Geography

Area
1,240,000 square kilometers
A landlocked country with no sea access. The desert covers an area twice the size of France.

General Information

Status
Republic

Government
Republic; semi-presidential system; pluralist democracy made up of a president, prime minister and a national assembly consisting of 129 members plus 13 seats for expatriates, making a total of 142 elected for 5 years

Important Date
November 24, 1958 marked the country's independence from Sudan. It changed its name to Mali on August 20, 1960.

Capital
Bamako

Currency
CFA Franc

Languages spoken
French, Bambara, others

Principal industries
significant, but largely undeveloped, mining resources. The country's economy is centered around cotton and the textile industry.

Agriculture
millet, peanuts, cotton and rice; lumber; significant animal production