permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures : 25%
forests and woodland: 6%
other: 67% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 780 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry
seasons; recurring droughts

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion;
desertification; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified : Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note: landlocked

@Mali:People

Population: 9,788,904 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 47% (male 2,329,669; female 2,307,248)
15-64 years: 50% (male 2,287,769; female 2,546,981)
65 years and over : 3% (male 150,732; female 166,505) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.18% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 50.26 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 19.52 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years : 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 124 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.56 years
male: 45.25 years
female : 47.9 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 7.09 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Malian(s)
adjective: Malian

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

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

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

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 31%
male: 39.4%
female: 23.1% (1995 est.)

@Mali:Government

Country name:
conventional long form : Republic of Mali
conventional short form: Mali
local long form: Republique de Mali
local short form: Mali
former: French Sudan

Data code: ML

Government type: republic

National capital: Bamako

Administrative divisions: 8 regions (regions, singular - region); Gao,
Kayes, Kidal, Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou

Independence: 22 September 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 22
Sep