Geography of Mali

Location:\nWestern Africa, southwest of Algeria\n

Geographic coordinates:\n17 00 N, 4 00 W\n

Map references:\nAfrica\n

Area:\n
total:\n1.24 million km²\n
land:\n1.22 million km²\n
water:\n20,000 km²\n

Area - comparative:\nslightly less than twice the size of Texas\n

Land boundaries:\n
total:\n7,243 km\n
border countries:\nAlgeria 1,376 km, Burkina Faso 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Côte d'Ivoire 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km\n

Coastline:\n0 km (landlocked)\n

Maritime claims:\nnone (landlocked)\n

Climate:\nsubtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy, humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry November to February\n

Terrain:\nmostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast\n

Elevation extremes:\n
lowest point:\nSenegal River 23 m\n
highest point:\nHombori Tondo 1,155 m\n

Natural resources:\ngold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, hydropower\n
note:\nbauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited\n

Land use:\n
arable land:\n2%\n
permanent crops:\n0%\n
permanent pastures:\n25%\n
forests and woodland:\n6%\n
other:\n67% (1993 est.)\n

Irrigated land:\n780 km² (1993 est.)\n

Natural hazards:\nhot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts\n

Environment - current issues:\ndeforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching\n

Environment - international agreements:\n
party to:\nBiodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands\n
signed, but not ratified:\nClimate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban\n

Geography - note:\nlandlocked

See also : Mali\nCategory:Mali