Country Profile
Mali |
Capital: |
Bamako |
2004 Population: |
11,956,788 |
Pop. Growth Rate: |
2.78% |
Life Expectancy: |
45.28 years |
Literacy: |
46.4% |
Area – Sq. KM: |
1,240,000 |
Languages: |
32 Total - French (official), numerous African languages |
Languages with Scriptures: |
4 Bible, 5 New Testament |
Ethnic Groups: |
34 Total – Major groups Mande (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul, Voltaic, Songhai, Tuareg and Moor |
Major Religions: |
Muslim 87%, Animist 11.1%, Christian 1.9%, Non-religious 0.1% |
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The landlocked West African country of Mali is one of the world's poorest nations. Subsistence agriculture is frequently devastated by drought, famine, desertification and locust plagues. About 10% of the population is nomadic and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in farming and fishing. It is projected that 64% of the population lives below poverty level.
Since independence from France in 1960, Mali has suffered droughts, rebellions, a coup and a 23-year military dictatorship. But since 1992, when the country's first democratically-elected president took power, Mali has had a civilian government.
Of the 34 ethnic groups, only four are more that 1% evangelical and eleven groups have no known evangelical believers. All peoples are in desperate need of the good news and Operation Harvest will provide the means to reach these groups with the gospel.
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