Sierra Leone

Republic of Sierra Leone

military governmentIndependence 27 April 1961 (from UK)

Sierra Leone as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 77 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalFreetown

Area71,740 sq km

LocationWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between

Populationas each edition published it

4.75 million July 1995 est. · 4.17m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.63% 1995 est. · 2.61% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 17.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

46.94 years 1995 est. · 45.87 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

5.9 children per woman 1995 est. · 6.2 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

138.8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 154 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,000 1993 est. · $330 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

0.7% 1993 est. · -1% in 1993

Geography

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between | Guinea and Liberia

13 fields

Land useshare of 71,740 sq km

arable land 25%permanent crops 2%meadows and pastures 31%forest and woodland 29%other 13%irrigated 340 sq km (1989 est.)

Area

71,740sq km

land area: 71,620 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than South Carolina

Coastline

402km

territorial sea: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Land boundaries

958km

total · Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia

Climate

tropical;
hot, humid;
summer rainy season (May to December);
winter dry season (December to April)

Terrain

coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east

Natural resources

diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite

Environment

current issues:: 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
natural hazards:: dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (November to May); sandstorms, dust storms
international agreements:: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban;
signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Environmental Modification

People

15 fields

Population

4,753,120

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 2.63% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

44.65Death

18.38

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years46.94

44.07 · 49.89

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy21%

31% · 11%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic (1990 est.)

Religions

Muslim 60%indigenous beliefs 30%Christian 10%

Labor force

1.369million

(1981 est.)by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry 19%, services 16% (1981 est.)note: only about 65,000 wage earners (1985)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 44% (female 1,054,826; male 1,020,943)
15-64 years:: 53% (female 1,310,506; male 1,216,510)
65 years and over:: 3% (female 72,982; male 77,353) (July 1995 est.)

Net migration rate

NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) note: thousands of refugees, fleeing the civil strife in Sierra Leone, are taking refuge in Guinea

Infant mortality rate

138.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective:: Sierra Leonean

Ethnic divisions

13 native African tribes 99% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 39%), Creole, European, Lebanese, and Asian 1%

English (official; regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (the language of the re-settled ex-slave population of the Freetown area and is lingua franca)

Government

Military government

19 fields

Names

conventional long form:: Republic of Sierra Leone
conventional short form:: Sierra Leone

Digraph

Type

military government

Capital

Freetown

Administrative divisions

3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*

Independence

27 April 1961 (from UK)

National holiday

Republic Day, 27 April (1961)

Constitution

1 October 1991; suspended following 19 April 1992 coup

Legal system

based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government:: Chairman of the Supreme Council of State Capt. Valentine E. M. STRASSER (since 29 April 1992)
cabinet:: Council of Secretaries; responsible to the Supreme Council of State (SCS)

Legislative branch

unicameral House of Representatives (suspended after coup of 29 April 1992); Chairman STRASSER promises multi-party elections sometime in 1995

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (suspended after coup of 29 April 1992)

Political parties and leaders

status of existing political parties is unknown following 29 April 1992 coup

Member of

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Thomas Kahota KARGBO
chancery:: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:: [1] (202) 939-9261

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Lauralee M. PETERS
embassy:: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown
mailing address:: use embassy street address
telephone:: [232] (22) 226481 trough 226485

FAX

[232] (22) 225471

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue

Economy

Sierra Leone has substantial mineral, agricultural, and | fishery resources, but the economic and social infrastructure is not | well developed.

18 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$1,000

(1993 est.)

Real growth rate

0.7%

(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate -1.5% (FY91/92); accounts for 11% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

22%

(1993 est.)

External debt

$1.15billion

(yearend 1993)

Budget

Revenues

$68 millionExpenditures

$118 million (1992 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $28 million

Installed generating capacity, 130,000 kW

Electricity production

220 millionElectricity consumption per capita

44 (1993)

Overview

Sierra Leone has substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, but the economic and social infrastructure is not well developed. Agriculture generates about 40% of GDP and employs about two-thirds of the working population, with subsistence agriculture dominating the sector.

Manufacturing, which accounts for roughly 10% of GDP, consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Diamond mining provides an important source of hard currency. Since 1990, the government has been able to meet its IMF- and World Bank-mandated stabilization targets, holding down fiscal deficits, increasing foreign exchange reserves, and retiring much of its domestic debt - but at a steep cost in terms of capital investments and social spending.

Moreover, the economic infrastructure has nearly collapsed due to neglect and war-related disruptions in the mining and agricultural export sectors. The continuing civil war in Liberia has led to a large influx of refugees, who place additional burdens on Sierra Leon's fragile economy.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $4.5 billion (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$149 million (f.o.b., 1993)

commodities:: rutile 48%, bauxite 25%, diamonds 16%, coffee, cocoa, fish
partners:: US, UK, Belgium, Germany, other Western Europe

Imports

$149 million (c.i.f., 1993)

commodities:: foodstuffs 48%, machinery and equipment 32%, fuels 9%
partners:: US, EC countries, Japan, China, Nigeria

Industries

mining (diamonds, bauxite, rutile), small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear), petroleum refinery

Agriculture

largely subsistence farming;
cash crops - coffee, cocoa, palm kernels;
harvests of food staple rice meets 80% of domestic needs;
annual fish catch averages 53,000 metric tons

Economic aid

recipient:: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $161 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $848 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $18 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $101 million

Currency

1 leone (Le) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

leones (Le) per US$1 - 617.67 (January 1995), 586.74 (1994), 567.46 (1993), 499.44 (1992), 295.34 (1991), 144.9275 (1990)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Transportation

6 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 11 in all

over 3,047 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

7,400Inland waterways

800

Highways: paved: 1,150 km · unpaved: crushed stone, gravel 490 km; improved earth 5,760 km · Inland waterways: ; 600 km navigable year round

Railroads

total:: 84 km mineral line is used on a limited basis because the mine at Marampa is closed
narrow gauge:: 84 km 1.067-m gauge

Highways

total:: 7,400 km
paved:: 1,150 km
unpaved:: crushed stone, gravel 490 km; improved earth 5,760 km

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

23,650 telephones;
telephone density - 5 telephones/1,000 persons;
marginal telephone and telegraph service

local:: NA
intercity:: national microwave radio relay system made unserviceable by military activities
international:: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Radio

broadcast stations:: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
radios:: NA

Television

broadcast stations:: 1
televisions:: NA

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Police, Security Forces