Sierra Leone
constitutional democracyIndependence 27 April 1961 (from UK)
Sierra Leone as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 94 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between | Guinea and Liberia
17 fieldsLand useshare of 71,740 sq km
Climate
- tropical;
- hot, humid;
- summer rainy season (May to December);
- winter dry season (December to April)
Natural hazards
dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (November to May); sandstorms, dust storms
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
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- Desertification, Environmental Modification
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1997 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 45% (male 1,084,736; female 1,119,802)
- 15-64 years:
- 52% (male 1,216,111; female 1,320,847)
- 65 years and over:
- 3% (male 76,371; female 73,679) (July 1997 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 0.97 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.92 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- total population :
- 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Ethnic groups
13 native African tribes 99% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 39%), Creole, European, Lebanese, and Asian 1%
Languages
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
Constitutional democracy; President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (inaugurated 29 March 1996)
20 fieldsHouse of Representatives, 68 seatsone dot, one seat
Legal system
based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state :
- President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (inaugurated 29 March 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
- head of government:
- President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (inaugurated 29 March 1996); 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 held 26-27 February 1996 (next to be held NA 2001);
- note - president's tenure of office is limited to 2 five-year terms
- election results :
- Ahmad Tejan KABBAH elected president; percent of popular vote - NA
Legislative branch
unicameral House of Representatives (80 seats, 68 elected, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members serve NA-year terms)
- elections :
- last held NA February 1996 (next to be held NA)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - SLPP 27, UNPP 17, PDP 12, APC 5, NUP 4, DCP 3;
- note - first elections since the former House of Representatives was shut down by the military coup of 29 April 1992
Political parties and leaders
- 15 parties registered for the February 1996 elections;
- National Peoples Party or NPP [Andrew TURAY];
- Democratic Center Party or DCP [Abu KOROMA];
- Peoples Progressive Party or PPP [Edward KAMARA, chairman];
- Coalition for Progress Party or CPP [Geredine WILLIAMS-SARHO];
- National Unity Movement or NUM;
- United National Peoples Party or UNPP;
- Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Thaimu BANGURA, chairman];
- All Peoples Congress or APC [S. A. T. KOROMA, chairman];
- National Republican Party or NRP;
- Social Democratic Party or SDP;
- Peoples National Convention or PNC [I. B. KARGBO, chairman];
- National Unity Party or NUP [A. O. D. GEORGE, chairman];
- Sierra Leone Peoples Party or SLPP [Paul DUNBAR, chairman];
- National Democratic Alliance or NDA;
- National Alliance for Democracy Party or NADP
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, 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, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador John Ernest LEIGH
- chancery:
- 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission :
- Ambassador John L. HIRSCH
- embassy:
- Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown
- mailing address:
- use embassy street address
- telephone:
- [232] (22) 226481 through 226485
Economy
Sierra Leone has substantial mineral, | agricultural, and fishery resources.
22 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1995)
Economy - overview
Sierra Leone has substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources. However, the economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development. Agriculture employs about two-thirds of the working population, with subsistence agriculture dominating the sector.
Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. The mining of diamonds, bauxite, and rutile is the major source of hard currency. The government has worked hard to meet its IMF- and World Bank-mandated stabilization targets, holding down fiscal deficits and retiring much of its domestic debt, but at a steep cost in terms of forgone 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 Leone's fragile economy.
Industries
- mining (diamonds, bauxite, rutile);
- small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear);
- petroleum refining
Agriculture - products
- rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts;
- poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs;
- fish
Exports
- total value:
- $39.3 million (f.o.b., 1995)
- commodities:
- rutile, diamonds, bauxite, coffee, cocoa, fish
- partners:
- US 20%, Belgium 20%, Spain 13%, UK 6%, other Western Europe
Imports
- total value:
- $140 million (c.i.f., 1995)
- commodities:
- foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants
- partners:
- Cote d'Ivoire, EU countries, India
Exchange rates
leones (Le) per US$1 - 908.08 (January 1997), 920.73 (1996), 755.22 (1995), 586.74 (1994), 567.46 (1993), 499.44 (1992)
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone system
marginal telephone and telegraph service
- domestic:
- national microwave radio relay system made unserviceable by military activities
- international:
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Transportation
8 fieldsNetworkskm
Railways
- total :
- 84 km used on a limited basis because the mine at Marampa is closed
- narrow gauge:
- 84 km 1.067-m gauge
Military
Army, Navy, Police, Security Forces
5 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Sierra Leone.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/sierra-leone/1997.