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 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. 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. Growth should
remain around 5% in 2001-02, and inflation should stay less than 2%.

Malta:
Major resources are limestone, a favorable geographic
location, and a productive labor force. Malta produces only about
20% of its food needs, has limited freshwater supplies, and has no
domestic energy sources. The economy is dependent on foreign trade,
manufacturing (especially electronics and textiles), and tourism.
Malta is privatizing state-controlled firms and liberalizing markets
in order to prepare for membership in the European Union. However,
the island is divided politically over the question of joining the
EU. The sizable budget deficit remains a key concern.

Man, Isle of:
Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key
sectors of the economy. The government's policy of offering
incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions
to locate on the island has paid off in expanding employment
opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture
and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in
their shares of GDP. Banking and other services now contribute 42%
to GDP. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free
access to EU markets.

Marshall Islands:
US Government assistance is the mainstay of this
tiny island economy. Agricultural production is concentrated on
small farms, and the most important commercial crops are coconuts,
tomatoes, melons, and breadfruit. Small-scale industry is limited to
handicrafts, fish processing, and copra. The tourist industry, now a
small source of foreign exchange employing less than 10%