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  Sierra Leone  
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 Introduction
 Geography
 People
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 Economy
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This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005


Map of Sierra Leone



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Sierra Leone Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
The 1991 to 2002 civil war between the government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about one-third of the population), many of whom are now refugees in neighboring countries. With the support of the UN peacekeeping force and contributions from the World Bank and international community, demobilization and disarmament of the RUF and Civil Defense Forces (CDF) combatants has been completed. National elections were held in May 2002 and the government continues to slowly reestablish its authority. However, the gradual withdrawal of most UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) peacekeepers in 2004 and early 2005, deteriorating political and economic conditions in Guinea, and the tenuous security situation in neighboring Liberia may present challenges to the continuation of Sierra Leone's stability.
   Geography    Sierra Leone Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
8 30 N, 11 30 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Africa
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 71,740 sq km
land: 71,620 sq km
water: 120 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 958 km
border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
402 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 6.98%
permanent crops: 0.89%
other: 92.13% (2001)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
290 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
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
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa
   People    Sierra Leone Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6,017,643 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 44.7% (male 1,318,508/female 1,371,164)
15-64 years: 52% (male 1,494,068/female 1,637,276)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 93,047/female 103,580) (2005 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 17.53 years
male: 17.2 years
female: 17.84 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
2.22% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
42.84 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
20.61 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 143.64 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 161.06 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 125.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 39.87 years
male: 37.74 years
female: 42.06 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.72 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
170,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
11,000 (2001 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
Definition Field Listing
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2004)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective: Sierra Leonean
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
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
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
total population: 29.6%
male: 39.8%
female: 20.5% (2000 est.)
   Government    Sierra Leone Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
conventional short form: Sierra Leone
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
constitutional democracy
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Freetown
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
27 April 1961 (from UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 27 April (1961)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
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; election last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held May 2007); note - president's tenure of office is limited to two five-year terms
election results: Ahmad Tejan KABBAH reelected president; percent of vote - Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (SLPP) 70.6%, Ernest KOROMA (APC) 22.4%
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral Parliament (124 seats - 112 elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held May 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - SLPP 70.06%, APC 22.35%, PLP 3%, others 4.59%; seats by party - SLPP 83, APC 27, PLP 2
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
All People's Congress or APC [Ben KANU]; Peace and Liberation Party or PLP [Darlington MORRISON, interim chairman]; Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Sama BANYA]; numerous others
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
trade unions and student unions
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Ibrahim M. KAMARA
chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263
FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas N. HULL
embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [232] (22) 226481 through 226485
FAX: [232] (22) 225471
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
   Economy    Sierra Leone Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
Sierra Leone is an extremely poor African nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. While it possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, its economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development. About two-thirds 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. Plans to reopen bauxite and rutile mines shut down during an 11 year civil war have not been implemented due to lack of foreign investment. Alluvial diamond mining remains the major source of hard currency earnings. 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. International financial institutions contributed over $600 million in development aid and budgetary support in 2003.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$3.335 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $600 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 49%
industry: 30%
services: 21% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.369 million (1981 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
68% (1989 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: 0.5%
highest 10%: 43.6% (1989)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
Definition Field Listing
62.9 (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1% (2002 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $96 million
expenditures: $351 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
diamonds mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining, small commercial ship repair
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
255.3 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
237.4 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$49 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish (1999)
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Belgium 61.6%, Germany 11.8%, US 5.4% (2004)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$264 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals (1995)
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Germany 14%, Cote d'Ivoire 10.7%, UK 9.1%, US 8.4%, China 5.6%, Netherlands 5%, South Africa 4.1% (2004)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1.5 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$103 million (2001 est.)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
leone (SLL)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
leones per US dollar - 2,701.3 (2004), 2,347.9 (2003), 2,099 (2002), 1,986.2 (2001), 2,092.1 (2000)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Sierra Leone Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
24,000 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
67,000 (2002)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: marginal telephone and telegraph service
domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects Freetown to Bo and Kenema
international: country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 1, FM 9, shortwave 1 (1999)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
2 (1999)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.sl
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
277 (2004)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8,000 (2002)
   Transportation    Sierra Leone Top of Page
Highways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 11,300 km
paved: 904 km
unpaved: 10,396 km (2002)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
800 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,435 GRT/8,750 DWT
by type: petroleum tanker 2 (2005)
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
10 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Heliports:
Definition Field Listing
2 (2004 est.)
   Military    Sierra Leone Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Air Wing, Maritime Wing)
Military service age and obligation:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 1,110,077 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 552,785 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$13.2 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.7% (2004)
   Transnational Issues    Sierra Leone Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
domestic fighting among disparate rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone perpetuate insurgencies, street violence, looting, arms trafficking, ethnic conflicts, and refugees in border areas; UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) has maintained over 4,000 peacekeepers in Sierra Leone since 1999; Sierra Leone pressures Guinea to remove its forces from the town of Yenga occupied since 1998
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Definition Field Listing
refugees (country of origin): 67,000 (Liberia) (2004)

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005


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