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 - led by the current president Amadou TOURE - enabling Mali's emergence as one of the strongest democracies on the continent. President Alpha KONARE won Mali's first democratic presidential election in 1992 and was reelected in 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit KONARE stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou TOURE who was subsequently elected to a second term in 2007. The elections were widely judged to be free and fair.

Geographic coordinates: 17 00 N 4 00 W

Map reference: Africa

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

Land boundaries
Total: 7,243 km
Border countries: (7) Algeria 1376 km; Burkina Faso 1000 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
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
Arable land: 3.76%
Permanent crops: 0.03%
Other: 96.21% (2005)

Irrigated land: 2,360 km² (2008)

Total renewable water resources: 100 km³ (2001)

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

Population: 14,159,904 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 67
Growth rate: 2.61% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 25
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 80% numerous African languages

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 47.3%
15-64 years: 49.7% (male 3,438,687/female 3,605,143)
65 years and over: 3% (male 199,862/female 218,307) (2011 est.)

Median age
Total: 16.3 years
Male: 15.9 years
Female: 16.7 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.61% (2011 est.)
Rank: 25

Birth rate: 45.62 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 3

Death rate: 14.29 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 14

Net migration rate: -5.23 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 194

Urbanization
Urban population: 36% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 4.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 111.35 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 4
Male: 118.15 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 104.34 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 52.61 years
Rank: 205
Male: 51.01 years
Female: 54.26 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.44 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 3

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.049 physicians/1000 population (2008)
Rank: 178

Hospital bed density: 0.57 beds/1000 population (2008)
Rank: 167

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 48
People living with hivaids: 76,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 47
Deaths: 4,400 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 41

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: malaria
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2009)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 27.9% (2006)
Rank: 22

Education expenditures: 4.4% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 86

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 46.4%
Male: 53.5%
Female: 39.6% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 8 years
Male: 9 years
Female: 7 years (2009)

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 (5 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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: 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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Amadou Toumani TOURE
Head of government: Prime Minister CISSE Mariam Kaidama Sidibe (since 3 April 2011)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 29 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2012); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Amadou Toumani TOURE reelected president; percent of vote - Amadou Toumani TOURE 71.2% Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA 19.2% other 9.6%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 1 and 22 July 2007 (next to be held in July 2012)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ADP coalition 113 (ADEMA 51 URD 34 MPR 8 CNID 7 UDD 3 and other 10) FDR coalition 15 (RPM 11 PARENA 4) SADI 4 independent 15

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders: African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence or SADI [Oumar MARIKO secretary general]; Alliance for Democracy or ADEMA [Diounconda TRAORE]; Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP (a coalition of political parties including ADEMA and URD formed in December 2006 to support the presidential candidacy of Amadou TOURE); Alliance for Democratic Change (political group comprised mainly of Tuareg from Mali's northern region); Convergence 2007 [Soumeylou Boubeye MAIGA]; Front for Democracy and the Republic or FDR (a coalition of political parties including RPM and PARENA formed to oppose the presidential candidacy of Amadou TOURE); National Congress for Democratic Initiative or CNID [Mountaga TALL]; Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Mady KONATE]; Party for National Renewal or PARENA [Tiebile DRAME]; Patriotic Movement for Renewal or MPR [Choguel MAIGA]; Rally for Democracy and Labor or RDT [Amadou Ali NIANGADOU]; Rally for Mali or RPM [Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA]; Sudanese Union/African Democratic Rally or US/RDA [Mamadou Basir GOLOGO]; Union for Democracy and Development or UDD [Moussa Balla COULIBALY]; Union for Republic and Democracy or URD [Soumaila CISSE]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mamadou TRAORE
In the us chancery: 2,130 R Street NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 332-2,249 939-8,950
In the us fax: [1] (202) 332-6,603
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Gillian A. MILOVANOVIC
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] 270-2,300
From the us fax: [223] 270-2,479

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 (which has an additional green central star) and the reverse of those on the flag of neighboring Guinea

National anthem
Name: 'Le Mali'
Lyricsmusic: Seydou Badian KOUYATE/Banzoumana SISSOKO
Note: adopted 1962; the anthem is 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)

Economy overview: Among the 25 poorest countries in the world Mali is a landlocked country highly dependent on gold mining and agricultural exports for revenue. The country's fiscal status fluctuates with gold and agricultural commodity prices and the harvest. Mali remains dependent on foreign aid. 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 some 80% of the labor force is engaged in farming and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities. The government has continued an IMF-recommended structural adjustment program that has helped the economy grow diversify and attract foreign investment. Mali is developing its cotton and iron ore extraction industries to diversify its revenue sources because gold production has started to fall. Mali has invested in tourism but security issues are hurting the industry. Mali's adherence to economic reform and the 50% devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994 have pushed up economic growth to a 5% average in 1996-2010. Worker remittances and external trade routes for the landlocked country have been jeopardized by continued unrest in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire. However Mali is building a road network that will connect it to all adjacent countries and it has a railway line to Senegal. In 2010 Mali experienced a regional drought that hurt livestock and livelihoods.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 134
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 84

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 205
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 38.9%
Industry: 21.5%
Services: 39.6% (2010 est.)

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

Industries: food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 3.241 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 99
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation industry and services: 20% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate: 30% (2004 est.)
Rank: 177

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.7%
Highest 10: 30.5% (2006)

Distribution of family income gini index: 50.5 (1994)
Rank: 62

Budget
Revenues: $1.898 billion
Expenditures: $2.143 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 89

Taxes and other revenues: 20.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 155

Public debt: 24.3% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 90

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.2% (2009 est.)
Rank: 28

Central bank discount rate: 4.25% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 83

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 9.5% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 111

Stock of narrow money: $1.758 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 124

Stock of broad money: $2.514 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 141

Stock of domestic credit: $994.9 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 149

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$645.4 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 122

Exports: $1.889 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 132
Commodities: cotton gold livestock
Partners: China 27.2% Indonesia 8.2% Thailand 5.3% Burkina Faso 5.2% Morocco 5% South Korea 4.9% (2010)

Imports: $2.082 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 150
Commodities: petroleum machinery and equipment construction materials foodstuffs textiles
Partners: Senegal 13.6% France 11% Cote dIvoire 10% China 6.8% South Korea 5.2% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.605 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 129

Debt external: $2.667 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 129

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 490 million kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 160
Consumption: 455.7 million kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 166
Exports: 0 kWh
Exports note: Mali may be providing electricity to Senegal and Mauritania (2009 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 99
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 202
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 143
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 151
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 167

Telephones
Main lines in use: 114,400 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 144
Mobile cellular: 7.326 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 85

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 nearly 30 per 100 persons
International: country code - 223; satellite communications center and fiber-optic links to neighboring countries; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean 1 Indian Ocean) (2008)

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
Hosts: 524 (2010)
Hosts rank: 179
Users: 249,800 (2009)
Users rank: 135

Military expenditures: 1.9% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 75

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2011)

Airports: 20 (2010)
Rank: 136
With paved runways total: 8
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 12
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 3 (2010)

Railways
Total: 593 km
Rank: 109
Narrow gauge: 593 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)

Roadways
Total: 18,912 km
Rank: 114
Paved: 3,597 km
Unpaved: 15,315 km (2005)

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) (2010)
Rank: 45

Ports and terminals: Koulikoro

Disputes international: demarcation is currently underway with Burkina Faso

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 6,300 (Mauritania) (2007)