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.

Map reference: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 1.24 million km²
Land: 1.22 million km²

Land boundaries: total 7,243 km, Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina 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

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

Land use
Arable land: 2%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 25%
Forest and woodland: 7%
Other: 66%

Irrigated land: 50 km² (1989 est.)

Natural hazards: hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts

Geography
Note: landlocked

Population: 9,112,950 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 2.78% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Malian(s)

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

Languages: French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages

Religions: Muslim 90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1%

Population growth rate: 2.78% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 51.79 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 20.36 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.66 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies of safe drinking water; poaching

Infant mortality rate: 106.2 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 45.91 years
Male: 44.29 years
Female: 47.57 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 7.33 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 17%
Male: 26%
Female: 9%

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Mali
Conventional short form:
Former: French Sudan

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: Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 22 September (1960)

Constitution: new constitution adopted in constitutional referendum in 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); election last held in April 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); Alpha KONARE was elected in runoff race against Montaga TALL
Head of government: Prime Minister Ibrahima Boubacar KEITA (since March 1994)

Legislative branch: Army, Air Force, Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Police (Surete Nationale)
National Assembly: elections last held on 8 March 1992 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (total 116) Adema 76, CNID 9, US/RAD 8, Popular Movement for the Development of the Republic of West Africa 6, RDP 4, UDD 4, RDT 3, UFDP 3, PDP 2, UMDD 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador William H. DAMERON III
From the us chancery: 2,130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us telephone: [223] 225,470
From the us embassy: Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed V., Bamako
From the us mailing address: B. P. 34, Bamako
From the us FAX: [223] 228,059

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy overview: Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with about 70% 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 live as nomads and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities. In consultation with international lending agencies, the government has adopted a structural adjustment program for 1992-95, aiming at GDP annual growth of 4.6%, inflation of no more than 2.5% on average, and a substantial reduction in the external current account deficit.

Real gdp growth rate: -6.1% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $650 (1993 est.)

Agriculture products: accounts for 50% of GDP; most production based on small subsistence farms; cotton and livestock products account for over 70% of exports; other crops - millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; livestock - cattle, sheep, goats

Industries: small local consumer goods and processing, construction, phosphate, gold, fishing

Industrial production growth rate: -1.4% (1992 est.), accounts for 13.0% of GDP

Labor force: 2.666 million (1986 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation services: 19%
By occupation industry and commerce: 1% (1981)
By occupation note: 50% of population of working age (1985)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues:$376 million

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $330 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodities: cotton, livestock, gold
Partners: mostly franc zone and Western Europe

Imports: $682 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, construction materials, petroleum, textiles
Partners: mostly franc zone and Western Europe

Debt external: $2.6 billion (1991 est.)

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05 (January 1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989)
Note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948

Electricity
Capacity: 260,000 kW
Production: 750 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 90 kWh (1991)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: exchange rate conversion - $41 million, 2% of GDP (1989)

Airports: 33
Usable: 27
With permanentsurface runways: 8
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 5
With runways 1220-2439 m: 11

Waterways: 1,815 km navigable

Disputes international: the disputed international boundary between Burkina and Mali was submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in October 1983 and the ICJ issued its final ruling in December 1986, which both sides agreed to accept; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger