Sierra Leone
Republic of Sierra Leone
constitutional democracyIndependence 27 April 1961 (from the UK)
Sierra Leone as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 132 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
20 fieldsLand useshare of 71,740 sq km
Climate
- tropical;
- hot, humid;
- summer rainy season (May to December);
- winter dry season (December to April)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 0.38 cu km/yr (5%/3%/92%)
- per capita:
- 69 cu m/yr (2000)
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 depleted natural resources;
- overfishing
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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
23 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 80 note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2009 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:
- 0.84 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.94 male(s)/female (2009 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
- water contact disease:
- schistosomiasis
- aerosolized dust or soil contact disease:
- Lassa fever (2009)
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 Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007); President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Parliament, 112 seats, elected 11 August 2007one dot, one seat
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
Capital
- name:
- Freetown
- geographic coordinates:
- 8 30 N, 13 15 W
- time difference:
- UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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 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);
- election last held 11 August 2007 and 8 September 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
- election results:
- second round results; percent of vote - Ernest Bai KOROMA 54.6%, Solomon BEREWA 45.4%
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament (124 seats; 112 members elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 11 August 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 59, SLPP 43, PMDC 10
Political parties and leaders
- All People's Congress or APC [Ernest Bai KOROMA];
- Peace and Liberation Party or PLP [Darlington MORRISON];
- People's Movement for Democratic Change or PMDC [Charles MARGAI];
- Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Solomon BEREWA];
- numerous others
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIT, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Bockari Kortu STEVENS
- 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 June Carter PERRY
- embassy:
- Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown
- mailing address:
- use embassy street address
- telephone:
- [232] (22) 515 000 or (76) 515 000
- FAX:
- [232] (22) 515 355
Economy
Sierra Leone is an extremely poor nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution.
46 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2005 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
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.
Commercial bank prime lending rate
24.5% (31 December 2008) · 25% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 12
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
Exchange rates
leones (SLL) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2,961.7 (2006), 2,889.6 (2005), 2,701.3 (2004), 2,347.9 (2003)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- marginal telephone service
- domestic:
- the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects Freetown to Bo and Kenema; mobile-cellular service is growing rapidly from a small base
- international:
- country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Transportation
8 fieldsMerchant marine, 182 ships by type
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Maritime Wing and Air Wing) (2008)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Maritime Wing and Air Wing) (2008)
Military service age and obligation
17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent); no conscription (2008)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
- as domestic fighting among disparate ethnic groups, rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone gradually abate, the number of refugees in border areas has begun to slowly dwindle;
- Sierra Leone considers excessive Guinea's definition of the flood plain limits to define the left bank boundary of the Makona and Moa rivers and protests Guinea's continued occupation of these lands including the hamlet of Yenga occupied since 1998
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Sierra Leone.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/sierra-leone/2009.