Economic 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 5% average in 1996-2007. worker remittances and external trade routes for the landlocked country have been jeopardized by continued unrest in neighboring cote d'ivoire.
Environmental Issues
Deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching
Government Type
Republic
Population
12,324,029 (july 2008 est.)
Location
Western africa, southwest of algeria
Area
Total: 1.24 million sq km
land: 1.22 million sq km
water: 20,000 sq km
Slightly less than twice the size of texas
Country Aliases
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
Capital
Name: bamako
geographic coordinates: 12 39 n, 8 00 w
time difference: utc 0 (5 hours ahead of washington, dc during standard time)
Military Service
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2008)
International Disputes
None
Sources: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
