Part 523

Location: Western Africa, southwest of Algeria

Geographic coordinates: 17 00 N, 4 00 W

Map references: Africa

Area: total : 1.24 million sq km land: 1.22 million sq km water: 20,000 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries: total : 7,243 km border countries: Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina Faso 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Cote d'Ivoire 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime 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: 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.)