MALI
List of TERRAs
Country profile
Located in the heart of West Africa, Mali encompasses the upper and middle Niger river basin to the south and extends north until the central Sahara. The country is characterized by its landscape of low plains and the majority of the population live concentrated in the areas around the river. The Sahelian strip (the ecosystem which marks the transition between the desert and the grasslands) accounts for 20% of the territory.
- Estimated population (in millions):
- 13,1
- Life expectancy (in years):
- 48,1
- Infant mortality rate (per every 1,000 live births):
- 121
- Female literacy rate (>14 years old):
- 11,9 %
- Male literacy rate (>14 years old):
- 26,7 %
- Children completing the 5th grade of primary school:
- 79 %
- Population living below the poverty level (= $2 a day):
- 90,6 %
Problems
One of the most serious problems in Mali is its contaminated water, which acts as a breeding ground for several parasitic diseases. Furthermore, sanitary resources are scarce, of poor quality and often unavailable outside of the urban centers, leaving the rural population and a large part of the urban population without coverage.
Although women form one of the main motors driving Malian society, the rate of female schooling is far below that of males.