For more information see the Mali profile.

The Republic of Mali is a landlocked state located in northwestern Africa. Its dry southern grasslands merge into the Sahara Desert. The agricultural economy has been devastated by drought, famine, locust plagues, and desert encroachment since the 1970's.

The people are the modern descendants of the great Malian empire. An long era as a French colony ended with independence in 1960. A military dictatorship was ousted in 1991, and multi-party democracy was instituted.

Mali has remainined a secular state with religious freedom despite the large Muslim majority. Islam has proved a disappointment to many, resulting in a greater openness to Christianity. The gospel progressed greatly in the 1980's, and the number of missionaries doubled during that period.