Sierra Leone

Republic of Sierra Leone

constitutional democracyIndependence 27 April 1961 (from UK)

Sierra Leone as the 2006 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 118 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, UTC

Position8 30 N, 11 30 W

Area71,740 sq km

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

Populationas each edition published it

6.01 million July 2006 est. · 4.17m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.3% 2006 est. · 2.61% in 1993

Median ageyears

17.4 years 2006 est. · 17.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

40.22 years 2006 est. · 45.87 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.08 children per woman 2006 est. · 6.2 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

160.39 deaths per 1,000 live births 2006 est. · 154 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$800 2005 est. · $330 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

7.5% 2005 est. · -1% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

The government is slowly reestablishing its authority after the 1991 to 2002 civil war that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about one-third of the population). The last UN peacekeepers withdrew in December 2005, leaving full responsibility for security with domestic forces, but a new civilian UN office remains to support the government. Mounting tensions related to planned 2007 elections, deteriorating political and economic conditions in Guinea, and the tenuous security situation in neighboring Liberia may present challenges to continuing progress in Sierra Leone's stability.

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 71,740 sq km

arable land 7.95%permanent crops 1.05%other 91% (2005)irrigated 300 sq km (2003)

Area

71,740sq km

land: 71,620 sq kmwater: 120 sq kmslightly smaller than South Carolina

Coastline

402km

territorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm

Highest point

1,948m

Loma Mansa (Bintimani)lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Land boundaries

958km

border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

8 30 N, 11 30 W

Map references

Africa

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

Natural hazards

dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:: Environmental Modification

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

People

20 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2006 est.)

90,958

65 and over3.2%

101,773

1,494,502

15-6452%

1,625,733

1,321,563

0-1444.8%

1,370,721

MaleFemale

Population

6,005,250

(July 2006 est.)growth rate: 2.3% (2006 est.)

Per 1,000 population

Birth

45.76 (2006 est.)Death

23.03 (2006 est.)Net migration

0.23

Net migration: note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2006 est.)

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2006 est.)40.22

38.05 · 42.46Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)160.39

177.47 · 142.8

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2000 est.)29.6%

39.8% · 20.5%Median age years (2006 est.)17.4

17.1 · 17.7

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic

Religions

Muslim 60%indigenous beliefs 30%Christian 10%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

(2001 est.)

Net migration rate

0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2006 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 0.96 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.08 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

170,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

11,000 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases

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 (2005)

Nationality

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

Ethnic groups

20 African ethnic groups 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

Languages

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%)

Government

Constitutional democracy; President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

70.6%

Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (SLPP) 70.6%Ernest KOROMA (APC) 22.4%election last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held 28 July 2007)

Parliament, 112 seats, elected 14 May 2002one dot, one seat

SLPP 83APC 27PLP 2

Percent of vote

SLPP 70.06%APC 22.35%PLP 3%others 4.59%

Country name

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

Government type

constitutional democracy

Capital

name:: Freetown
geographic coordinates:: 8 30 N, 13 15 W
time difference:: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

27 April 1961 (from UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 April (1961)

Constitution

1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times

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:: 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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held 28 July 2007)
election results:: Ahmad Tejan KABBAH reelected president; percent of vote - Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (SLPP) 70.6%, Ernest KOROMA (APC) 22.4%

Legislative branch

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

Supreme Court;
Appeals Court;
High Court

Political parties and leaders

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

trade unions and student unions

International organization participation

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

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

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

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

Economy

Sierra Leone is an extremely poor African nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution.

38 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$4.939billion

(2005 est.)official exchange rate: $1.128 billion (2005 est.)

GDP per capita, PPP

$800

(2005 est.)

Real growth rate

7.5%

(2005 est.)industrial production growth: NA%

Inflation, consumer prices

(2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2001 est.)

agriculture 49%industry 31%services 21% (2001 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

66.2%

Belgium

13.5%

Germany

18.9%

Cote d'Ivoire

11.2%

8.5%

4.6%

6.9%

China

5.6%

Netherlands

5.4%

South Africa

4.1%

Exports $185 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)Imports $531 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)(2005)

Budget

Revenues

$96 millionExpenditures

$351 million (2000 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

Electricity production

260.6 million (2003)Electricity consumption

242.4 million (2003)

Economy - overview

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. 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 mining.

Labor force

1.369 million (1981 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture:: NA%
industry:: NA%
services:: NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Population below poverty line

68% (1989 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

62.9 (1989)

Agriculture - products

rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts;
poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs;
fish

Industries

diamond mining;
small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear);
petroleum refining, small commercial ship repair

Oil - production

0.8361 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

6,510 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Exports

$185 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish

Imports

$531 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals

Debt - external

$1.61 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$297.4 million (2003 est.)

Currency (code)

leone (SLL)

Exchange rates

leones per US dollar - 2,889.6 (2005), 2,701.3 (2004), 2,347.9 (2003), 2,099 (2002), 1,986.2 (2001)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

113,200

(2003)

Internet users

(2006)

Fixed lines

24,000

(2002) · country code .sl

Telephone system

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

AM 1, FM 9, shortwave 1 (1999)

Television broadcast stations

2 (1999)

Internet users

10,000 (2005)

Transportation

8 fields

Merchant marine, 54 ships by typeone square, one ship · ships (1000 GRT or over) 185,037 GRT/249,996 DWT

bulk carrier 2cargo 36chemical tanker 3combination ore/oil 3liquefied gas 1livestock carrier 1passenger 1passenger/cargo 3petroleum tanker 2roll on/roll off 2foreign-owned: 14 (China 2, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Russia 1, Syria 1, UAE 3, Ukraine 4, US 1) (2006)

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

over 3,047 m

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

914 to 1,523 m

7under 914 m

Networkskm

Roadways

11,300Waterways

800 (2005)

Roadways: paved: 904 km · unpaved: 10,396 km (2002) · Waterways: (600 km year round)

total:: 11,300 km
paved:: 904 km
unpaved:: 10,396 km (2002)

Waterways

800 km (600 km year round) (2005)

Ports and terminals

Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands

Military

Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Air Wing, Maritime Wing)

5 fields

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.7%

(2005 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

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

refugees (country of origin): 65,433 (Liberia) (2005)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Sierra Leone.” The World Factbook 2006. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/sierra-leone/2006.

How to cite ← 2005 edition 2007 edition →