|
The vast majority of Malians are employed in farming, herding, or fishing. Cotton and peanuts are the country's only significant cash crops, with rice, corn, sorghum, millet, and cassava being the major food crops. Agriculture and herding have been increasing hurt by the encroaching desert. Mali's industries are mainly limited to the processing of farm commodities, construction, and the manufacture of basic consumer goods. Gold, phosphate, salt, and limestone are mined, and the country has extensive unexploited mineral resources, including bauxite, manganese, iron ore, lithium, uranium, tin, copper, and diamonds. Remittances from Malians working abroad are also an important source of income. The Manantali Dam on the Bafing River (a Senegal tributary) produces hydroelectric power.
Cotton and gold account for more than 80% of Mali's export revenues. The main imports are machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, construction materials, and petroleum. Mali's chief trading partners are France and other Franc Zone countries.
Sections in this article:
|
