*Mali, Geography

Location:
  Western Africa, between Mauritania and Niger
Map references:
  Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  1.24 million km2
 land area:
  1.22 million km2
 comparative area:
  slightly less than twice the size of Texas
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
International disputes:
  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
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.)
Environment:
  hot, dust-laden harmattan; haze common during dry seasons; desertification
Note:
  landlocked

*Mali, People

Population:
  8,868,617 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.66% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  51.73 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  20.81 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -4.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  108 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  45.45 years
 male:
  43.89 years
 female:
  47.06 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  7.33 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Malian(s)
 adjective:
  Malian
Ethnic divisions:
  Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Sarakole), 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:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
 total population:
  32%
 male:
  41%
 female:
  24%
Labor force:
  2.666 million (1986 est.)
 by occupation:
  agriculture 80%, services 19%, industry and commerce 1% (1981)
 note:
  50% of population of working age (1985)

*Mali, Government

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Republic of Mali
 conventional short form:
  Mali
 local long form:
  Republique de Mali
 local short form:
  Mali
 former:
  French Sudan
Digraph:
  ML
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)
Constitution:
  new constitution adopted in constitutional referendum in January 1992
Legal system:
  based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of
  legislative acts in Constitutional Section of Court of State; has not
  accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
  Anniverary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 22 September (1960)
Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance for Democracy (Adema), Alpha Oumar KONARE; National Committee for
  Democratic Initiative (CNID), Mountaga TALL; Sudanese Union/African
  Democratic Rally (US/RAD), Baba Hakib HAIDARA and Treoule Mamadon KONATE;
  Popular Movement for the Development of the Republic of West Africa; Rally
  for Democracy and Progress (RDP), Almamy SYLLA; Union for Democracy and
  Development (UDD), Moussa Balla COULIBALY; Rally for Democracy and Labor
  (RDT); Union of Democratic Forces for Progress (UFDP), Col. Youssouf TRAORE;
  Party for Democracy and Progress (PDP), Idrissa TRAORE; Malian Union for
  Democracy and Development (UMDD)
Suffrage:
  21 years of age; universal
Elections:
 President:
  last held in April 1992; Alpha KONARE was elected in runoff race against
  Montaga TALL
 National Assembly:
  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
Executive branch:
  Transition Committee for the Salvation of the People (CTSP) composed of 25
  members, predominantly civilian
Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

*Mali, Government

Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  President Alpha Oumar KONARE (since 8 June 1992)
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Younoussi TOURE (since 8 June 1992)
Member of:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM,
  OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Siragatou Ibrahim CISSE
 chancery:
  2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  (202) 332-2249 or 939-8950
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Herbert Donald GELBER
 embassy:
  Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed V., Bamako
 mailing address:
  B. P. 34, Bamako
 telephone:
  [223] 225470
 FAX:
  [233] 228059
Flag:
  three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; uses the
  popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

*Mali, 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.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.3 billion (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  -0.2% (1991 est.)
National product per capita:
  $265 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  1.4% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
  revenues $329 million; expenditures $519 million, including capital
  expenditures of $178 (1989 est.)
Exports:
  $320 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
 commodities:
  livestock, peanuts, dried fish, cotton, skins
 partners:
  mostly franc zone and Western Europe
Imports:
  $390 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
 commodities:
  textiles, vehicles, petroleum products, machinery, sugar, cereals
 partners:
  mostly franc zone and Western Europe
External debt:
  $2.6 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 15.0% (1990 est.); accounts for 10.0% of GDP
Electricity:
  260,000 kW capacity; 750 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
  small local consumer goods and processing, construction, phosphate, gold,
  fishing
Agriculture:
  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
Economic aid:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $349 million; Western (non-US)
  countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3,020 million; OPEC
  bilateral aid (1979-89), $92 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $190
  million
Currency:
  1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 274.06 (January
  1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85
  (1988)

*Mali, Economy

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

*Mali, Communications

Railroads:
  642 km 1.000-meter gauge; linked to Senegal's rail system through Kayes
Highways:
  about 15,700 km total; 1,670 km paved, 3,670 km gravel and improved earth,
  10,360 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
  1,815 km navigable
Airports:
 total:
  34
 usable:
  27
 with permanent-surface runways:
  8
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  5
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  10
Telecommunications:
  domestic system poor but improving; provides only minimal service with radio
  relay, wire, and radio communications stations; expansion of radio relay in
  progress; 11,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV;
  satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean
  INTELSAT

*Mali, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Air Force, Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Police (Surete
  Nationale)
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 1,749,662; fit for military service 995,554 (1993 est.); no
  conscription
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $41 million, 2% of GDP (1989)