Geological  Features-  Mali is in Western Africa, and is bordered by Algeria, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Cote d' Ivoire, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.  Mali is 1.24 million square kilometers in total, a little less that double the size of Texas.  Mali has 20,000 square kilometers of water and 1.22 million square kilometers in land.  As you can see from the maps to the right, Mali is a completely landlocked country.  Mali is made up of Savannah and desert. Climate- Mali's climate is semi-tropical in the southern part of the country and arid in the north.; hot and dry in the season from February to June...rainy, humid, and mild from June to Novermber...Cool and dry from Novemebr to February.  Population- In July of 2003, it was estimated that Mali's population is 11,626,219.  The capital has the largest population in the country with more than one million people.  Segou has more than 200 thousand people and Sikasso with about 120, 000 people, if not more.  Mopti, Gao, Kayes, and Timbuktu all have less than 100 thousand people. (These numbers were a 2002 estimate.) The population growth rate was estimated in 2003 to be 2.82%.  Of the total population, 47.2% are from the ages of 0 to 14, 49.8% are from the ages of 15 to 64, and 3% are 65 or older.  Birth rate is 47.79 births per 1,000 people (2003 est.).  The death rate is 19.21 per 1,000 people (2003 est.).  Infant mortality rate is 119.2 death per 1,000 live births, and the life expectancy at birth is 45.43 years. Natural Resources- Gold, Kaolin, Salt, Limestone, Phosphates, Uranium, and hydropower.  They also have iron ore, manganese, tin, copper, bauxite are also found but not broken down. The environment in which the people in Mali live doesn't leave much room for development.  Since the country is one of the ten poorest countries in the world and has desert taking up over half of the land, Malian people have a hard time moving forward.  You can't turn the desert into an agriculture zone, which is what keeps Malian people working and able to support their communities.  Because they can't do anything about the geological structure or climate of the country, they work with what is available.
Sources: Pics came from www.google.com Information from CIA Worldfact Book and US       Department of State web pages. http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ml.html http://travel.state.gov/mali.html Http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2828.htm