Mali

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More Facts & Figures

National name: République de Mali

Current government officials

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

Ethnicity/race: Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Sarakole), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, Songhai 6%, other 5%

Religions: Islam 90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1%

National Holiday: Independence Day, September 22

Literacy rate: 46% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2009 est.): $15.52 billion; per capita $1,200. Real growth rate: 4%. Inflation: 2.5%. Unemployment: 30% (2004 est.). Arable land: 4%. Agriculture: cotton, millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats. Labor force: 3.93 million (2001 est.); agriculture and fishing 80%, industry and services 20% (2001 est.). Industries: food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining. Natural resources: gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, hydropower; note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited. Exports: $294 million (2006 est.): cotton, gold, livestock. Imports: $2.358 billion (2006 est.): petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, textiles. Major trading partners: China, Pakistan, Thailand, Italy, Germany, India, Bangladesh, France, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 45,000 (2000); mobile cellular: 40,000 (2001). Radio broadcast stations: 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). Radios: 570,000 (1997). Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus repeaters) (2001). Televisions: 45,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 13 (2001). Internet users: 30,000 (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 729 km (2002). Highways: total: 15,100 km; paved: 1,827 km; unpaved: 13,273 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 1,815 km. Ports and harbors: Koulikoro. Airports: 26 (2002.

International disputes: armed bandits based in Mali attack southern Algerian towns.

Major sources and definitions