Mali
in Western Africa
Africa

Location Summary
Currency and Currency Code:
Franc - XOF
Spoken languages:
French, Bambara
Local electricity:
220 V - 50 Hz (plugs: C, E)
Mobile phone / cellular frequencies (MHz):
900 MHz, 3G
ISO 2-Letter code:
ML
Internet top level domain:
.ml
Country phone prefix:
+223
Local Time (capital):
Timezone:
UTC/GMT offset: hours
Current travel safety evaluation for Mali in Western Africa

Safety Score: 4,6 of 5.0 based on data from 9 authorites. Meaning it is not safe to travel Mali.

Travel warnings are updated daily. Source: Travel Warning Mali. Last Update: 2024-03-28 08:18:27

Explore Mali

Mali with its capital Bamako is located in Africa (interior Western Africa, southwest of Algeria). It covers some 1,240,191 square kilometers (slightly less than twice the size of Texas) with a population of 17,885,200. French and Bambara are the languages spoken by people in Mali. Algeria, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal are bordering countries.

Mali is a landlocked country in the Sahel, bordered by Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, and Mauritania. Festival in the Desert takes place in January on the sand northwest of Timbuktu. Three days of amazing music, under the stars and the moon, tiny tents, camel races, and more music and dancing. The Great Mosque The Great Mosque is made completely of mud, was made in 1906, and it has five stories and three towers. Every spring the people replaster the Mosque. Regretfully, entrance to non-muslims is not allowed.

Popular Destinations in Mali

Administrative regions of Mali

About the country

The topography is mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand with savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast. The average density of population is about 14 per km². The climate in Mali can be described as subtropical to aridhot and dry (February to June), rainy, humid, and mild (June to November), cool and dry (November to February). Potential natural disasters are hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons, occasional Niger River flooding and recurring droughts.

To reach someone Mali dial +223 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 3G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".ml". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 220 V - 50 Hz (plugs: C, E). The sign for the locally used currency Franc is XOF.

Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red.

Flag of Mali

The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France in 1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 by a military coup that ushered in a period of democratic rule. President Alpha KONARE won Mali's first two democratic presidential elections in 1992 and 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, he stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou Toumani TOURE, who was elected to a second term in a 2007 election that was widely judged to be free and fair. Malian returnees from Libya in 2011 exacerbated tensions in northern Mali, and Tuareg ethnic militias rebelled in January 2012. Low- and mid-level soldiers, frustrated with the poor handling of the rebellion, overthrew TOURE on 22 March. Intensive mediation efforts led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) returned power to a civilian administration in April with the appointment of Interim President Dioncounda TRAORE. The post-coup chaos led to rebels expelling the Malian military from the country's three northern regions and allowed Islamic militants to set up strongholds. Hundreds of thousands of northern Malians fled the violence to southern Mali and neighboring countries, exacerbating regional food shortages in host communities. An international military intervention to retake the three northern regions began in January 2013 and within a month most of the north had been retaken. In a democratic presidential election conducted in July and August of 2013, Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA was elected president. The Malian Government and northern armed groups signed an internationally-mediated peace accord in June 2015.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 25) 1,240,190sq km
Land (World Rank: 24) 1,220,190sq km
Water (World Rank: 29) 20,002sq km
Forest (World Rank: 59) 28.40%
Comparative slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Landborder
7908
Elevation
Lowest point (World Rank: 37) 23m
Highest point (World Rank: 158) 1,155m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 124) 34.10%
Arable (World Rank: 147) 5.60%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 181) 0.10%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 59) 28.40%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 63) 3,780sq km
Map reference
Africa
Environment
Issues
  • - deforestation
  • - desertification
  • - inadequate supplies of potable water
  • - soil erosion
Agreement party
  • - Biodiversity
  • - Climate Change
  • - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
  • - Desertification
  • - Endangered Species
  • - Hazardous Wastes
  • - Law of the Sea
  • - Ozone Layer Protection
  • - Wetlands
  • - Whaling
Hazzards
  • - hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons
  • - occasional Niger River flooding
  • - recurring droughts
Location
interior Western Africa, southwest of Algeria, north of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, west of Niger
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

People

Population
Total (World Rank: 64) 17,885,200
Deathrate (World Rank: 45) 0.98%
Birthrate (World Rank: 3) 4.39%
Growthrate (World Rank: 8) 3.02%
Migration rate (World Rank: 147) -0.39%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 3) 6.01%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 225) 15.10
Female (World Rank: 222) 16.40
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 49) 4,330,370
0 14 female (World Rank: 45) 4,285,170
15 24 male (World Rank: 61) 1,604,910
15 24 female (World Rank: 58) 1,765,480
25 54 male (World Rank: 80) 2,171,170
25 54 female (World Rank: 69) 2,525,110
55 64 male (World Rank: 86) 335,023
55 64 female (World Rank: 91) 326,910
65 x male (World Rank: 90) 270,856
65 x female (World Rank: 100) 270,242
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 9) 6.95%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 201) 60years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 200) 63years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 203) 58years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 164) 0.09
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 181) 0.10
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 186) 24.70%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 149) 8.60%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 165) 77.00%

Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 137) 2,175,000,000kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 141) 2,023,000,000kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 108) 67.80%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 64) 31.20%
Source renew (World Rank: 133) 1.00%
Refined products
Consumption (World Rank: 161) 7,500bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 148) 7,486bbl / day
Carbon footprint
800000

Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 119) 4% of GDP
Military (World Rank: 34) 3% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 85) 7% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 134) -4% of GDP
National symbol
Great Mosque of Djenne
National colours
yellow
Adjective
Malian
Noun
Malian(s)
Background
The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France in 1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 by a military coup that ushered in a period of democratic rule. President Alpha KONARE won Mali's first two democratic presidential elections in 1992 and 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, he stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou Toumani TOURE, who was elected to a second term in a 2007 election that was widely judged to be free and fair. Malian returnees from Libya in 2011 exacerbated tensions in northern Mali, and Tuareg ethnic militias rebelled in January 2012. Low- and mid-level soldiers, frustrated with the poor handling of the rebellion, overthrew TOURE on 22 March. Intensive mediation efforts led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) returned power to a civilian administration in April with the appointment of Interim President Dioncounda TRAORE. The post-coup chaos led to rebels expelling the Malian military from the country's three northern regions and allowed Islamic militants to set up strongholds. Hundreds of thousands of northern Malians fled the violence to southern Mali and neighboring countries, exacerbating regional food shortages in host communities. An international military intervention to retake the three northern regions began in January 2013 and within a month most of the north had been retaken. In a democratic presidential election conducted in July and August of 2013, Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA was elected president. The Malian Government and northern armed groups signed an internationally-mediated peace accord in June 2015.
Flag description
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red

Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 117) 38,250,000,000USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 30) 5.80%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 201) 2,100USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 9) 40.70%
Source industry (World Rank: 159) 19.00%
Source service (World Rank: 207) 40.20%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 71) 6,272,000
In poverty (World Rank: 45) 36.10%
Products
Industries
  • - construction
  • - food processing
  • - gold mining
  • - phosphate
Agriculture
  • - cattle
  • - corn
  • - cotton
  • - goats
  • - millet
  • - peanuts
  • - rice
  • - sheep
  • - vegetables
Exports
  • - cotton
  • - gold
  • - livestock
Imports
  • - construction materials
  • - equipment
  • - foodstuffs
  • - machinery
  • - petroleum
  • - textiles

Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 124) 200,812
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 218) 1.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 87) 116.00
Assessment 0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 114) 1,940,980
Population (World Rank: 206) 11.10%

Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 126) 8.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 114) 17.00
Heliports (World Rank: 53) 2.00
Rail
Total length (World Rank: 111) 593
Road
Total length (World Rank: 104) 22,474
Paved length (World Rank: 97) 5,522
Unpaved length (World Rank: 67) 16,952
Water
Total length (World Rank: 45) 1,800