Mali vs. Cote d'Ivoire
Introduction
| Mali | Cote d'Ivoire | |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Present-day Mali is named after the Mali Empire that ruled the region between the 13th and 16th centuries. At its peak in the 14th century, it was the largest and wealthiest empire in West Africa and controlled an area about twice the size of modern-day France. Primarily a trading empire, Mali derived its wealth from gold and maintained several goldfields and trade routes in the Sahel. The empire also influenced West African culture through the spread of its language, laws, and customs, but by the 16th century it fragmented into mostly small chiefdoms. The Songhai Empire, previously a Mali dependency centered in Timbuktu, gained prominence in the 15th and 16th centuries. Under Songhai rule, Timbuktu became a large commercial center and well-known for its scholarship and religious teaching. Timbuktu remains a center of culture in West Africa today. In the late 16th century, the Songhai Empire fell to Moroccan invaders and disintegrated into independent sultanates and kingdoms. France, expanding from Senegal, seized control of the area in the 1890s and incorporated it into French West Africa as French Sudan. In 1960, French Sudan gained independence from France and became the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, the remaining area was renamed the Republic of Mali. Mali saw 31 years of dictatorship until 1991, when a military coup ousted the government, established a new constitution, and instituted a multi-party democracy. President Alpha Oumar KONARE won Mali's first two democratic presidential elections in 1992 and 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, he stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou Toumani TOURE, who won a second term in 2007. In 2012, rising ethnic tensions and an influx of fighters - some linked to Al-Qa'ida - from Libya led to a rebellion and military coup. Following the coup, rebels expelled the military from the country's three northern regions, allowing terrorist organizations to develop strongholds in the area. With French military intervention, the Malian Government managed to retake most of the north. However, the government's grasp in the region remains weak with local militias, terrorists, and insurgent groups continuously trying to expand control. In 2015, the Malian Government and northern rebels signed an internationally mediated peace accord. Despite a June 2017 target for implementation of the agreement, the signatories have made little progress. Extremist groups were left out of the peace process, and terrorist attacks remain common. Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA won the Malian presidential elections in 2013 and 2018. Aside from security and logistic shortfalls, international observers deemed these elections credible. Terrorism, banditry, ethnic-based violence, and extra-judicial military killings plagued the country during KEITA's second term. In August 2020, the military arrested KEITA, his prime minister, and other senior members of the government and established a military junta called the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP). In September 2020, the junta established a transition government and appointed Bah N'DAW, a retired army officer and former defense minister, as interim president and Colonel Assimi GOITA, the coup leader and chairman of the CNSP, as interim vice president. The transition government's charter allows it to rule for up to 18 months before calling a general election. | Various small kingdoms ruled the area of Cote d'Ivoire between the 15th and 19th centuries, when European explorers arrived and then began to expand their presence. In 1844, France established a protectorate. During this period, many of these kingdoms and tribes fought to maintain their cultural identities - some well into the 20th century. For example, the Sanwi kingdom - originally founded in the 17th century - tried to break away from Cote d'Ivoire and establish an independent state in 1969. After becoming independent in 1960, Cote d'Ivoire took advantage of close ties with France, cocoa production and export, and foreign investment to become one of the most prosperous states in West Africa. In December 1999, however, a military coup overthrew the government. In late 2000, junta leader Robert GUEI held rigged elections and declared himself the winner. Popular protests forced him to step aside and Laurent GBAGBO was elected. In September 2002, Ivoirian dissidents and members of the military launched a failed coup that developed into a civil war. In 2003, a cease-fire resulted in rebels holding the north, the government holding the south, and peacekeeping forces occupying a buffer zone in the middle. In March 2007, President GBAGBO and former rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed an agreement in which SORO joined GBAGBO's government as prime minister. The two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the buffer zone, integrating rebel forces into the national armed forces, and holding elections. In November 2010, Alassane Dramane OUATTARA won the presidential election, but GBAGBO refused to hand over power, resulting in five months of violent conflict. In April 2011, after widespread fighting, GBAGBO was formally forced from office by armed OUATTARA supporters and UN and French forces. In 2015, OUATTARA won a second term. In October 2020, OUATTARA won a controversial third presidential term, despite a two-term limit in the Ivoirian constitution. In March 2021, the International Criminal Court in The Hague ruled on a final acquittal for GBAGBO, who was on trial for crimes against humanity.
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Geography
| Mali | Cote d'Ivoire | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | interior Western Africa, southwest of Algeria, north of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, west of Niger | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia |
| Geographic coordinates | 17 00 N, 4 00 W | 8 00 N, 5 00 W |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 1,240,192 sq km land: 1,220,190 sq km water: 20,002 sq km | total: 322,463 sq km land: 318,003 sq km water: 4,460 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly less than twice the size of Texas | slightly larger than New Mexico |
| Land boundaries | total: 7,908 km border countries (7): Algeria 1359 km, Burkina Faso 1325 km, Cote d'Ivoire 599 km, Guinea 1062 km, Mauritania 2236 km, Niger 838 km, Senegal 489 km | total: 3,458 km border countries (5): Burkina Faso 545 km, Ghana 720 km, Guinea 816 km, Liberia 778 km, Mali 599 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 515 km |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Climate | subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February) | tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October) |
| Terrain | mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast | mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Hombori Tondo 1,155 m lowest point: Senegal River 23 m mean elevation: 343 m | highest point: Monts Nimba 1,752 m lowest point: Gulf of Guinea 0 m mean elevation: 250 m |
| Natural resources | gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, gypsum, granite, hydropower, note, bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited | petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 34.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 5.6% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 28.4% (2018 est.) forest: 10.2% (2018 est.) other: 55.7% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 64.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 14.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 41.5% (2018 est.) forest: 32.7% (2018 est.) other: 2.5% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 3,780 sq km (2012) | 730 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding | coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; loss of pasture land; inadequate supplies of potable water | deforestation (most of the country's forests - once the largest in West Africa - have been heavily logged); water pollution from sewage, and from industrial, mining, and agricultural effluents |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan | most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated |
| Total renewable water resources | 120 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 84.14 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | the overwhelming majority of the population lives in the southern half of the country, with greater density along the border with Burkina Faso as shown in this population distribution map | the population is primarily located in the forested south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the northern savanna remains sparsely populated with higher concentrations located along transportation corridors as shown in this population distribution map |
Demographics
| Mali | Cote d'Ivoire | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,137,527 (July 2021 est.) | 28,088,455 (July 2021 est.) note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 47.69% (male 4,689,121/female 4,636,685) 15-24 years: 19% (male 1,768,772/female 1,945,582) 25-54 years: 26.61% (male 2,395,566/female 2,806,830) 55-64 years: 3.68% (male 367,710/female 352,170) 65 years and over: 3.02% (male 293,560/female 297,401) (2020 est.) | 0-14 years: 38.53% (male 5,311,971/female 5,276,219) 15-24 years: 20.21% (male 2,774,374/female 2,779,012) 25-54 years: 34.88% (male 4,866,957/female 4,719,286) 55-64 years: 3.53% (male 494,000/female 476,060) 65 years and over: 2.85% (male 349,822/female 433,385) (2020 est.) |
| Median age | total: 16 years male: 15.3 years female: 16.7 years (2020 est.) | total: 20.3 years male: 20.3 years female: 20.3 years (2020 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 2.97% (2021 est.) | 2.21% (2021 est.) |
| Birth rate | 41.6 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 28.67 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Death rate | 8.77 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 7.75 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Net migration rate | -3.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 1.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.85 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.) | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2020 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 62.31 deaths/1,000 live births male: 67.79 deaths/1,000 live births female: 56.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.) | total: 57.36 deaths/1,000 live births male: 64.83 deaths/1,000 live births female: 49.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 62.01 years male: 59.81 years female: 64.28 years (2021 est.) | total population: 61.8 years male: 59.62 years female: 64.05 years (2021 est.) |
| Total fertility rate | 5.63 children born/woman (2021 est.) | 3.6 children born/woman (2021 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.9% (2020 est.) | 2.1% (2020 est.) |
| Nationality | noun: Malian(s) adjective: Malian | noun: Ivoirian(s) adjective: Ivoirian |
| Ethnic groups | Bambara 33.3%, Fulani (Peuhl) 13.3%, Sarakole/Soninke/Marka 9.8%, Senufo/Manianka 9.6%, Malinke 8.8%, Dogon 8.7%, Sonrai 5.9%, Bobo 2.1%, Tuareg/Bella 1.7%, other Malian 6%, from members of Economic Community of West Africa 0.4%, other 0.3% (2018 est.) | Akan 28.9%, Voltaique or Gur 16.1%, Northern Mande 14.5%, Kru 8.5%, Southern Mande 6.9%, unspecified 0.9%, non-Ivoirian 24.2% (2014 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 110,000 (2020 est.) | 380,000 (2020 est.) |
| Religions | Muslim 93.9%, Christian 2.8%, animist .7%, none 2.5% (2018 est.) | Muslim 42.9%, Catholic 17.2%, Evangelical 11.8%, Methodist 1.7%, other Christian 3.2%, animist 3.6%, other religion 0.5%, none 19.1% (2014 est.) note: the majority of foreign migrant workers are Muslim (72.7%) and Christian (17.7%) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 4,600 (2020 est.) | 13,000 (2020 est.) |
| Languages | French (official), Bambara 46.3%, Peuhl/Foulfoulbe 9.4%, Dogon 7.2%, Maraka/Soninke 6.4%, Malinke 5.6%, Sonrhai/Djerma 5.6%, Minianka 4.3%, Tamacheq 3.5%, Senoufo 2.6%, Bobo 2.1%, other 6.3%, unspecified 0.7% (2009 est.) note: Mali has 13 national languages in addition to its official language | French (official), 60 native dialects of which Dioula is the most widely spoken major-language sample(s): The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 35.5% male: 46.2% female: 25.7% (2018) | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 47.2% male: 53.7% female: 40.5% (2018) |
| Major infectious diseases | degree of risk: very high (2020) food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever water contact diseases: schistosomiasis animal contact diseases: rabies respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis | degree of risk: very high (2020) food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever water contact diseases: schistosomiasis animal contact diseases: rabies respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis |
| School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) | total: 8 years male: 8 years female: 7 years (2017) | total: 11 years male: 10 years female: 9 years (2017) |
| Education expenditures | 3.8% of GDP (2017) | 3.3% of GDP (2018) |
| Urbanization | urban population: 44.7% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 4.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) | urban population: 52.2% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 3.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) |
| Drinking water source | improved: urban: 97.1% of population rural: 72.8% of population total: 82.9% of population unimproved: urban: 2.9% of population rural: 27.2% of population total: 17.1% of population (2017 est.) | improved: urban: 90.4% of population rural: 67.8% of population total: 79.2% of population unimproved: urban: 9.6% of population rural: 32.2% of population total: 20.8% of population (2017 est.) |
| Sanitation facility access | improved: urban: 82.5% of population rural: 34.1% of population total: 54.2% of population unimproved: urban: 17.5% of population rural: 65.9% of population total: 45.8% of population (2017 est.) | improved: urban: 75.9% of population rural: 32.7% of population total: 54.5% of population unimproved: urban: 24.1% of population rural: 67.3% of population total: 45.5% of population (2017 est.) |
| Major cities - population | 2.713 million BAMAKO (capital) (2021) | 231,000 YAMOUSSOUKRO (capital) (2018), 5.355 million ABIDJAN (seat of government) (2021) |
| Maternal mortality rate | 562 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) | 617 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 18.1% (2019) | 12.8% (2016) |
| Health expenditures | 3.9% (2018) | 4.2% (2018) |
| Physicians density | 0.13 physicians/1,000 population (2018) | 0.23 physicians/1,000 population (2014) |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 8.6% (2016) | 10.3% (2016) |
| Mother's mean age at first birth | 19.2 years (2018 est.) note: median age at first birth among women 20-49 | 19.6 years (2011/12 est.) note: median age at first birth among women 20-49 |
| Demographic profile | Mali's total population is expected to double by 2035; its capital Bamako is one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa. A young age structure, a declining mortality rate, and a sustained high total fertility rate of 6 children per woman - the third highest in the world - ensure continued rapid population growth for the foreseeable future. Significant outmigration only marginally tempers this growth. Despite decreases, Mali's infant, child, and maternal mortality rates remain among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa because of limited access to and adoption of family planning, early childbearing, short birth intervals, the prevalence of female genital cutting, infrequent use of skilled birth attendants, and a lack of emergency obstetrical and neonatal care. Mali's high total fertility rate has been virtually unchanged for decades, as a result of the ongoing preference for large families, early childbearing, the lack of female education and empowerment, poverty, and extremely low contraceptive use. Slowing Mali's population growth by lowering its birth rate will be essential for poverty reduction, improving food security, and developing human capital and the economy. Mali has a long history of seasonal migration and emigration driven by poverty, conflict, demographic pressure, unemployment, food insecurity, and droughts. Many Malians from rural areas migrate during the dry period to nearby villages and towns to do odd jobs or to adjoining countries to work in agriculture or mining. Pastoralists and nomads move seasonally to southern Mali or nearby coastal states. Others migrate long term to Mali's urban areas, Cote d'Ivoire, other neighboring countries, and in smaller numbers to France, Mali's former colonial ruler. Since the early 1990s, Mali's role has grown as a transit country for regional migration flows and illegal migration to Europe. Human smugglers and traffickers exploit the same regional routes used for moving contraband drugs, arms, and cigarettes. Between early 2012 and 2013, renewed fighting in northern Mali between government forces and Tuareg secessionists and their Islamist allies, a French-led international military intervention, as well as chronic food shortages, caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Malians. Most of those displaced domestically sought shelter in urban areas of southern Mali, except for pastoralist and nomadic groups, who abandoned their traditional routes, gave away or sold their livestock, and dispersed into the deserts of northern Mali or crossed into neighboring countries. Almost all Malians who took refuge abroad (mostly Tuareg and Maure pastoralists) stayed in the region, largely in Mauritania, Niger, and Burkina Faso. | Cote d'Ivoire's population is likely to continue growing for the foreseeable future because almost 60% of the populace is younger than 25, the total fertility rate is holding steady at about 3.5 children per woman, and contraceptive use is under 20%. The country will need to improve education, health care, and gender equality in order to turn its large and growing youth cohort into human capital. Even prior to 2010 unrest that shuttered schools for months, access to education was poor, especially for women. As of 2015, only 53% of men and 33% of women were literate. The lack of educational attainment contributes to Cote d'Ivoire's high rates of unskilled labor, adolescent pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS prevalence. Following its independence in 1960, Cote d'Ivoire's stability and the blossoming of its labor-intensive cocoa and coffee industries in the southwest made it an attractive destination for migrants from other parts of the country and its neighbors, particularly Burkina Faso. The HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY administration continued the French colonial policy of encouraging labor immigration by offering liberal land ownership laws. Foreigners from West Africa, Europe (mainly France), and Lebanon composed about 25% of the population by 1998. Ongoing economic decline since the 1980s and the power struggle after HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY's death in 1993 ushered in the politics of "Ivoirite," institutionalizing an Ivoirian identity that further marginalized northern Ivoirians and scapegoated immigrants. The hostile Muslim north-Christian south divide snowballed into a 2002 civil war, pushing tens of thousands of foreign migrants, Liberian refugees, and Ivoirians to flee to war-torn Liberia or other regional countries and more than a million people to be internally displaced. Subsequently, violence following the contested 2010 presidential election prompted some 250,000 people to seek refuge in Liberia and other neighboring countries and again internally displaced as many as a million people. By July 2012, the majority had returned home, but ongoing inter-communal tension and armed conflict continue to force people from their homes. |
| Contraceptive prevalence rate | 17.2% (2018) | 23.3% (2018) |
| Dependency ratios | total dependency ratio: 98 youth dependency ratio: 93.1 elderly dependency ratio: 4.9 potential support ratio: 20.4 (2020 est.) | total dependency ratio: 79.8 youth dependency ratio: 74.6 elderly dependency ratio: 5.2 potential support ratio: 19.3 (2020 est.) |
Government
| Mali | Cote d'Ivoire | |
|---|---|---|
| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Mali conventional short form: Mali local long form: Republique de Mali local short form: Mali former: French Sudan and Sudanese Republic etymology: name derives from the West African Mali Empire of the 13th to 16th centuries A.D. | conventional long form: Republic of Cote d'Ivoire conventional short form: Cote d'Ivoire local long form: Republique de Cote d'Ivoire local short form: Cote d'Ivoire former: Ivory Coast etymology: name reflects the intense ivory trade that took place in the region from the 15th to 17th centuries note: pronounced coat-div-whar |
| Government type | semi-presidential republic | presidential republic |
| Capital | name: Bamako geographic coordinates: 12 39 N, 8 00 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name in the Bambara language can mean either "crocodile tail" or "crocodile river" and three crocodiles appear on the city seal | name: Yamoussoukro (legislative capital), Abidjan (administrative capital); note - although Yamoussoukro has been the official capital since 1983, Abidjan remains the administrative capital as well as the officially designated economic capital; the US, like other countries, maintains its Embassy in Abidjan geographic coordinates: 6 49 N, 5 16 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: Yamoussoukro is named after Queen YAMOUSSOU, who ruled in the village of N'Gokro in 1929 at the time of French colonization; the village was renamed Yamoussoukro, the suffix "-kro" meaning "town" in the native Baoule language; Abidjan's name supposedly comes from a misunderstanding; tradition states that an old man carrying branches met a European explorer who asked for the name of the nearest village; the man, not understanding and terrified by this unexpected encounter, fled shouting "min-chan m'bidjan," which in the Ebrie language means: "I return from cutting leaves"; the explorer, thinking that his question had been answered, recorded the name of the locale as Abidjan; a different version has the first colonists asking native women the name of the place and getting a similar response |
| Administrative divisions | 10 regions (regions, singular - region), 1 district*; District de Bamako*, Gao, Kayes, Kidal, Koulikoro, Menaka, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Taoudenni, Tombouctou (Timbuktu); note - Menaka and Taoudenni were legislated in 2016, but implementation has not been confirmed by the US Board on Geographic Names | 12 districts and 2 autonomous districts*; Abidjan*, Bas-Sassandra, Comoe, Denguele, Goh-Djiboua, Lacs, Lagunes, Montagnes, Sassandra-Marahoue, Savanes, Vallee du Bandama, Woroba, Yamoussoukro*, Zanzan |
| Independence | 22 September 1960 (from France) | 7 August 1960 (from France) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 22 September (1960) | Independence Day, 7 August (1960) |
| Constitution | history: several previous; latest drafted August 1991, approved by referendum 12 January 1992, effective 25 February 1992, suspended briefly in 2012 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by members of the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly and approval in a referendum; constitutional sections on the integrity of the state, its republican and secular form of government, and its multiparty system cannot be amended; note - in early 2021, Prime Minister Moctar OUANE called for adopting a new constitution | history: previous 1960, 2000; latest draft completed 24 September 2016, approved by the National Assembly 11 October 2016, approved by referendum 30 October 2016, promulgated 8 November 2016 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; consideration of drafts or proposals requires an absolute majority vote by the parliamentary membership; passage of amendments affecting presidential elections, presidential term of office and vacancies, and amendment procedures requires approval by absolute majority in a referendum; passage of other proposals by the president requires at least four-fifths majority vote by Parliament; constitutional articles on the sovereignty of the state and its republican and secular form of government cannot be amended; amended 2020 |
| Legal system | civil law system based on the French civil law model and influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Constitutional Court | civil law system based on the French civil code; judicial review of legislation held in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Transitional President Assimi GOITA (since 7 June 2021) note: an August 2020 coup d'etat deposed President Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA; on 21 September 2020, a group of 17 electors chosen by the Malian military junta, known as the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP) and led by Colonel Assimi GOITA, selected Bah NDAW as transitional president; GOITA served as vice president of the transitional government which was inaugurated on 25 September 2020; Vice President GOITA seized power on 25 May 2021; NDAW resigned on 26 May 2021 head of government: Transitional Prime Minister Choguel MAIGA (appointed by Transitional President Assimi GOITA on 7 June 2021) note: former Prime Minister Moctar OUANE was arrested and detained by the military on 24 May 2021 and resigned on 26 May 2021 cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 29 July 2018 with a runoff on 12 August 2018 (next to be held February 2022); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA (RPM) 77.6%, Soumaila CISSE (URD) 22.4% | chief of state: President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA (since 4 December 2010); Vice President (vacant); note - Vice President Daniel Kablan DUNCAN resigned 8 July 2020; note - the 2016 constitution calls for the establishment of the position of vice-president head of government: Prime Minister Patrick ACHI (since 10 March 2021); note - ACHI was acting prime minister from 8-10 March 2021 and became prime minister upon former Prime Minister Hamed BAKAYOKO's death on 10 March 2021 cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single renewable 5-year term ; election last held on 31 October 2020 (next to be held in October 2025); vice president elected on same ballot as president; prime minister appointed by the president; note - because President OUATTARA promulgated the new constitution during his second term, he has claimed that the clock is reset on term limits, allowing him to run for up to two additional terms election results: Alassane OUATTARA reelected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA (RDR) 94.3%, Kouadio Konan BERTIN (PDCI-RDA) 2.0%, other 3.7% |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats; members directly elected in single and multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; 13 seats reserved for citizens living abroad; members serve 5-year terms) note - the National Assembly was dissolved on 18 August 2020 following a military coup and the resignation of President KEITA elections: last held on 30 March and 19 April 2020 (prior to the August 2020 coup, the next election was scheduled to be held in 2025) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA composition - NA | description: bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate or Senat (99 seats; 66 members indirectly elected by the National Assembly and members of municipal, autonomous districts, and regional councils, and 33 members appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms) National Assembly (255 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) elections: Senate - first ever held on 25 March 2018 (next to be held in 2023) National Assembly - last held on 6 March 2021 (next to be held in 2026) election results: Senate - percent by party NA; seats by party - RHDP 50, independent 16; composition - men 80, women 19, percent of women 19.2% National Assembly - percent of vote by party - RHDP 49.18%, PDCI-RRA-EDS 16.53%, DPIC 6.01%, TTB 2.017% IPF 1.96% seats by party - RHDP, 137, PDCI-RRA-EDS 50, DPIC 23, TTB 8, IPF 2; composition - men 217, women 32, percent of women 13%; note - total Parliament percent of women 32% |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 19 judges organized into judicial, administrative, and accounting sectons); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the Ministry of Justice to serve 5-year terms; Constitutional Court judges selected - 3 each by the president, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Council of the Magistracy; members serve single renewable 7-year terms subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; High Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases of high treason or criminal offenses by the president or ministers while in office); administrative courts (first instance and appeal); commercial courts; magistrate courts; labor courts; juvenile courts; special court of state security | highest courts: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into Judicial, Audit, Constitutional, and Administrative Chambers; consists of the court president, 3 vice presidents for the Judicial, Audit, and Administrative chambers, and 9 associate justices or magistrates) judge selection and term of office: judges nominated by the Superior Council of the Magistrature, a 7-member body consisting of the national president (chairman), 3 "bench" judges, and 3 public prosecutors; judges appointed for life subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (organized into civil, criminal, and social chambers); first instance courts; peace courts |
| Political parties and leaders | African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence or SADI [Oumar MARIKO] Alliance for Democracy in Mali-Pan-African Party for Liberty, Solidarity, and Justice or ADEMA-PASJ [Tiemoko SANGARE] Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP-Maliba [Amadou THIAM] Alliance for the Solidarity of Mali-Convergence of Patriotic Forces or ASMA-CFP [Soumeylou Boubeye MAIGA] Alternative Forces for Renewal and Emergence or FARE [Modibo SIDIBE] Convergence for the Development of Mali or CODEM [Housseyni Amion GUINDO] Democratic Alliance for Peace or ADP-Maliba [Aliou Boubacar DIALLO] Economic and Social Development Party or PDES [Jamille BITTAR] Front for Democracy and the Republic or FDR (coalition of smaller opposition parties) National Congress for Democratic Initiative or CNID [Mountaga TALL] Party for National Renewal or PARENA [Tiebile DRAME] Patriotic Movement for Renewal or MPR [Choguel Kokalla MAIGA] Rally for Mali or RPM [Boucary TRETA] Union for Republic and Democracy or URD [Younoussi TOURE] | Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI [Henri Konan BEDIE] Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [former pres. Laurent GBAGBO] Liberty and Democracy for the Republic or LIDER [Mamadou KOULIBALY] Movement of the Future Forces or MFA [Innocent Augustin ANAKY KOBENA] Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace or RHDP [Alassane OUATTARA] (alliance includes MFA, PDCI, RDR, UDPCI, UPCI) Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Henriette DIABATE] Union for Cote d'Ivoire or UPCI [Gnamien KONAN] Union for Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire or UDPCI [Albert Toikeusse MABRI] |
| International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UN Security Council (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Mahamadou NIMAGA (since 22 June 2018) chancery: 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-2249 FAX: [1] (202) 332-6603 email address and website: infos@mali.embassy.us https://www.maliembassy.us/ | chief of mission: Ambassador Mamadou HAIDARA (since 28 March 2018) chancery: 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300 FAX: [1] (202) 462-9444 email address and website: info@ambacidc.org https://ambaciusa.org/# |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Dennis B. HANKINS (since 15 March 2019) embassy: ACI 2000, Rue 243, (located off the Roi Bin Fahad Aziz Bridge west of the Bamako central district), Porte 297, Bamako mailing address: 2050 Bamako Place, Washington DC 20521-2050 telephone: [223] 20-70-23-00 FAX: [223] 20-70-24-79 email address and website: ACSBamako@state.gov https://ml.usembassy.gov/ | chief of mission: Ambassador Richard K. BELL (since 10 October 2019) embassy: B.P. 730 Abidjan Cidex 03 mailing address: 2010 Abidjan Place, Washington DC 20521-2010 telephone: [225] 27-22-49-40-00 FAX: [225] 27-22-49-43-23 email address and website: AbjAmCit@state.gov https://ci.usembassy.gov/ |
| Flag description | three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors from left to right are the same as those of neighboring Senegal (which has an additional green central star) and the reverse of those on the flag of neighboring Guinea | three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green; orange symbolizes the land (savannah) of the north and fertility, white stands for peace and unity, green represents the forests of the south and the hope for a bright future note: similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and has the colors reversed - green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is green (hoist side), white, and red; design was based on the flag of France |
| National anthem | name: "Le Mali" (Mali) lyrics/music: Seydou Badian KOUYATE/Banzoumana SISSOKO note: adopted 1962; also known as "Pour L'Afrique et pour toi, Mali" (For Africa and for You, Mali) and "A ton appel Mali" (At Your Call, Mali) | name: "L'Abidjanaise" (Song of Abidjan) lyrics/music: Mathieu EKRA, Joachim BONY, and Pierre Marie COTY/Pierre Marie COTY and Pierre Michel PANGO note: adopted 1960; although the nation's capital city moved from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro in 1983, the anthem still owes its name to the former capital |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICC jurisdiction | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| National symbol(s) | Great Mosque of Djenne; national colors: green, yellow, red | elephant; national colors: orange, white, green |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Mali dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Cote d'Ivoire dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years |
Economy
| Mali | Cote d'Ivoire | |
|---|---|---|
| Economy - overview | Among the 25 poorest countries in the world, landlocked Mali depends on gold mining and agricultural exports for revenue. The country's fiscal status fluctuates with gold and agricultural commodity prices and the harvest; cotton and gold exports make up around 80% of export earnings. Mali remains dependent on foreign aid. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger River; about 65% of Mali's land area is desert or semidesert. About 10% of the population is nomadic and about 80% of the labor force is engaged in farming and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities. The government subsidizes the production of cereals to decrease the country's dependence on imported foodstuffs and to reduce its vulnerability to food price shocks. Mali is developing its iron ore extraction industry to diversify foreign exchange earnings away from gold, but the pace will depend on global price trends. Although the political coup in 2012 slowed Mali's growth, the economy has since bounced back, with GDP growth above 5% in 2014-17, although physical insecurity, high population growth, corruption, weak infrastructure, and low levels of human capital continue to constrain economic development. Higher rainfall helped to boost cotton output in 2017, and the country's 2017 budget increased spending more than 10%, much of which was devoted to infrastructure and agriculture. Corruption and political turmoil are strong downside risks in 2018 and beyond. | For the last 5 years Cote d'Ivoire's growth rate has been among the highest in the world. Cote d'Ivoire is heavily dependent on agriculture and related activities, which engage roughly two-thirds of the population. Cote d'Ivoire is the world's largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans and a significant producer and exporter of coffee and palm oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for these products and to climatic conditions. Cocoa, oil, and coffee are the country's top export revenue earners, but the country has targeted agricultural processing of cocoa, cashews, mangoes, and other commodities as a high priority. Mining gold and exporting electricity are growing industries outside agriculture. Following the end of more than a decade of civil conflict in 2011, Cote d'Ivoire has experienced a boom in foreign investment and economic growth. In June 2012, the IMF and the World Bank announced $4.4 billion in debt relief for Cote d'Ivoire under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | $45.637 billion (2019 est.) $43.567 billion (2018 est.) $41.593 billion (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars | $134.048 billion (2019 est.) $126.185 billion (2018 est.) $118.051 billion (2017 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars |
| GDP - real growth rate | 5.4% (2017 est.) 5.8% (2016 est.) 6.2% (2015 est.) | 7.8% (2017 est.) 8.3% (2016 est.) 8.8% (2015 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $2,322 (2019 est.) $2,284 (2018 est.) $2,247 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars | $5,213 (2019 est.) $5,033 (2018 est.) $4,831 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 41.8% (2017 est.) industry: 18.1% (2017 est.) services: 40.5% (2017 est.) | agriculture: 20.1% (2017 est.) industry: 26.6% (2017 est.) services: 53.3% (2017 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 42.1% (2019 est.) | 39.5% (2018 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3.5% highest 10%: 25.8% (2010 est.) | lowest 10%: 2.2% highest 10%: 31.8% (2008) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.9% (2018 est.) 1.8% (2017 est.) 1.7% (2017 est.) | -1.1% (2019 est.) 0.3% (2018 est.) 0.6% (2017 est.) |
| Labor force | 6.447 million (2017 est.) | 8.747 million (2017 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (2005 est.) | agriculture: 68% (2007 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 7.9% (2017 est.) 7.8% (2016 est.) | 9.4% (2013 est.) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 40.1 (2001) 50.5 (1994) | 41.5 (2015 est.) 36.7 (1995) |
| Budget | revenues: 3.075 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 3.513 billion (2017 est.) | revenues: 7.749 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 9.464 billion (2017 est.) |
| Industries | food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining | foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, gold mining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity |
| Industrial production growth rate | 6.3% (2017 est.) | 4.2% (2017 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | maize, rice, millet, sorghum, mangoes/guavas, cotton, watermelons, green onions/shallots, okra, sugar cane | yams, cassava, cocoa, oil palm fruit, sugar cane, rice, plantains, maize, cashew nuts, rubber |
| Exports | $3.06 billion (2017 est.) $2.803 billion (2016 est.) | $16.326 billion (2018 est.) $16.274 billion (2017 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | gold, cotton, sesame seeds, lumber, vegetable oils/residues (2019) | cocoa beans, gold, rubber, refined petroleum, crude petroleum (2019) |
| Exports - partners | United Arab Emirates 66%, Switzerland 26% (2019) | Netherlands 10%, United States 6%, France 6%, Spain 5%, Malaysia 5%, Switzerland 5%, Germany 5%, Vietnam 5% (2019) |
| Imports | $3.644 billion (2017 est.) $3.403 billion (2016 est.) | $14.248 billion (2018 est.) $13.486 billion (2017 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | refined petroleum, clothing and apparel, packaged medicines, cement, broadcasting equipment (2019) | crude petroleum, rice, frozen fish, refined petroleum, packaged medicines (2019) |
| Imports - partners | Senegal 23%, Cote d'Ivoire 15%, China 11%, France 9% (2019) | China 18%, Nigeria 13%, France 11% (2019) |
| Debt - external | $4.192 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $3.981 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $13.07 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $11.02 billion (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Exchange rates | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 605.3 (2017 est.) 593.01 (2016 est.) 593.01 (2015 est.) 591.45 (2014 est.) 494.42 (2013 est.) | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 594.3 (2017 est.) 593.01 (2016 est.) 593.01 (2015 est.) 591.45 (2014 est.) 494.42 (2013 est.) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Public debt | 35.4% of GDP (2017 est.) 36% of GDP (2016 est.) | 47% of GDP (2017 est.) 47% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | $647.8 million (31 December 2017 est.) $395.7 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $6.257 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $4.935 billion (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Current Account Balance | -$886 million (2017 est.) -$1.015 billion (2016 est.) | -$1.86 billion (2017 est.) -$414 million (2016 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate) | $17.508 billion (2019 est.) | $42.498 billion (2018 est.) |
| Credit ratings | Moody's rating: Caa1 (2020) | Fitch rating: B+ (2015) Moody's rating: Ba3 (2015) |
| Ease of Doing Business Index scores | Overall score: 52.9 (2020) Starting a Business score: 84.3 (2020) Trading score: 73.3 (2020) Enforcement score: 42.8 (2020) | Overall score: 60.7 (2020) Starting a Business score: 93.7 (2020) Trading score: 52.4 (2020) Enforcement score: 57.6 (2020) |
| Taxes and other revenues | 20% (of GDP) (2017 est.) | 19.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -2.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.) | -4.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | total: 2.4% male: 2.6% female: 2.3% (2018 est.) | total: 5.5% male: 4.7% female: 6.5% (2017 est.) |
| GDP - composition, by end use | household consumption: 82.9% (2017 est.) government consumption: 17.4% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 19.3% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: -0.7% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 22.1% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -41.1% (2017 est.) | household consumption: 61.7% (2017 est.) government consumption: 14.9% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 22.4% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0.3% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 30.8% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -30.1% (2017 est.) |
| Gross national saving | 15.6% of GDP (2018 est.) 14.3% of GDP (2017 est.) 15.4% of GDP (2015 est.) | 15.7% of GDP (2018 est.) 17.4% of GDP (2017 est.) 19.5% of GDP (2015 est.) |
Energy
| Mali | Cote d'Ivoire | |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 2.489 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 9.73 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption | 2.982 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 6.245 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2016 est.) | 872 million kWh (2015 est.) |
| Electricity - imports | 800 million kWh (2016 est.) | 19 million kWh (2016 est.) |
| Oil - production | 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) | 52,000 bbl/day (2018 est.) |
| Oil - imports | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 62,350 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Oil - exports | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 26,700 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves | 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.) | 100 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.) | 28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.) |
| Natural gas - production | 0 cu m (2017 est.) | 2.322 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption | 0 cu m (2017 est.) | 2.322 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports | 0 cu m (2017 est.) | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports | 0 cu m (2017 est.) | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 590,000 kW (2016 est.) | 1.914 million kW (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 68% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | 60% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 31% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 40% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 69,360 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 22,000 bbl/day (2016 est.) | 51,000 bbl/day (2016 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 31,450 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 20,610 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 7,405 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Electricity access | electrification - total population: 50% (2019) electrification - urban areas: 78% (2019) electrification - rural areas: 28% (2019) | electrification - total population: 76% (2019) electrification - urban areas: 99% (2019) electrification - rural areas: 51% (2019) |
Telecommunications
| Mali | Cote d'Ivoire | |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | total subscriptions: 242,241 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1.28 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 271,724 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1.01 (2019 est.) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | total subscriptions: 22,925,482 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 120.75 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 37,376,603 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 139.16 (2019 est.) |
| Internet country code | .ml | .ci |
| Internet users | total: 2,395,886 percent of population: 13% (July 2018 est.) | total: 12,295,204 percent of population: 46.82% (July 2018 est.) |
| Telecommunication systems | general assessment: Mali's telecom systems are challenged by recent conflict, geography, areas of low population, poverty, security issues, and high illiteracy; telecom infrastructure is barely adequate in urban areas and not available in most of the country with underinvestment in fixed-line networks; high mobile penetration and potential for mobile broadband service; local plans for IXP; dependent on neighboring countries for international bandwidth and access to submarine cables; Chinese investment in infrastructure stymied by security issues; importer of broadcasting equipment from China (2021) (2020)domestic: fixed-line subscribership 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has increased sharply to over 115 per 100 persons; increasing use of local radio loops to extend network coverage to remote areas (2019) international: country code - 223; satellite communications center and fiber-optic links to neighboring countries; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments | general assessment: Côte d'Ivoire telecom systems continue to benefit from strong economic growth; fixed-line, Internet, and broadband sectors remain underdeveloped; mobile sector is strong; progress in national backbone network and connection to submarine cable that will increase Internet bandwidth; country is poised to develop broadband market and digital economy; government further tightened SIM card registration rules (2020) (2020) domestic: less than 1 per 100 fixed-line, with multiple mobile-cellular service providers competing in the market, usage has increased to about 145 per 100 persons (2019) international: country code - 225; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC, ACE, MainOne, and WACS fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and South and West Africa; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments |
| Broadband - fixed subscriptions | total: 142,522 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2018 est.) | total: 216,723 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2018 est.) |
| Broadcast media | national public TV broadcaster; 2 privately owned companies provide subscription services to foreign multi-channel TV packages; national public radio broadcaster supplemented by a large number of privately owned and community broadcast stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2019) | state-controlled Radiodiffusion Television Ivoirieinne (RTI) is made up of 2 radios stations (Radio Cote d'Ivoire and Frequence2) and 2 television stations (RTI1 and RTI2), with nationwide coverage, broadcasts mainly in French; after 2011 post-electoral crisis, President OUATTARA's administration reopened RTI Bouake', the broadcaster's office in Cote d'Ivoire's 2nd largest city, where facilities were destroyed during the 2002 rebellion; Cote d'Ivoire is also home to 178 proximity radios stations, 16 religious radios stations, 5 commercial radios stations, and 5 international radios stations, according to the Haute Autorite' de la Communication Audiovisuelle (HACA); govt now runs radio UNOCIFM, a radio station previously owned by the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire; in Dec 2016, the govt announced 4 companies had been granted licenses to operate -Live TV, Optimum Media Cote d'Ivoire, the Audiovisual Company of Cote d'Ivoire (Sedaci), and Sorano-CI, out of the 4 companies only one has started operating (2019) |
Transportation
| Mali | Cote d'Ivoire | |
|---|---|---|
| Railways | total: 593 km (2014) narrow gauge: 593 km 1.000-m gauge (2014) | total: 660 km (2008) narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000-m gauge (2008) note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso |
| Roadways | total: 139,107 km (2018) | total: 81,996 km (2007) paved: 6,502 km (2007) unpaved: 75,494 km (2007) note: includes intercity and urban roads; another 20,000 km of dirt roads are in poor condition and 150,000 km of dirt roads are impassable |
| Waterways | 1,800 km (downstream of Koulikoro; low water levels on the River Niger cause problems in dry years; in the months before the rainy season the river is not navigable by commercial vessels) (2011) | 980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) (2011) |
| Ports and terminals | river port(s): Koulikoro (Niger) | major seaport(s): Abidjan, San-Pedro oil terminal(s): Espoir Offshore Terminal |
| Airports | total: 25 (2013) | total: 27 (2013) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 8 (2019) over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 | total: 7 (2017) over 3,047 m: 1 (2017) 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2017) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2017) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 17 (2013) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2013) 914 to 1,523 m: 9 (2013) under 914 m: 5 (2013) | total: 20 (2013) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 (2013) 914 to 1,523 m: 11 (2013) under 914 m: 3 (2013) |
| Heliports | 2 (2013) | 1 (2013) |
| National air transport system | number of registered air carriers: 0 (2020) | number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 10 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 779,482 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 5.8 million mt-km (2018) |
| Civil aircraft registration country code prefix | TZ, TT | TU |
Military
| Mali | Cote d'Ivoire | |
|---|---|---|
| Military branches | Malian Armed Forces (FAMa): Army (Armee de Terre; includes a riverine patrol force), Republic of Mali Air Force (Force Aerienne de la Republique du Mali, FARM); National Gendarmerie; National Guard (Garde National du Mali) (2020) note(s): the Gendarmerie and the National Guard are under the authority of the Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs (Ministere De La Defense Et Des Anciens Combattants, MDAC), but operational control is shared between the MDAC and the Ministry of Internal Security and Civil Protection the Gendarmerie's primary mission is internal security and public order; its duties also include territorial defense, humanitarian operations, intelligence gathering, and protecting private property, mainly in rural areas the National Guard is a military force responsible for providing security to government facilities and institutions, prison service, public order, humanitarian operations, some border security, and intelligence gathering; it has special units on camels (the Camel Corps) for patrolling the deserts and borders of northern Mali | Armed Forces of Cote d'Ivoire (Forces Armees de Cote d'Ivoire, FACI; aka Republican Forces of Ivory Coast, FRCI): Army (Armee de Terre), Navy (Marine Nationale), Cote Air Force (Force Aerienne Cote), Special Forces (Forces Speciale); National Gendarmerie (under the Ministry of Defense); National Police (under the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection); Coordination Center for Operational Decisions (a mix of police, gendarmerie, and FACI personnel for assisting police in providing security in some large cities) (2020) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service (men and women); 2-year conscript service obligation (2019) | 18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary male and female military service; conscription is not enforced; voluntary recruitment of former rebels into the new national army is restricted to ages 22-29 (2019) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.7% of GDP (2019) 2.9% of GDP (2018) 3% of GDP (2017) 2.6% of GDP (2016) 2.4% of GDP (2015) | 1.1% of GDP (2019 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2018) 1.3% of GDP (2017) 1.7% of GDP (2016) 1.7% of GDP (2015) |
| Military - note | prior to the coups in August 2020 and May 2021, the Malian military had intervened in the political arena at least five times since the country gained independence in 1960; two attempts failed (1976 and 1978), while three succeeded in overturning civilian rule (1968, 1991, and 2012); the military collapsed in 2012 during the fighting against Tuareg rebels and Islamic militants; it has been since rebuilt, but continues to have limited capabilities and is heavily reliant on external assistance since 2017, the FAMa, along with other government security and paramilitary forces, has conducted multiple major operations against militants in the eastern, central, and northern parts of the country; up to 4,000 troops reportedly have been deployed; the stated objectives for the most recent operation (Operation Maliko in early 2020) was to end terrorist activity and restore government authority in seven of the country's 10 regions, including Mopti, Ségou, Gao, Kidal, Ménaka, Taoudénit, and Timbuktu Mali is part of a five-nation anti-jihadist task force known as the G5 Sahel Group, set up in 2014 with Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, and Niger; it has committed 1,100 troops and 200 gendarmes to the force; in early 2020, G5 Sahel military chiefs of staff agreed to allow defense forces from each of the states to pursue terrorist fighters up to 100 km into neighboring countries; the G5 force is backed by the UN, US, and France; G5 troops periodically conduct joint operations with French forces deployed to the Sahel under Operation Barkhane the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) has operated in the country since 2013; the Mission's responsibilities include providing security, rebuilding Malian security forces, supporting national political dialogue, and assisting in the reestablishment of Malian government authority; as of June 2021, MINUSMA had around 15,000 military and police personnel deployed; in June 2021, MINUSMA's mission was extended until the end of June 2022 the European Union Training Mission in Mali (EUTM-M) also has operated in the country since 2013; the EUTM-M provides advice and training to the Malian Armed Forces and military assistance to the G5 Sahel Joint Force; as of March 2021, the mission included almost 700 personnel from 25 European countries | the military has mutinied several times since the late 1990s, most recently in 2017, and has had a large role in the country's political turmoil; currently, the FACI is focused on internal security and the growing threat posed by Islamic militants associated with the al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) terrorist group operating across the border in Burkina Faso; AQIM militants conducted significant attacks in the country in 2016 and 2020; Côte d'Ivoire since 2016 has stepped up border security and completed building a joint counter-terrorism training center with France near Abidjan in 2020 the UN maintained a 9,000-strong peacekeeping force in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) from 2004 until 2017 |
| Military and security service personnel strengths | information varies; approximately 18,000 total troops (13,000 Army; 800 Air Force; 2,000 Gendarmerie; 2,000 National Guard) (2020) | the Armed Forces of Cote d'Ivoire have approximately 25,000 active troops (23,000 Army, including about 2,000 Special Forces; 1,000 Navy; 1,000 Air Force); est. 5-10,000 Gendarmerie (2020) |
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the FAMa's inventory consists primarily of Soviet-era equipment, although in recent years it has received limited quantities of mostly second-hand armaments from more than 15 countries (2020) | the inventory of the FACI consists mostly of older or second-hand equipment, typically of French or Soviet-era origin; Cote d'Ivoire was under a partial UN arms embargo from 2004 to 2016; since 2016, it has received limited amounts of mostly second-hand equipment from a variety of countries, with Bulgaria as the leading supplier (2020) |
Transnational Issues
| Mali | Cote d'Ivoire | |
|---|---|---|
| Disputes - international | demarcation is underway with Burkina Faso | disputed maritime border between Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons | refugees (country of origin): 16,938 (Niger), 15,176 (Mauritania), 12,890 (Burkina Faso) (2021) IDPs: 372,266 (Tuareg rebellion since 2012) (2021) | IDPs: 308,000 (post-election conflict in 2010-11, as well as civil war from 2002-04; land disputes; most pronounced in western and southwestern regions) (2019) stateless persons: 954,531 (2020); note - many Ivoirians lack documentation proving their nationality, which prevent them from accessing education and healthcare; birth on Ivorian soil does not automatically result in citizenship; disputes over citizenship and the associated rights of the large population descended from migrants from neighboring countries is an ongoing source of tension and contributed to the country's 2002 civil war; some observers believe the government's mass naturalizations of thousands of people over the last couple of years is intended to boost its electoral support base; the government in October 2013 acceded to international conventions on statelessness and in August 2013 reformed its nationality law, key steps to clarify the nationality of thousands of residents; since the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration to eradicate statelessness in West Africa in February 2015, 6,400 people have received nationality papers |
Terrorism
| Mali | Cote d'Ivoire | |
|---|---|---|
| Terrorist Group(s) | Ansar al-Dine; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in the Greater Sahara; Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin; al-Mulathamun Battalion (al-Mourabitoun) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T | al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T |
Environment
| Mali | Cote d'Ivoire | |
|---|---|---|
| Air pollutants | particulate matter emissions: 31.17 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 3.18 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 19.16 megatons (2020 est.) | particulate matter emissions: 23.72 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 9.67 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 10.3 megatons (2020 est.) |
| Total water withdrawal | municipal: 107 million cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 4 million cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 5.075 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | municipal: 320 million cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 242 million cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 600 million cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Revenue from forest resources | forest revenues: 2.02% of GDP (2018 est.) | forest revenues: 2.04% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Revenue from coal | coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.) | coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.) |
| Waste and recycling | municipal solid waste generated annually: 1,937,354 tons (2012 est.) | municipal solid waste generated annually: 4,440,814 tons (2010 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 133,224 tons (2005 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 3% (2005 est.) |
Source: CIA Factbook
