Mali: Background information

A brief history

WaterAid works with women, the elderly and the most vulnerable people in communities.

Credit: WaterAid / Sally Warren

Following independence from France in 1960 the Sudanese Republic and Senegal formed the Mali Federation. Senegal withdrew from the Federation after only a few months and what was the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali.

In 1992 the first democratic presidential election was held after several decades of rule by dictatorship. After his re-election in 1997, President Alpha Konare continued to push through political and economic reforms and to fight corruption.

In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, he stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou Toure.

Geography and economy

Mali is a landlocked country comprised of vast flat plains drained by two of West Africa's major rivers, the Senegal and the Niger. The river Niger flows north through the country to the desert at Timbukto, where it turns east and eventually south to continue its journey to the sea through neighboring Nigeria.

With the Sahara desert in the north and the central plains consisting of arid Sahel, Mali suffers huge drought problems. The official language of the country is French, and the population is 80% Muslim, with a minority following Animalist and Christian beliefs.

Mali's population is 80% Muslim, with a minority following Animalist and Christian beliefs.

Credit: WaterAid / Daniel O'leary

It is among the poorest countries in the world, with economic activity predominantly in the irrigated floodplain of the River Niger. 10% of the population is nomadic and some 70% of the labor force is engaged in farming and fishing, with cotton its main export. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities.

Mali is heavily dependent on foreign aid, and since its 1997 implementation of an IMF-recommended structural adjustment program the economy has grown, diversified, and attracted foreign investment. Economic reforms and the 50% devaluation of the African franc in January 1994 have enhanced economic growth. In 2001, GDP decreased by 1.2% mainly due to a 50% drop in cotton production in 2000-01.