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Mali: Countries
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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.
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Mali is one of the best-known countries in West Africa. The country owes this to the legendary names of Timbuktu, Segou, Djenné and the Dogon people. The ancient commercial towns like Segou, Djenné, Mopti and Timbuktu owed their prosperity for a great deal to the important Niger River. Although Mali is now one of the poorest countries in the world, you can still see why the first European explorers were so impressed by the richness and diversity of these cities. Up to today a mixture of populations from all over the region inhabit these towns. Whereas in these river towns, people from all over the region of West Africa met each other, the Dogon lived an introvert and retired live.
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Mali has unexploited deposits of bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper. The exploited metals and minerals of Mali include gold, uranium, kaolin, gypsum and limestone. Other resources for this country include phosphates, salt, granite and hydropower.
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In the early 1990s, the government fought against rebellions by the Tuaregs, nomads of Berber and Arab descent who inhabit the northern desert regions of Mali and have little in common with Mali's black African majority. The Tuaregs accused the government of marginalizing them politically and culturally. A peace agreement was signed in 1995, and thousands of Tuareg refugees returned to the country.
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United States commercial engagement with Mali remains limited. Mali benefits from the African Growth and Opportunity Act under which it has begun exporting yarn to Mauritius to be made into clothing for the U.S. market. The country's fledgling textile industry is a potential source of product as well as a market for U.S. equipment. On the security front, Mali is a potential breeding ground for fundamentalism and possible terrorist networks, particularly in the often conflict-laden northern parts of Mali. Nevertheless, the Government remains a firm ally in the war on terrorism and participates in the Pan Sahel Initiative.
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[D]espite its rich cultural heritage and spectacular geographical features, until recently, very little was done to take advantage of Mali's immense tourism potential. The new Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts for the Republic of Mali, the Honorable N'Diaye Bah, was quoted as saying "The opportunity to promote Mali's ancient culture and startling landscapes is about to change dramatically. Currently, Mali receives about 200,000 tourists every year and tourism is the third major industry after gold mining and cotton. Investors are putting up new hotels and Mali is ... opening new roads to also make it easier to get around the country". In October, Timbuktu, the mysterious "City of 333 Saints" will host the 2003-2004 opening ceremonies of the tourist season in Mali. The kick-off will be launched by H.E. Amadou Toumani Toure, the President of Mali on October 10, 2003.
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