Mali - Geography

Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Mali. Landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan. Mother's mean age at first birth is 19.2 years (2018 est.) (Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49), whereas, the Maternal mortality ratio is 440 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Geographical data of Mali
Location interior Western Africa, southwest of Algeria, north of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, west of Niger
Geographic coordinates 17 00 N, 4 00 W
Map references Africa
Tarrain mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast
Natural Resources gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, gypsum, granite, hydropower
Natural Hazards hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding
Irrigated Land 3,780 sq km (2012)
Major rivers (by length in km) Niger (shared with Guinea [s], Niger, and Nigeria [m]) - 4,200 km; Senegal (shared with Guinea [s], Senegal, and Mauritania [m]) - 1,641 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major aquifers Lullemeden-Irhazer Basin, Taodeni-Tanezrouft Basin
Land Boundaries 7,908 km
Border Countries Algeria 1,359 km; Burkina Faso 1,325 km; Cote d'Ivoire 599 km; Guinea 1,062 km; Mauritania 2,236 km; Niger 838 km, Senegal 489 km
Coastline 0 km (landlocked)
Climate subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)
Area
Total Area
Land Area 1,220,190 sq km
Water Area 20,002 sq km
comparative Area slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Maritime Claims
Elevations
Highest point Hombori Tondo 1,155 m
Lowest point Senegal River 23 m
Mean elevation 343 m
Land Use
Agricultural land 34.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land arable land: 5.6% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture permanent pasture: 28.4% (2018 est.)
Forest 10.2% (2018 est.)
Other 55.7% (2018 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

People and Society

In Mali, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: 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.)

Population
Pop growth rate 2.9% (2024 est.)
Birth rate 40 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Death rate 8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Health expenditure 4.3% of GDP (2020)
Physicians Density
Hospital bed Density 0.1 beds/1,000 population
Total fertility rate 5.35 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Gross reproduction rate 2.64 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate 17.2% (2018)
Est married women (ages 15-49) 77.9% (2023 est.)
Literacy age 15 and over can read and write
Education expenditures 4.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
Net Migration rate -2.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Nationality Malian | Malian(s)
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.)
Religions Muslim 93.9%, Christian 2.8%, animist 0.7%, none 2.5% (2018 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years 46.8% (male 5,175,714/female 5,114,128)
15-64 years 50.1% (male 5,178,742/female 5,842,456)
65 years and over 3.1% (2024 est.) (male 334,299/female 345,268)
Dependency Ratios
Total dependency ratio 99.3
Youth dependency ratio 94.5
Elderly dependency ratio 4.9
Potential support ratio 20.6 (2021 est.)
Median Age
Total 16.4 years (2024 est.)
Male 15.7 years
Female 17.1 years
Urbanization
Urban population 46.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization 4.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas (Pop) 2.929 million BAMAKO (capital) (2023).
Sex Ratio
At birth 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over 0.97 male(s)/female
Total population 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant Motality
Total 57.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male 62.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Female 52 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at birth
Total population 63.2 years (2024 est.)
Male 60.9 years
Female 65.6 years
Drinking Water Sources
Improved: urban urban: 99.9% of population
Improved: rural rural: 75.9% of population
Improved: total total: 86.4% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 0.1% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 24.1% of population
Unimproved: total total: 13.6% of population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility acess
Improved: urban urban: 85.7% of population
Improved: rural rural: 44.7% of population
Improved: total total: 62.7% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 14.3% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 55.3% of population
Unimproved: total total: 37.3% of population (2020 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
Total 0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols 0.49 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
Total 8.3% (2020 est.)
Male 15.6% (2020 est.)
Female 1% (2020 est.)
Child marriage
Women married by age 15 15.9%
Women married by age 18 53.7%
Men married by age 18 2.1% (2018 est.)
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 5.5 children per woman – the fourth highest in the world, as of 2022 – 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.

All Important Facts about Mali

Want to know more about Mali? Check all different factbooks for Mali below.

Mali is found in Western Africa