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

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Background: Present-day Mali is named after the Mali Empire that ruled the region between the 13th and 16th centuries. At its peak in the 14th century, it was the largest and wealthiest empire in West Africa and controlled an area about twice the size of modern-day France. Primarily a trading empire, Mali derived its wealth from gold and maintained several goldfields and trade routes in the Sahel. The empire also influenced West African culture through the spread of its language, laws, and customs, but by the 16th century it fragmented into mostly small chiefdoms.  The Songhai Empire, previously a Mali dependency centered in Timbuktu, gained prominence in the 15th and 16th centuries. Under Songhai rule, Timbuktu became a large commercial center and well-known for its scholarship and religious teaching. Timbuktu remains a center of culture in West Africa today. In the late 16th century, the Songhai Empire fell to Moroccan invaders and disintegrated into independent sultanates and kingdoms.


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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
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
Highest point: Hombori Tondo 1,155 m
Lowest point: Senegal River 23 m
Mean elevation: 343 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% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 5.6% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 28.4% (2018 est.)
Forest: 10.2% (2018 est.)
Other: 55.7% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 3,780 km² (2012)

Major rivers
By length in km: Niger (shared with Guinea [s], Niger, and Nigeria [m]) - 4,200 km; Senegal (shared with Guinea [s], Senegal, and Mauritania [m]) - 1,641 km


Major watersheds area km²: Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 km²), Senegal (456,397 km²), Volta (410,991 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 107 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 4 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 5.075 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 120 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

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
Distribution: the overwhelming majority of the population lives in the southern half of the country, with greater density along the border with Burkina Faso : 20,137,527 (July 2021 est.)
Growth rate: 2.97% (2021 est.)
Below poverty line: 42.1% (2019 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Malian(s)
Adjective: Malian

Ethnic groups: Bambara 33.3%, Fulani (Peuhl) 13.3%, Sarakole/Soninke/Marka 9.8%, Senufo/Manianka 9.6%, Malinke 8.8%, Dogon 8.7%, Sonrai 5.9%, Bobo 2.1%, Tuareg/Bella 1.7%, other Malian 6%, from members of Economic Community of West Africa 0.4%, other 0.3% (2018 est.)

Languages: French (official), Bambara 46.3%, Peuhl/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%, Bobo 2.1%, other 6.3%, unspecified 0.7% (2009 est.)
Note: Mali has 13 national languages in addition to its official language

Religions: Muslim 93.9%, Christian 2.8%, animist .7%, none 2.5% (2018 est.)

Demographic profile: Mali’s total population is expected to double by 2,035; its capital Bamako is one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa. A young age structure, a declining mortality rate, and a sustained high total fertility rate of 6 children per woman - the third highest in the world - ensure continued rapid population growth for the foreseeable future. Significant outmigration only marginally tempers this growth. Despite decreases, Mali’s infant, child, and maternal mortality rates remain among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa because of limited access to and adoption of family planning, early childbearing, short birth intervals, the prevalence of female genital cutting, infrequent use of skilled birth attendants, and a lack of emergency obstetrical and neonatal care.

Age structure
0-14 years: 47.69% (male 4,689,121/female 4,636,685)
15-24 years: 19% (male 1,768,772/female 1,945,582)
25-54 years: 26.61% (male 2,395,566/female 2,806,830)
55-64 years: 3.68% (male 367,710/female 352,170)
65 years and over: 3.02% (male 293,560/female 297,401) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 98
Youth dependency ratio: 93.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 4.9
Potential support ratio: 20.4 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 16 years
Male: 15.3 years
Female: 16.7 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.97% (2021 est.)

Birth rate: 41.6 births/1000 population (2021 est.)

Death rate: 8.77 deaths/1000 population (2021 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.17 migrant(s)/1000 population (2021 est.)

Population distribution: the overwhelming majority of the population lives in the southern half of the country, with greater density along the border with Burkina Faso

Urbanization
Urban population: 44.7% of total population (2021)
Rate of urbanization: 4.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 2.713 million BAMAKO (capital) (2021)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; loss of pasture land; inadequate supplies of potable water
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 31.17 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 3.18 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 19.16 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.85 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 19.2 years (2018 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 20-49

Maternal mortality ratio: 562 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 62.31 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 67.79 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 56.66 deaths/1000 live births (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 62.01 years
Male: 59.81 years
Female: 64.28 years (2021 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.63 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 17.2% (2018)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 97.1% of population
Improved rural: 72.8% of population
Improved total: 82.9% of population
Unimproved urban: 2.9% of population
Unimproved rural: 27.2% of population
Unimproved total: 17.1% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 3.9% (2018)

Physicians density: 0.13 physicians/1000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density: 0.1 beds/1000 population

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 82.5% of population
Improved rural: 34.1% of population
Improved total: 54.2% of population
Unimproved urban: 17.5% of population
Unimproved rural: 65.9% of population
Unimproved total: 45.8% of population (2017 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.9% (2020 est.)
People living with hivaids: 110,000 (2020 est.)
Deaths: 4,600 (2020 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2020)
Food or water borne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vector borne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Watercontactdiseases: schistosomiasis
Animalcontactdiseases: rabies
Respiratorydiseases: meningococcal meningitis

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 8.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 18.1% (2019)

Education expenditures: 3.4% of GDP (2019)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 35.5%
Male: 46.2%
Female: 25.7% (2018)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 7 years
Male: 8 years
Female: 7 years (2017)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 2.4%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 2.6%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 2.3% (2018 est.)


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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
Etymology: name derives from the West African Mali Empire of the 13th to 16th centuries A.D.

Government type: semi-presidential republic

Capital
Name: Bamako
Geographic coordinates: 12 39 N, 8 00 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the name in the Bambara language can mean either 'crocodile tail' or 'crocodile river' and three crocodiles appear on the city seal

Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular - region), 1 district*; District de Bamako*, Gao, Kayes, Kidal, Koulikoro, Menaka, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Taoudenni, Tombouctou (Timbuktu); note - Menaka and Taoudenni were legislated in 2016, but implementation has not been confirmed by the US Board on Geographic Names

Dependent areas

Independence: 22 September 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 22 September (1960)

Constitution
History: several previous; latest drafted August 1991, approved by referendum 12 January 1992, effective 25 February 1992, suspended briefly in 2012
Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by members of the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly and approval in a referendum; constitutional sections on the integrity of the state, its republican and secular form of government, and its multiparty system cannot be amended; note - in early 2021, Prime Minister Moctar OUANE called for adopting a new constitution

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

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

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descentonly: at least one parent must be a citizen of Mali
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state:
Head of government:
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
Elections and appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 29 July 2018 with a runoff on 12 August 2018 (next to be held February 2022); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA (RPM) 77.6%, Soumaila CISSE (URD) 22.4%

Legislative branch
Description:
Elections: last held on 30 March and 19 April 2020 (prior to the August 2020 coup, the next election was scheduled to be held in 2025)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA composition - NA

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 19 judges organized into judicial, administrative, and accounting sectons); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the Ministry of Justice to serve 5-year terms; Constitutional Court judges 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: Court of Appeal; High Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases of high treason or criminal offenses by the president or ministers while in office); administrative courts (first instance and appeal); commercial courts; magistrate courts; labor courts; juvenile courts; special court of state security

Political parties and leaders: African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence or SADI [Oumar MARIKO]
Alliance for Democracy in Mali-Pan-African Party for Liberty, Solidarity, and Justice or ADEMA-PASJ [Tiemoko SANGARE]
Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP-Maliba [Amadou THIAM]
Alliance for the Solidarity of Mali-Convergence of Patriotic Forces or ASMA-CFP [Soumeylou Boubeye MAIGA]
Alternative Forces for Renewal and Emergence or FARE [Modibo SIDIBE]
Convergence for the Development of Mali or CODEM [Housseyni Amion GUINDO]
Democratic Alliance for Peace or ADP-Maliba [Aliou Boubacar DIALLO]
Economic and Social Development Party or PDES [Jamille BITTAR]
Front for Democracy and the Republic or FDR (coalition of smaller opposition parties)
National Congress for Democratic Initiative or CNID [Mountaga TALL]
Party for National Renewal or PARENA [Tiebile DRAME]
Patriotic Movement for Renewal or MPR [Choguel Kokalla MAIGA]
Rally for Mali or RPM [Boucary TRETA]
Union for Republic and Democracy or URD [Younoussi TOURE]

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 Mahamadou NIMAGA (since 22 June 2018)
In the us chancery: 2,130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 332-2,249
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 332-6,603
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Dennis B. HANKINS (since 15 March 2019)
From the us embassy: ACI 2000, Rue 243, (located off the Roi Bin Fahad Aziz Bridge west of the Bamako central district), Porte 297, Bamako
From the us mailing address: 2,050 Bamako Place, Washington DC  20,521-2,050
From the us telephone: [223] 20-70-23-00
From the us FAX: [223] 20-70-24-79
From the us email address and website:

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 (which has an additional green central star) 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' (Mali)
Lyrics and music: Seydou Badian KOUYATE/Banzoumana SISSOKO
Note: adopted 1962; also known as 'Pour L'Afrique et pour toi, Mali' (For Africa and for You, Mali) and 'A ton appel Mali' (At Your Call, Mali)

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 5.4% (2017 est.)

5.8% (2016 est.)

6.2% (2015 est.)

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2010 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 82.9% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 17.4% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 19.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -0.7% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 22.1% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -41.1% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 41.8% (2017 est.)
Industry: 18.1% (2017 est.)
Services: 40.5% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: maize, rice, millet, sorghum, mangoes/guavas, cotton, watermelons, green onions/shallots, okra, sugar cane

Industries: food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining

Industrial production growth rate: 6.3% (2017 est.)

Labor force: 6.447 million (2017 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation industry and services: 20% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7.9% (2017 est.)

7.8% (2016 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 2.4%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 2.6%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 2.3% (2018 est.)

Population below poverty line: 42.1% (2019 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 40.1 (2001)

50.5 (1994)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.5%
Highest 10: 25.8% (2010 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $3.075 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $3.513 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: $-2.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 20% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt: 35.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

36% of GDP (2016 est.)

Revenue
From forest resources forest revenues: 2.02% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.9% (2018 est.)

1.8% (2017 est.)

1.7% (2017 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: -$886 million (2017 est.)

-$1.015 billion (2016 est.)

Exports: $4.18 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

$2.803 billion (2016 est.)
Partners: United Arab Emirates 66%, Switzerland 26% (2019)
Commodities: gold, cotton, sesame seeds, lumber, vegetable oils/residues (2019)

Imports: $6.08 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

$3.403 billion (2016 est.)
Partners: Senegal 23%, Cote d'Ivoire 15%, China 11%, France 9% (2019)
Commodities: refined petroleum, clothing and apparel, packaged medicines, cement, broadcasting equipment (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $647.8 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$395.7 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt external: $4.192 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$3.981 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 50% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 78% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 28% (2019)
Production: 2.489 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption: 2.982 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports: 800 million kWh (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 590,000 kW (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 68% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 31% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources: 1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption: 22,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 20,610 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 281,638 (2020)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1.39 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 25,315,598 (2020)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 125 (2020 est.)

Telephone system

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 (2019)

Internet
Country code: .ml
Users total: 5.74 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 13% (2019 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 243,806 (2020)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1.2 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures: 3.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

2.7% of GDP (2019)

2.9% of GDP (2018)

3% of GDP (2017)

2.6% of GDP (2016)

Military and security forces:

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service (men and women); 2-year conscript service obligation (2021)

Space program

Terrorist groups: Ansar al-Dine; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in the Greater Sahara; Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin; al-Mulathamun Battalion (al-Mourabitoun)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix T


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 0 (2020)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: TZ, TT

Airports
Total: 25 (2013)
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 (2019)
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 under 914 m: 5 (2013)

Heliports: 2 (2013)

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 593 km (2014)
Narrowgauge: 593 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

Roadways
Total: 139,107 km (2018)

Waterways: 1,800 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)

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals
River ports: Koulikoro (Niger)


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Disputes international: demarcation is underway with Burkina Faso

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 16,938 (Niger), 14,963 (Mauritania), 12,913 (Burkina Faso) (2021)
IDPs: 401,736 (Tuareg rebellion since 2012) (2021)

Illicit drugs: a transit point for illicit drugs trafficked to Europe; trafficking controlled by armed groups, criminal organizations, terrorist groups and government officials that facilitate, protect and profit from the activity