
From the us embassy: located just off the Roi Bin Fahad Aziz Bridge just west of the Bamako central district
From the us mailing address: ACI 2000 Rue 243 Porte 297 Bamako
From the us telephone: [223] 2,070-2,300
From the us FAX: [223] 2,070-2,479

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) yellow and red
Note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors from left to right are the same as those of neighboring Senegal and the reverse of those on the flag of neighboring Guinea

National symbols: Great Mosque of Djenne; national colors: green yellow red

National anthem
Name: 'Le Mali'
Lyrics and music: Seydou Badian KOUYATE/Banzoumana SISSOKO
Note: adopted 1962; also known as 'Pour L'Afrique et pour toi Mali' and 'A ton appel Mali' (At Your Call Mali)

National heritage


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Economy overview: Among the 25 poorest countries in the world Mali is a landlocked country that depends on gold mining and agricultural exports for revenue. The country's fiscal status fluctuates with gold and agricultural commodity prices and the harvest; cotton and gold exports make up around 80% of export earnings. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger River and about 65% of its land area is desert or semidesert. About 10% of the population is nomadic and about 80% of the labor force is engaged in farming and fishing. Mali remains dependent on foreign aid. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities. Mali is developing its iron ore extraction industry to diversify foreign exchange earnings away from gold but the pace will largely depend on global price trends. The government is subsidizing the production of cereals to decrease the country’s dependence on imported foodstuffs and to reduce its vulnerability to food price shocks. The main threat to Mali’s economy is a return to physical insecurity. Other long term threats to the economy include high population growth corruption a weak infrastructure and low levels of human capital. The administration’s purchase of a presidential jet for $40 million and inflated defense contracts damaged it’s credibility and led the IMF to temporarily suspend aid in 2014.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 131

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 37

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 215

Gross national saving:
Rank: 106

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 78.4%
Government consumption: 16.6%
Investment in fixed capital: 14.8%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 26.5%
Imports of goods and services: -36.2%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 38%
Industry: 23.3%
Services: 38.7%

Agriculture products: cotton millet rice corn vegetables peanuts; cattle sheep goats

Industries: food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining

Industrial production growth rate: 5.5% (2014 est.)
Rank: 48

Labor force: 5.538 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 72
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation industry and services: 20%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 181

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 36.1% (2005 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.5%
Highest 10: 25.8%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 58

Budget
Revenues: $2.698 billion
Expenditures: $3.265 billion
Surplus or deficit: -4.7% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 157

Taxes and other revenues: 22.4% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 144

Public debt:
Rank: 120

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 55

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 8

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 94

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 120

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 140

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 135

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance:
Rank: 78

Exports:
Rank: 134
Commodities: cotton gold livestock
Partners: China 18.8% India 14.4% Indonesia 11.1% Bangladesh 9.6% Thailand 8.3% Australia 4.3% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 150
Commodities: petroleum machinery and equipment construction materials foodstuffs textiles
Partners: France 11.7% Senegal 10.6% Cote dIvoire 9% China 7.7% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:
Rank: 136

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 100

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 94

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 520 million kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 163
Consumption: 483.6 million kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 172
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 169
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 172
Installed generating capacity: 304,000 kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 152
Generation sources fossil fuels: 48.4% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 157
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 139
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 51.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 46
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 203

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 199
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 154
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 93
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 165

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 173
Products consumption: 5,440 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 166
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 198
Products imports: 4,698 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 156

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 166
Consumption: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 171
Exports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 144
Imports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 98
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 170

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 773,900 Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 171

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 160,000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1
Fixed lines rank: 136
Mobile cellular total: 23.5 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 143
Mobile cellular rank: 50

Telephone system
General assessment: domestic system unreliable but improving; increasing use of local radio loops to extend network coverage to remote areas
Domestic: fixed-line subscribership remains less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has increased sharply to about 70 per 100 persons
International: country code - 223; satellite communications center and fiber-optic links to neighboring countries; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (2010)

Broadcast media: national public TV broadcaster; 2 privately owned companies provide subscription services to foreign multi-channel TV packages; national public radio broadcaster supplemented by a large number of privately owned and community broadcast stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .ml
Users total: 12.4 million
Users percent of population: 75.2%
Users rank: 38

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 68

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 25 (2013)
Rank: 129
With paved runways total: 8
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 17
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 9
With unpaved runways: 5 (2013)

Heliports: 2 (2013)

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 593 km
Narrow gauge: 593 km 1.000-m gauge
Rank: 110

Roadways
Total: 22,474 km
Paved: 5,522 km
Unpaved: 16,952 km
Rank: 103

Waterways: 1800 km (downstream of Koulikoro; low water levels on the River Niger cause problems in dry years; in the months before the rainy season the river is not navigable by commercial vessels) (2011)
Rank: 43

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals
River port: Koulikoro


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Disputes international: demarcation is underway with Burkina Faso

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 12,898 (Mauritania) (2014)
IDPs: 61,920 (2015)

Illicit drugs