Geography
Mali
Area
land
1,220,190 sq km
water
20,002 sq km
total
1,240,192 sq km
Climate
the climate ranges from subtropical to arid; characterized by hot and dry conditions from February to June; rainy, humid, and mild weather from June to November; followed by cool and dry periods from November to February
Terrain
the landscape consists primarily of flat to gently rolling northern plains covered with sand; the southern region features savanna, while the northeast is marked by rugged hills
Land use
other
55.8% (2023 est.)
forest
8.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
35.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 6.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 28.4% (2023 est.)
Location
located in the interior of Western Africa, situated southwest of Algeria, north of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, and west of Niger
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
lowest point
Senegal River 23 m
highest point
Hombori Tondo 1,155 m
mean elevation
343 m
Irrigated land
3,780 sq km (2012)
Major aquifers
Lullemeden-Irhazer Basin, Taodeni-Tanezrouft Basin
Map references
Africa
Land boundaries
total
7,908 km
border countries
Algeria shares a border of 1,359 km; Burkina Faso 1,325 km; Cote d'Ivoire 599 km; Guinea 1,062 km; Mauritania 2,236 km; Niger 838 km; and Senegal 489 km
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
during the dry seasons, a hot, dust-filled harmattan haze is prevalent; the region experiences recurring droughts and occasional flooding of the Niger River
Geography - note
the country is landlocked and comprises three primary natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese region; the central, semiarid Sahelian area; and the northern, arid Saharan zone
Natural resources
the country is rich in gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, gypsum, granite, and has hydropower potential
Area - comparative
the total area is slightly less than double that of Texas
Geographic coordinates
17 00 N, 4 00 W
Population distribution
the vast majority of the population resides in the southern half of the nation, with higher density concentrations along the border with Burkina Faso, as illustrated in this population distribution map
Major lakes (area sq km)
fresh water lake(s)
Lac Faguibine - 590 sq km
note - the lake relies solely on the Niger River for its water supply; it has been dry in recent years
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage
Niger covers an area of 2,261,741 sq km, Senegal 456,397 sq km, and Volta 410,991 sq km
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] denotes the river source after the country name; [m] indicates the river mouth after the country name