World Facts Index
 Democracy
is slowly being reestablished after the civil war from 1991 to 2002 that
resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2
million people (about one-third of the population). The military, which took
over full responsibility for security following the departure of UN peacekeepers
at the end of 2005, is increasingly developing as a guarantor of the country's
stability. The armed forces remained on the sideline during the 2007
presidential election, but still look to the UN Integrated Office in Sierra
Leone (UNIOSIL) - a civilian UN mission - to support efforts to consolidate
peace. The new government's priorities include furthering development, creating
jobs, and stamping out endemic corruption.
Geography of Sierra Leone
|
Location:
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Western Africa, bordering
the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia |
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Coordinates:
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8 30 N, 11 30 W |
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Area:
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total: 71,740 sq km
land: 71,620 sq km
water: 120 sq km |
|
Area comparative:
|
slightly smaller than South
Carolina |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 958 km
border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km |
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Coastline:
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402 km |
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24
NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; hot, humid;
summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to
April) |
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Terrain:
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coastal belt of mangrove
swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m |
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Natural resources:
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diamonds, titanium ore,
bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite |
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Natural hazards:
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dry, sand-laden harmattan
winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust
storms |
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Environment current issues:
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rapid population growth
pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of
cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in
deforestation and soil exhaustion; civil war depleting natural
resources; overfishing |
|
Geography - note:
|
rainfall along the coast
can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest
places along coastal, western Africa
|
Population of Sierra Leone
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Population:
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6,294,774 (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure:
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0-14 years: 44.8% (male 1,321,563/female 1,370,721)
15-64 years: 52% (male 1,494,502/female 1,625,733)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 90,958/female 101,773) |
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Median age:
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17.4 years |
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Growth rate:
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2.3% |
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Infant mortality:
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160.39 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 40.22 years
male: 38.05 years
female: 42.46 years |
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Fertility rate:
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6.08 children born/woman |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective: Sierra Leonean |
|
Ethnic groups:
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20 native African tribes 90% (Temne 30%,
Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were
settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century), refugees from Liberia's recent
civil war, small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians |
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Religions:
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Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%,
Christian 10% |
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Languages:
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English (official, regular use limited to
literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular
in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican
slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10%
of the population but understood by 95%) |
|
Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
total population: 29.6%
male: 39.8%
female: 20.5%
|
Government
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of
Sierra Leone |
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Government type:
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constitutional democracy |
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Capital:
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Freetown |
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Administrative divisions:
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3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern,
Southern, Western* |
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Independence:
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27 April 1961 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 27 April (1961) |
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Constitution:
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1 October 1991; subsequently amended
several times |
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Legal system:
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based on English law and customary laws
indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Ernest Bai
KOROMA (since 17 September 2007); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
head of government: President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007)
cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval
of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term). |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Parliament (124 seats - 112 elected by popular
vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members serve five-year
terms) |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court |
Economy
Sierra Leone is an extremely poor nation with tremendous inequality in
income distribution. While it possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, and
fishery resources, its physical and social infrastructure is not well
developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic
development. Nearly half of the working-age population engages in subsistence
agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials
and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Alluvial diamond mining
remains the major source of hard currency earnings accounting for nearly half
of Sierra Leone's exports. The fate of the economy depends upon the
maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid
from abroad, which is essential to offset the severe trade imbalance and
supplement government revenues. The IMF has completed a Poverty Reduction and
Growth Facility program that helped stabilize economic growth and reduce
inflation. A recent increase in political stability has led to a revival of
economic activity such as the rehabilitation of bauxite and rutile mining.
|
GDP:
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$3.991 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP growth rate:
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6.3% |
|
GDP per capita:
|
$800 |
|
GDP composition by sector:
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agriculture: 49%
industry: 31%
services: 21% |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $96 million
expenditures: $351 million |
|
Electricity production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100% |
|
Industries:
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mining (diamonds); small-scale
manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining |
|
Agriculture:
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rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm
oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish |
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Exports:
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diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish |
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Export partners:
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Belgium 64.2%, Germany 14.2%, US 4.6% |
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Imports:
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foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants,
chemicals |
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Import partners:
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Germany 19.5%, Cote d'Ivoire 11.5%, US 7%, UK 6.9%, China
5.7%, Netherlands 5.3%, South Africa 4.4% |
|
Currency:
|
leone (SLL) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |