MALI GEOGRAPHY Total area: 1,240,000 km2; land area: 1,220,000 km2 Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas Land boundaries: 7,243 km total; Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Ivory Coast 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km Coastline: none--landlocked Maritime claims: none--landlocked 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 NEGL%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and woodland 7%; other 66%; includes irrigated NEGL% Environment: hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; desertification Note: landlocked PEOPLE Population: 8,338,542 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991) Birth rate: 51 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 21 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 114 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male, 47 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Malian(s); adjective--Malian Ethnic divisions: Mande (Bambara, Malinke, Sarakole) 50%, Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 5%, other 10% Religion: Muslim 90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1% Language: French (official); Bambara spoken by about 80% of the population; numerous African languages Literacy: 32% (male 41%, female 24%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) Labor force: 2,666,000 (1986 est.); agriculture 80%, services 19%, industry and commerce 1% (1981); 50% of population of working age (1985) Organized labor: National Union of Malian Workers (UNTM) is umbrella organization for over 13 national unions GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Republic of Mali Type: republic; the single-party constitutional government was overthrown on 26 March 1991; the new ruling National Reconciliation Council has promised a multiparty democracy Capital: Bamako Administrative divisions: 7 regions (regions, singular--region); Gao, Kayes, Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou; note--there may be a new capital district of Bamako Independence: 22 September 1960 (from France; formerly French Sudan) Constitution: 2 June 1974, effective 19 June 1979; amended September 1981 and March 1985; suspended following the coup of 26 March 1991 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: Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 22 September (1960) Executive branch: National Conciliation Council led by the military, following the coup of 26 March 1991 Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemble Nationale) Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Leaders: Chief of State--following the military coup of 26 March 1991 President Gen. Moussa TRAORE was deposed and the National Reconciliation Council, led by Lt. Col. Amadou Toumani TOURE and Lt. Col. Kafougouna KONE, was installed; Head of Government--Interim Premier Soumana SACKO (since 2 April 1991) Political parties and leaders: formerly the only party, the Democratic Union of Malian People (UDPM), was disbanded after the coup of 26 March 1991, and the new regime legalized the formation of political parties on 5 April 1991; new political parties are--Union of Democratic Forces (UFD), Demba DIALLO; Union for Democracy and Development (UDD), Moussa Bala COULIBALY; Sudanese Union/African Democratic Rally (US-RDA), Mamadou Madeira KEITA; African Party for Solidarity and Justice (ADEMA), Alpha Oumar KONARE; Party for Democracy and Progress (PDP), Idrissa TRAORE; Democratic Party for Justice (PDJ), Abdul BA; Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), Almany SYLLA; Party for the Unity of Malian People (PUPM), Nock AGATTIA; Hisboulah al Islamiya, Hamidou DRAMERA; Union of Progressive Forces (UFP), Yacouba SIDIBE; National Congress of Democratic Initiative (CNID), Mountaga TALL; Assembly for Justice and Progress, Kady DRAME; other parties forming Suffrage: universal at age 21 Elections: President--last held on 9 June 1985 (next to be held June 1991); results--General Moussa TRAORE was reelected without opposition; National Assembly--last held on 26 June 1988 (next to be held June 1991); results--UDPM is the only party; seats--(82 total) UDPM 82; note--following the military coup of 26 March 1991 President TRAORE was deposed and the UDPM was disbanded; the new ruling National Reconciliation Council, formed of 17 soldiers, has promised to institute a multiparty democracy and is expected to hold elections by December 1991 Communists: a few Communists and some sympathizers (no legal Communist party) 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: Ambassador Mohamed Alhousseyni TOURE; Chancery at 2130 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-2249 or 939-8950; US--Ambassador Herbert D. GELBER; Embassy at Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed V., Bamako (mailing address is B. P. 34, Bamako); telephone 223 223712 Flag: 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. GDP: $2.0 billion, per capita $250; real growth rate 9.9% (1989 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA% (1987) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues $329 million; expenditures $519 million, including capital expenditures of $178 (1989 est.) Exports: $285 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--livestock, peanuts, dried fish, cotton, skins; partners--mostly franc zone and Western Europe Imports: $513 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--textiles, vehicles, petroleum products, machinery, sugar, cereals; partners--mostly franc zone and Western Europe External debt: $2.2 billion (1989 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 19.9% (1989 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP Electricity: 253,000 kW capacity; 730 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1990) 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, and goats Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $349 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.65 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $92 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $190 million Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year 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 bituminous, 3,670 km gravel and improved earth, 10,360 km unimproved earth Inland waterways: 1,815 km navigable Civil air: no major transport aircraft Airports: 37 total, 29 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m 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; stations--2 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT DEFENSE FORCES Branches: Army, Air Force; paramilitary Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Guard, National Police Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,631,445; 940,954 fit for military service; no conscription Defense expenditures: $45 million, 2.4% of GDP (1988)