33,000 (2007)
Transportation
Maldives
Airports:
5 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 88 km
paved roads: 88 km - 60 km in Male; 14 km on Addu Atolis; 14 km on
Laamu
note: village roads are mainly compacted coral (2006)
Merchant marine:
total: 29
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 23, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated
cargo 2
foreign-owned: 1 (Greece 1)
registered in other countries: 2 (Panama 1, Tuvalu 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Male
Military
Maldives
Military branches:
Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF): Quick Reaction Force,
Security Protection Group, Coast Guard (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 89,505
females age 16-49: 85,745 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 72,150
females age 16-49: 69,058 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 4,749
female: 4,084 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
5.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Military - note:
the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), with its small size and
with little serviceable equipment, is inadequate to prevent external
aggression and is primarily tasked to reinforce the Maldives Police
Service (MPS) and ensure security in the exclusive economic zone
(2008)
Transnational Issues
Maldives
Disputes - international:
none
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 1,000-10,000 (December 2004 tsunami victims) (2007)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Mali
Introduction
Mali
Background:
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.
Geography
Mali
Location:
Western Africa, southwest of Algeria
Geographic coordinates:
17 00 N, 4 00 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 1.24 million sq km
land: 1.22 million sq km
water: 20,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 7,243 km
border countries: Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina Faso 1,000 km, Guinea
858 km, Cote d'Ivoire 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km,
Senegal 419 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid,
and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)
Terrain:
mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in
south, rugged hills in northeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Senegal River 23 m
highest point: Hombori Tondo 1,155 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
Land use:
arable land: 3.76%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 96.21% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,360 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
100 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 6.55 cu km/yr (9%/1%/90%)
per capita: 484 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring
droughts; occasional Niger River flooding
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies of
potable water; poaching
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, 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
People
Mali
Population:
12,324,029 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 48.2% (male 3,004,003/female 2,937,138)
15-64 years: 48.7% (male 2,976,314/female 3,028,433)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 150,597/female 227,544) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 15.8 years
male: 15.4 years
female: 16.2 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.725% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
49.38 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
16.16 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-5.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 103.83 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 113.41 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 93.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.94 years
male: 48 years
female: 51.94 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
7.34 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.9% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
140,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
12,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Malian(s)
adjective: Malian
Ethnic groups:
Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%,
Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5%
Religions:
Muslim 90%, Christian 1%, indigenous beliefs 9%
Languages:
French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 46.4%
male: 53.5%
female: 39.6% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 7 years
male: 8 years
female: 5 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2006)
Government
Mali
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
Government type:
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)
Administrative divisions:
8 regions (regions, singular - region); Gao, Kayes, Kidal,
Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou
Independence:
22 September 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 22 September (1960)
Constitution:
adopted 12 January 1992
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review
of legislative acts in Constitutional Court; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Amadou Toumani TOURE (since 8 June 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Modibo SIDIBE (since 28 September
2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held on 29 April 2007
(next to be held in April 2012); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: Amadou Toumani TOURE reelected president; percent
of vote - Amadou Toumani TOURE 71.2%, Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA 19.2%,
other 9.6%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (147 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 1 and 22 July 2007 (next to be held in July
2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
ADP coalition 113 (including ADEMA 51, URD 34, MPR 8, CNID 7, UDD 3,
and other 10), FDR coalition 15 (including RPM 11, PARENA 4), SADI
4, independent 15
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Democratic Change (political group comprised mainly of
Tuareg from Mali's northern region); African Solidarity for
Democracy and Independence or SADI [Oumar MARIKO, secretary
general]; Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP (a coalition of
political parties including ADEMA and URD formed in December 2006 to
support the presidential candidacy of Amadou TOURE); Alliance for
Democracy or ADEMA [Diounconda TRAORE]; Convergence 2007 [Soumeylou
Boubeye MAIGA]; Front for Democracy and the Republic or FDR (a
coalition of political parties including RPM and PARENA formed to
oppose the presidential candidacy of Amadou TOURE); National
Congress for Democratic Initiative or CNID [Mountaga TALL]; Party
for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Me Idrissa TRAORE]; Party for
National Renewal or PARENA [Tiebile DRAME]; Patriotic Movement for
Renewal or MPR [Choguel MAIGA]; Rally for Democracy and Labor or
RDT; Rally for Mali or RPM [Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA]; Sudanese
Union/African Democratic Rally or US/RDA [Mamadou Bamou TOURE];
Union for Democracy and Development or UDD [Moussa Balla COULIBALY];
Union for Republic and Democracy or URD [Soumaila CISSE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: the army; Islamic authorities; rebels in the northern region;
state-run cotton company CMDT; tuaregs
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO,
ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional),
WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Abdoulaye DIOP
chancery: 2130 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-2249, 939-8950
FAX: [1] (202) 332-6603
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gillian A. MILOVANOVIC
embassy: located just off the Roi Bin Fahad Aziz Bridge just west of
the Bamako central district
mailing address: ACI 2000, Rue 243, Porte 297, Bamako
telephone: [223] 270-2300
FAX: [223] 270-2479
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red;
uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
Mali
Economy - overview:
Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with 65% of its
land area desert or semidesert and with a highly unequal
distribution of income. Economic activity is largely confined to the
riverine area irrigated by the Niger. About 10% of the population is
nomadic and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in farming and
fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm
commodities. Mali is heavily dependent on foreign aid and vulnerable
to fluctuations in world prices for cotton, its main export, along
with gold. The government has continued its successful
implementation of an IMF-recommended structural adjustment program
that is helping the economy grow, diversify, and attract foreign
investment. Mali's adherence to economic reform and the 50%
devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994 have pushed up economic
growth to a 5% average in 1996-2007. Worker remittances and external
trade routes for the landlocked country have been jeopardized by
continued unrest in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$13.63 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$6.745 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.8% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,100 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 45%
industry: 17%
services: 38% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
5.4 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80%
industry and services: 20% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
30% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
36.1% (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 30.2% (2001)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40.1 (2001)
Budget:
revenues: $1.5 billion
expenditures: $1.8 billion (2006 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.5% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.58 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$697.1 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.099 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
cotton, millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats
Industries:
food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
505 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
469.7 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh; note - recent hydropower developments may be providing
electricity to Senegal and Mauritania (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 41.7%
hydro: 58.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
4,640 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2006)
Oil - imports:
4,860 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$446 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$294 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
cotton, gold, livestock
Exports - partners:
China 19.6%, Thailand 10.5%, Brazil 4.6%, France 4.5%, Indonesia
4.5% (2007)
Imports:
$2.358 billion f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction materials,
foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners:
France 12.9%, Senegal 12.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 10.9%, China 4.9% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$691.5 million (2005)
Debt - external:
$2.8 billion (2002)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Currency code:
XOF
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 493.51
(2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003)
note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the
euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro
Communications
Mali
Telephones - main lines in use:
85,000 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.483 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: domestic system unreliable but improving;
provides only minimal service
domestic: fixed-line availability is gradually increasing, but
subscribership remains less than 1 per 100 persons; increasing use
of local radio loops to extend network coverage to remote areas;
mobile-cellular subscribership has increased sharply to 20 per 100
persons
international: country code - 223; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 230 (27 regional and government stations, and 203 private
stations), shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios:
570,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (plus repeaters) (2007)
Televisions:
45,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.ml
Internet hosts:
387 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
13 (2001)
Internet users:
100,000 (2007)
Transportation
Mali
Airports:
29 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 21
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 8 (2007)
Railways:
total: 729 km
narrow gauge: 729 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 18,709 km
paved: 3,368 km
unpaved: 15,341 km (2004)
Waterways:
1,800 km (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Koulikoro
Military
Mali
Military branches:
Malian Armed Forces: Army, Republic of Mali Air Force (Force
Aerienne de la Republique du Mali, FARM), National Guard (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 2 years (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,603,700
females age 16-49: 2,441,776 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,594,184
females age 16-49: 1,529,871 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 144,293
female: 136,381 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.9% of GDP (2006)
Transnational Issues
Mali
Disputes - international:
none
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 6,300 (Mauritania) (2007)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Malta
Introduction
Malta
Background:
Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814. The
island staunchly supported the UK through both World Wars and
remained in the Commonwealth when it became independent in 1964. A
decade later Malta became a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the
island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a
financial center, and a tourist destination. Malta became an EU
member in May 2004 and began to use the euro as currency in 2008.
Geography
Malta
Location:
Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily
(Italy)
Geographic coordinates:
35 50 N, 14 35 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 316 sq km
land: 316 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
196.8 km (does not include 56.01 km for the island of Gozo)
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm
Climate:
Mediterranean; mild, rainy winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain:
mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Ta'Dmejrek 253 m (near Dingli)
Natural resources:
limestone, salt, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 31.25%
permanent crops: 3.13%
other: 65.62% (2005)
Irrigated land:
20 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
0.07 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.02 cu km/yr (74%/1%/25%)
per capita: 50 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources; increasing reliance on
desalination
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three largest
islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) being
inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and Tunisia are
discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf
between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
People
Malta
Population:
403,532 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.4% (male 33,954/female 32,158)
15-64 years: 69.7% (male 142,338/female 138,792)
65 years and over: 13.9% (male 24,240/female 32,050) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.2 years
male: 37.9 years
female: 40.6 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.407% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
10.33 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
8.29 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.79 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.25 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.3 years
male: 77.08 years
female: 81.64 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.51 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 500 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Maltese (singular and plural)
adjective: Maltese
Ethnic groups:
Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians with
strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 98%
Languages:
Maltese (official) 90.2%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%,
other 0.8% (2005 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 92.8%
male: 92%
female: 93.6% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 15 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
5.1% of GDP (2004)
Government
Malta
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Malta
conventional short form: Malta
local long form: Repubblika ta' Malta
local short form: Malta
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Valletta
geographic coordinates: 35 53 N, 14 30 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
none (administered directly from Valletta); note - local councils
carry out administrative orders
Independence:
21 September 1964 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 21 September (1964)
Constitution:
1964 constitution; amended many times
Legal system:
based on English common law and Roman civil law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Edward FENECH ADAMI (since 4 April 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Lawrence GONZI (since 23 March
2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the
prime minister
elections: president elected by the House of Representatives for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on
29 March 2004 (next to be held by April 2009); following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority
coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president for a
five-year term; the deputy prime minister is appointed by the
president on the advice of the prime minister
election results: Eddie FENECH ADAMI elected president; House of
Representatives vote - 33 out of 65 votes
Legislative branch: