nd 14%, China 12.1%, India 7.9%, Italy 7.5%, Bangladesh 6.1%,
UK 6.1% (2003)

Imports:
$927 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction materials,
foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners:
France 15.4%, Senegal 7.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 7.1% (2003)

Debt - external:
$3.3 billion (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
$596.4 million (2001)

Currency:
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code:
XOF

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 581.2
(2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699
(1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Mali

Telephones - main lines in use:
56,600 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
250,000 (2003)

Telephone system:
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)

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 country code:
.ml

Internet hosts:
187 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
13 (2001)

Internet users:
25,000 (2002)

Transportation Mali

Railways:
total: 729 km
narrow gauge: 729 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)

Highways:
total: 15,100 km
paved: 1,827 km
unpaved: 13,273 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
1,815 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Koulikoro

Airports:
27 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
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.)

Military Mali

Military branches:
Army, Air Force, National Guard

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for