Mali consists of eight regions and its borders on the north reach deep into the middle of the Sahara Desert, while the country's southern part, where the majority of inhabitants live, features the Niger and Senegal rivers. The country's economy centers on agriculture and fishing. Some of Mali's prominent natural resources include gold, being the third largest producer of gold in the African continent
Languages: French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African language
Ethnic Groups: Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5%
Belief Systems: Muslim 90%, Christian 1%, indigenous beliefs 9%
Demographics:
Population: 17.3 million people (World Rank: 63rd) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 36.7 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 216th) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 3 %/yr (World Rank: 16th) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 55 years (World Rank: 216th) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 16.5 years (World Rank: 190th) (2010 estimate)
Sites for More Information:
Map of Mali
Worldatlas.com
Country Profile for Mali
United Nations
MaliWikipedia.org
Current News in Mali
AllAfrica.com
Mali - Facts and Information 1
UNECA
Mali - Facts and Information 2
Encyclopedia.com
Mali - Facts and Information 3
World Factbook
Culture and Tourism:
Travel Guide for Mali
Wikitravel.org
Language Resources:
Bambara alphabet, pronunciation, and language
Omniglot.com
Learn French Online 2
Mylanguages.org
French language, alphabet, and pronunciation
Omniglot.com
French Language Games
Digitaldialects.com
Government Related:
Government Websites of Mali
by Gunnar Anzinger
