Best Bitcoin Card for Mali
The Republic of Mali (official: République du Mali) is located in West Africa and is one of the Sahel countries on the southern edge of the Sahara. With an area of around 1 240 000 km², the country is more than twice the size of France. Mali borders Algeria to the north, Niger to the east, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire to the south and Guinea, Senegal and Mauritania to the west. Due to its large north-south extension (approx. 1,700 km), the country has a share in the three major landscapes of Sahara, Sahel and Sudan. Two thirds of the country is covered by deserts or semi-deserts.
The desert-like northern part of Mali lies on average at an altitude of 250 to 300 m above sea level and is largely flat. In the east, the Adrar mountain range of Iforas rises to an altitude of around 890 metres. In the south the Niger, coming from Guinea, flows through the country in a wide curve. North of the capital Bamako the Niger flows through a wide plain with many small lakes, which are regularly flooded by the river. This so-called Niger inland delta, through which also countless small side arms of the river run, reaches up to the city Timbuktu (Tombouctou), where the river flows in the east, before it turns at Bouram in the south in the direction of Niger.
In the southwest of Mali, the Bambouk plateau and the Mandingu mountain range lie at an altitude of up to 300 metres. Bafing, Bakoy and Baloulé flow through this table landscape. In the southeast of the country lies the Minabergland, the plateau of Bandiagara and the highlands of Hombori, here lies the highest elevation of Mali (Hombori, 1 155 m).
Political System
According to the 1992 Constitution, Mali is a presidential republic modelled on France. The head of state is the president (since September 2013 Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta), who is directly elected for five years. The Prime Minister (Moussa Mara since April 2014), who is appointed by the President and himself calls up his cabinet, heads the government. The legislative power lies with the Parliament, which consists of one chamber: the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) with 160 seats. The deputies are elected for five years, with 13 seats reserved for foreign painters.
The country is divided into eight regions and the capital district. The jurisprudence is based on French and Islamic law (Sharia) as well as tribal jurisdiction.
Economy
Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world; more than half of the population lives below the poverty line.
The most important economic sector is agriculture, which is only possible in the southern part of the country and serves mainly to cover the population’s own needs. Almost half of the population working in the agricultural sector generates about 37% of GDP. Cotton, millet, maize, manioc, sugar cane and peanuts (cotton also for export) are cultivated. Especially in the north of the country, the Tuareg and Fulbe cattle breed, which is, however, repeatedly threatened by prolonged droughts. The inland delta of Niger is the focal point for fishing, which makes an important contribution to feeding the population. Dried and smoked fish are also exported.
Industry is poorly developed, with a focus on food processing, consumer goods production, construction and mining. Mineral resources include ores, phosphate, gold, diamonds, uranium, tin and copper; gold and diamonds in particular are mined. In the service sector, the majority of economic output is generated (approx. 40 %).
Mali’s exports (cotton, gold and livestock) are mainly exported to China, India and Italy; its imports (fuels, mainly oil; machinery, vehicles and food) come from France, Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire.
Of the 18,500 km of roads, about 4,500 km are paved and almost 600 km are railways. The most important inland port is Koulikoro on the Niger, an international airport is located near the capital Bamako. The currency is the CFA franc.