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Background:
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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 with a
transitional government and in 1992 when Mali's first
democratic presidential election was held. After his
reelection in 1997, President Alpha KONARE continued to
push through political and economic reforms and to fight
corruption. In keeping with Mali's two-term
constitutional limit, he stepped down in 2002 and was
succeeded by Amadou TOURE. |
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Location:
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Western
Africa, southwest of Algeria |
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Geographic coordinates:
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17 00 N,
4 00 W |
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total:
1.24 million sq km
land: 1.22 million sq km
water: 20,000 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
less than twice the size of Texas |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
7,243 km
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 |
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Coastline:
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0 km
(landlocked) |
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Maritime claims:
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none
(landlocked) |
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Climate:
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subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June;
rainy, humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry
November to February |
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Terrain:
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mostly
flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna
in south, rugged hills in northeast |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Senegal River 23 m
highest point: Hombori Tondo 1,155 m |
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Natural resources:
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gold,
phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, gypsum,
granite, hydropower
note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and
copper deposits are known but not exploited |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 3.82%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 96.15% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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1,380 sq
km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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hot,
dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons;
recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate
supplies of potable water; poaching |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the
southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid
Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan |
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Population:
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12,291,529 (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 47.1% (male 2,910,944/female 2,876,010)
15-64 years: 50% (male 2,955,496/female
3,185,666)
65 years and over: 3% (male 165,867/female
197,546) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
16.35 years
male: 15.79 years
female: 16.92 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.74%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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46.77
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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19.05
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.33
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
116.79 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 123.32 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 110.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 48.64 years
male: 46.68 years
female: 50.66 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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6.5
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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1.9%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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140,000
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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12,000
(2003 est.) |
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree
of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and
protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in
some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
(2004) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Malian(s)
adjective: Malian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Mande 50%
(Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%,
Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5% |
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Religions:
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Muslim
90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1% |
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Languages:
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French
(official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 46.4%
male: 53.5%
female: 39.6% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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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 |
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Government type:
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republic
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Capital:
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Bamako
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Administrative divisions:
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8 regions
(regions, singular - region); Gao, Kayes, Kidal,
Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou |
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Independence:
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22
September 1960 (from France) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 22 September (1960) |
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Constitution:
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adopted
12 January 1992 |
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Legal system:
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based on
French civil law system and customary law; judicial
review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court
(which was formally established on 9 March 1994); has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Amadou Toumani TOURE (since 8
June 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Ousmane
Issoufi MAIGA (since 30 April 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for
a five-year term (two-term limit); election last held 12
May 2002 (next to be held May 2007); prime minister
appointed by the president
election results: Amadou Toumani TOURE elected
president; percent of vote - Amadou Toumani TOURE 64.4%,
Soumaila CISSE 35.6% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 July and 28 July 2002
(next to be held July 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - Hope 2002 coalition 66, ADEMA 51, other
30 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court or Cour Supreme |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance
for Democracy or ADEMA [Diounconda TRAORE, party
chairman]; Block of Alternative for the Renewal of
Africa or BARA [Yoro DIAKITE]; Democratic and Social
Convention or CDS [Mamadou Bakary SANGARE, chairman];
Hope 2002 [leader NA]; Movement for the Independence,
Renaissance and Integration of Africa or MIRIA [Mohamed
Lamine TRAORE, Mouhamedou DICKO]; National Congress for
Democratic Initiative or CNID [Mountaga TALL, chairman];
Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Me Idrissa
TRAORE]; Party for National Renewal or PARENA [Yoro
DIAKITE, chairman; Tiebile DRAME, secretary general];
Rally for Democracy and Labor or RDT [Ali GNANGADO];
Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Almamy SYLLA,
chairman]; Rally for Mali or RPM [Ibrahim Boubacar
KEITA, chairman]; Sudanese Union/African Democratic
Rally or US/RDA [Mamadou Bamou TOURE, secretary
general]; Union of Democratic Forces for Progress or
UFDP [Youssouf TOURE, secretary general]; Union for
Democracy and Development or UDD [Moussa Balla
COULIBALY]; Union for Republic and Democracy or URD
[Soumaila CISSE] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Patriotic
Movement of the Ghanda Koye or MPGK; United Movement and
Fronts of Azawad or MFUA |
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International organization participation:
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ACCT,
ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB,
OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UPU,
WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Abdoulaye DIOP
chancery: 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-2249, 939-8950
FAX: [1] (202) 332-6603 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Vicki HUDDLESTONE
embassy: Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed V,
Bamako
mailing address: B. P. 34, Bamako
telephone: [223] (2) 223-833
FAX: [223] (2) 223-712 |
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Flag description:
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three
equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and
red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
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Economy - overview:
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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 African franc in January
1994 have pushed up economic growth to a sturdy 5%
average in 1996-2004. Worker remittances and external
trade routes have been jeopardized by continued unrest
in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$11
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4% (2004
est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $900 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 45%
industry: 17%
services: 38% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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3.93
million (2001 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture and fishing 80% (2001 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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14.6%
urban areas; 5.3% rural areas (2001 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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64%
average; 30% of the total population living in urban
areas; 70% of the total population living in rural
areas) (2001 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 1.8%
highest 10%: 40.4% (1994) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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50.5
(1994) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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4.5%
(2002 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $764 million
expenditures: $828 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (2002 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cotton,
millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; cattle, sheep,
goats |
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Industries:
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food
processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA
(FY96/97) |
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Electricity - production:
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700
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 41.7%
hydro: 58.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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651
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh;
note - recent hydropower developments may be providing
electricity to Senegal and Mauritania (2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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4,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Exports:
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$915
million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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cotton,
gold, livestock |
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Exports - partners:
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China
31.6%, Pakistan 10%, Italy 6.9%, Thailand 5.8%, Germany
5.1%, India 4.8%, Bangladesh 4.5%, Taiwan 4% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$927
million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction
materials, foodstuffs, textiles |
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Imports - partners:
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France
14.5%, Senegal 9.8%, Cote d'Ivoire 7.6% (2004) |
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Debt - external:
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$3.3
billion (2000) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$596.4
million (2001) |
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Currency (code):
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Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note -
responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West
African States |
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Currency code:
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XOF |
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Exchange rates:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US
dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002),
733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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56,600
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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250,000
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: domestic system unreliable but
improving; provides only minimal service
domestic: network consists of microwave radio
relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone communications
stations; expansion of microwave radio relay in progress
international: country code - 223; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM
28, shortwave 1
note: the shortwave station in Bamako has seven
frequencies and five transmitters and relays broadcasts
for China Radio International (2001) |
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Radios:
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570,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (plus
repeaters) (2001) |
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Televisions:
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45,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.ml |
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Internet hosts:
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187
(2003) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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13 (2001)
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Internet users:
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25,000
(2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
729 km
narrow gauge: 729 km 1.000-m gauge (2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
15,100 km
paved: 1,827 km
unpaved: 13,273 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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1,815 km
(2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Koulikoro
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Airports:
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28 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
19
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 8 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army, Air
Force, National Guard |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 2,206,728 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 1,231,930 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$22.4
million (2004) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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0.4%
(2004) |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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