Mali

Mali



**__Backround:__** 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.

__**Area:**__ total: 1,240,192 sq km country comparison to the world: [|31] land: 1,220,190 sq km water: 20,002 sq km
 * __Location:__** Western Africa, southwest of Algeria


 * __Area-comparative:__** slightly less than twice the size of Texas

border countries: Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina Faso 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Cote d'Ivoire 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km
 * __Land Boundries:__** total: 7,243 km


 * __Climate:__** subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)


 * __Terrian:__** 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 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)

__**Natural Resources:**__ hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding.

__**Environmental Issues:**__ deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching.

__**Population:**__ 12,666,987 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world:  [|71].

__**Population Growth Rate:**__ 2.765% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world:  [| 19.]

__**Net Migration Rate:**__ -5.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world:  [| 167.]

__**Infant Mortality Rate:**__ total: 102.05 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 8  male: 111.56 deaths/1,000 live births female: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">92.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

__**Life Expectancy:**__ total population: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">50.35 years country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data"> [| 207] male: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">48.38 years, female: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">52.38 years (2009 est.)

__**Ethnic Groups:**__ Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5%

__**Religion:**__ Muslim 90%, Christian 1%, indigenous beliefs 9%

__**Government Type:**__ republic.

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

__**Literacy:**__ definition: age 15 and over can read and write<span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;"> total population: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">46.4% male: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">53.5% female: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">39.6% (2003 est.)

__**Education:**__ 4.5% of GDP (2006)

__**Capital:**__ name: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">Bamako geographic coordinates: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">12 39 N, 8 00 W time difference: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

__**Independence:**__ 22 September 1960 (from France)

__**Suffrage:**__ 18 years of age; universal

__**Political Parties and Leaders:**__ Alliance for Democratic Change (political group comprised mainly of Tuareg from Mali's northern region); African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence or SADI [Oumar MARIKO, secretary general]; 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 Democracy or ADEMA [Diounconda TRAORE]; 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]

__**GDP Per Capita:**__ $1,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data"> [| 207] $1,200 (2007 est.)$1,200 (2006 est.)//note:// <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">data are in 2008 US dollars.

__**Unemployment:**__ 30% (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data"> [| 179]

__**Agriculture Products:**__ cotton, millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats.

__**Industries:**__ food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining.

__**Currency/Exchange Rate:**__ -$446 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data"> [| 101] Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 447.81 (2008 est.), 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)//note:// <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">since 1 January 1999, the West African CFA franc (XOF) has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; West African CFA franc (XOF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using Central African CFA francs (XAF), and vice versa, even though the two currencies trade at par

__**Imports:**__ petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, textiles.

__**Military Expenditures:**__ 1.9% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data"> [| 87]

__**Exports:**__ cotton, gold, livestock.

__**Economic Overview:**__ Mali is among the 25 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 gold and cotton, its main exports. 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 has invested in tourism and a tractor assembly factory. 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 1996-2008. 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.

__**Internet Access:**__ 100,000 (2007) country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data"> [| 146]

__**Illicit Drugs:**__ none.

__**Current event:**__ 2/2/09 The current event in Mali is the 16th African Youth Championship which was located in Amahoro Stadium. Ghana played against Cameroon and earned one point each leaving Mali at the bottom with no points. Mali is sill remaining in two maches which would give them time to varry their chances. Mali’s progress in the next round will require them to might win over Ghana and Cameroon. When the games ended it was a 2-1 victory over the West Africans. The African Youth Championship is to be accomplished.

__**Tourist information:**__
 * Mali** is among the poorest countries in the world, with 65% 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 is nomadic and some 70% 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. In 1997, the government 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 African franc in January 1994 have pushed up economic growth to a sturdy 5% average in 1996-2000. In 2001, GDP decreased by 1.2% mainly due to a 50% drop in cotton production in 2000-01.

__**Work Cited:**__ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ml.html http://www.webtourist.net/mali/tourist-information-about-mali.phtml http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.appliedlanguage.com/flags_of_the_world/large_flag_of_mali.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.appliedlanguage.com/flags_of_the_world/flag_of_mali.shtml&usg=__Aq3O1CGKzok_-eoT_fITmVJtd1k=&h=302&w=457&sz=3&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=3iplLTYWzoRClM:&tbnh=85&tbnw=128&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmali%2Bflag%26hl%3Den%26um%3D1 http://www.malihotels.us/images/mali_Hotels.jpg