claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy,
humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry November to February

Terrain: mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand;
savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Senegal River 23 m
highest point: Hombori Tondo 1,155 m

Natural resources: gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium,
bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but
not exploited

Land use:
arable land: 2%
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: 10,108,569 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 47% (male 2,405,624; female 2,383,728)
15-64 years: 49% (male 2,367,538; female 2,628,399)
65 years and over: 4% (male 152,999; female 170,281) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.24% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 49.88 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 19.04 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 121.72 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 47.03 years
male: 45.67 years
female: 48.43 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 7.02 children born/woman (1998 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:Gov