Mali

Mali

Country name: Mali

Conventional long form: Republic of Mali
Conventional short form: Mali
Local long form: République du Mali
Local short form: Mali
Former: French Sudan and Sudanese Republic
Area: total: 1.24 million km²
Population: 11,995,402 (July 2007 est.)
Capital: Bamako
Languages: French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages

Currency: CFA franc - Communauté Financière Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Other larger cities: Ségou, Mopti, Tombouctou, Gao, Kidal, Sikasso, Taoudenni, Kayes

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. Founder and the first president of the independent Republic of Mali was Modibo Keita, propagator of African socialism. In 1968 he was replaced by the military government of Mousse Traoré, who was in power until 1991. 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.

Location: Western Africa, southwest of Algeria

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, gypsum, granite, hydropower
note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Amadou Toumani TOURE (since 8 June 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Modibo SIDIBE (since 28 September 2007)
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
29 April 2007 (next to be held April in 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%

Economy - overview:

Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with 65% of its land area desert or semidesert and with a highly unequal distribution of income. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger. 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. Mali is heavily dependent on foreign aid and vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices for cotton, its main export, along with gold. The government has continued its successful implementation of an IMF-recommended structural adjustment program that is helping the economy grow, diversify, and attract foreign investment. Mali's adherence to economic reform and the 50% devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994 have pushed up economic growth to a sturdy 5% average in 1996-2006. Worker remittances and external trade routes for the landlocked country have been jeopardized by continued unrest in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire.

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

Industries: food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining