MALI

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Context:

Dozens killed in Mali attack by Al-Qaeda affiliate.

Details

Mali is a landlocked country located in West Africa. Mali achieved independence from France in 1960. It is the eighth-largest country in Africa. Currency is West African CFA franc.

Physical Geography aspects

It covers an area of approximately 1.24 million km2. The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east by Niger, to the northwest by Mauritania, to the south by Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, and to the west by Guinea and Senegal. Its capital and largest city is Bamako.

Mali is characterized by the Sudano-Sahelian climate. Approximately 60% of the country covered by desert and semi arid area. Mount Hombori Tondo is the country’s highest point. About 47 percent of Mali's total land area is in the Niger River watershed and 11 percent in the Senegal River watershed; 41 percent of the country's land area is part of the interior basin of the Sahara Desert, and only 1 percent is in the Volta River watershed.

Human Geography aspects

• Ethnic group: Bambara, around 30%.
• Religion: Islam, around 90%.
• Language: Bambara is the most commonly spoken, although French is a frequent lingua franca.

Agriculture

The primary sector contributes 45% to the country’s GDP; the agricultural sector, whose products are mainly cotton, cereals and rice, represents by far the largest portion (35.6%) of this total, followed by livestock and fisheries.

Minerals

Together, gold and cotton make up approximately 80% of the country’s exports. Four gold mines produced most of the gold in the country: Sadiola mine, Morila mine, Yatela mine, and Sayama mine.

Natural Hazards

Dust-laden harmattan wind is common during dry seasons. It is a cool dry wind that blows from the northeast or east in the western Sahara. There are recurring droughts. Wildfires are common in the south.

Mali: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/mali-5

Source:

https://www.fao.org/in-action/building-forward-better/countries/mali/mali/en

https://www.cbd.int/countries/profile?country=ml