Facts, Background and History

Geographical size	1.24 million sq km
Population size	12,324,029 (July 2008 est.)
Composition of population	Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5%
Official Languages	Franch
Other Languages	Bambara 80%,
Main religions	Muslim 90%, Christian 1%, indigenous beliefs 9%
Climate	subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)
Form of Government	republic
Last Democratic Elections	1 and 22 July 2007
Global Peace Index
Main Economic Activities	Farming, Fishing and Normadism
Main Trading Partners	China, Thailand, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, France, Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire
Capital	Bamako
Other Cities	Segou, Sikasso and Mopti
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF)
Total GDP	$13.63 billion (2007 est.)
Per Capita Income	$1,100 (2007 est.)
Ranking- Human Development Index	173. Mali (0.380)
Ranking: Ibrahim Index	No//23- (55.9)
FIFA Rating
Main Creative Industries	Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, Crafts, Film and Musems

Background and History

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 - led by the current president Amadou TOURE - enabling Mali's emergence as one of the strongest democracies on the continent. President Alpha KONARE won Mali's first democratic presidential election in 1992 and was reelected in 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, KONARE stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou TOURE, who was subsequently elected to a second term in 2007. The elections were widely judged to be free and fair.