World Context: Mali

Source and mapping status

This page maps the site registry entry “Mali” to the supplied dataset entity “Mali.” Mapping status: exact-name. The source is a frozen 2025 snapshot; dates embedded in individual fields remain controlling.

• Source entity count: 1.
• Selected public fields present: 18.
• Independent corroboration in this page: none.

Place and environment

Location: interior Western Africa, southwest of Algeria, north of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, west of Niger Area: total : 1,240,192 sq km; land: 1,220,190 sq km; water: 20,002 sq km 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 Natural hazards: hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding Environmental issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; loss of pasture land; inadequate supplies of potable water

Population, settlement, and language context

Population: total: 22,634,423 (2025 est.); male: 10,999,331; female: 11,635,092 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 Urbanization: urban population: 46.2% of total population (2023); rate of urbanization: 4.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) Languages: Bambara (official), French 17.2%, Peuhl/Foulfoulbe/Fulani 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

Public and legal context

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 origin of the name is unclear, but it comes from the Bambara language and can refer either to a crocodile or to a person's name Government type: semi-presidential republic Legal system: civil law system based on the French civil law model and influenced by customary law; Constitutional Court reviews legislative acts

Economy and connectivity context

Economic overview: low-income Saharan economy; recession due to COVID-19 and political instability; extreme poverty; environmentally fragile; high public debt; agricultural and gold exporter; terrorism and warfare are common Industries: food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining Electricity access: electrification - total population: 53% (2022 est.); electrification - urban areas: 99.7%; electrification - rural areas: 18.3% Internet users: percent of population: 35% (2023 est.) Airports: 30 (2025)

Interpretation and freshness boundary

Use these fields to ask better questions about material conditions, access, distance, public administration, and information availability. Do not use them to infer intelligence capability, government intent, personal loyalty, protected traits, or a permanent national character. Reverify any time-sensitive claim before publication or comparison.