: gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium,
hydropower
note: 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: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Nuclear Test
Ban

Geography - note: landlocked

@Mali:People

Population: 10,685,948 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 47% (male 2,537,586; female 2,508,782)
15-64 years: 50% (male 2,524,969; female 2,781,762)
65 years and over: 3% (male 156,447; female 176,402) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.98% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 49.23 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 19.1 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 123.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.66 years
male: 45.5 years
female: 47.85 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.89 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Malian(s)
adjective: Malian

Ethnic groups: Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), 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 and Sudanese Republic

Data code: ML

Government type: republic

Capital: Bamako

Administrative divisions: 8 re