Sierra Leone
Republic of Sierra Leone
constitutional democracyIndependence 27 April 1961 (from the UK)
Sierra Leone as the 2014 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 162 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.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
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 a 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 and 2012 national elections, and over the past year have deployed over 850 peacekeepers in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). As of January 2014, Sierra Leone also fielded 122 staff for five UN peacekeeping missions.
In March 2014, the closure of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) marked the end of more than 15 years of peacekeeping and political operations in Sierra Leone. The 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:
- 0.21 cu km/yr (52%/26%/22%)
- per capita:
- 38.74 cu m/yr (2005)
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 and Society
36 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2014 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2008 census)
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%)
Net migration rate
-3.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 178 note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2014 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 0.94 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 0.92 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.94 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.78 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.94 male(s)/female (2014 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, dengue fever, and yellow fever
- water contact disease:
- schistosomiasis
- animal contact disease:
- rabies
- aerosolized dust or soil contact disease:
- Lassa fever (2013)
Government
Constitutional democracy; President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007); President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Parliament, 112 seats, elected 17 November 2012one 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 29 N, 13 14 W
- time difference:
- UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Constitution
- several previous;
- latest in effect 1 October 1991;
- amended several times, last in 2010;
- note - in mid-2013 a committee was formed to review the constitution (2013)
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007); note - the president is both 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; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- elections:
- president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 17 November 2012 (next to be held in 2017)
- election results:
- Ernest Bai KOROMA re-elected president; percent of vote - Ernest Bai KOROMA 58.7%, Julius Maada BIO 37.4%, other 3.9%
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament (124 seats; 112 members elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 17 November 2012 (next to be held in 2017)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 69, SLPP 43
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Superior Court of Judicature (consists of the Supreme Court - at the apex - with the chief justice and 4 other judges, the Court of Appeal with the chief justice and 7 other judges, and the High Court of Justice with the chief justice and 9 other judges; note – the Judicature has jurisdiction in all civil, criminal, and constitutional matters
- judge selection and term of office:
- Supreme Court chief justice and other judges of the Judicature appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (a 7-member independent body of judges, presidential appointees, and the Commission chairman) and subject to the approval of Parliament;
- all Judicature judges appointed until retirement at age 65
- subordinate courts:
- magistrates' courts;
- District Appeals Court;
- local courts
Political parties and leaders
All People's Congress or APC [Ernest Bai KOROMA]; Peace and Liberation Party or PLP [Kandeh Baba CONTEH]; People's Movement for Democratic Change or PMDC [Charles MARGAI]; Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Sumanu KAPEN]; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Mohamed BANGURA]; numerous others
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIT, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Bockari Kortu STEVENS (since 28 March 2008)
- 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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Kathleen FITZGIBBON (since 2 October 2013)
- embassy:
- Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown
- mailing address:
- use embassy street address
- telephone:
- [232] (76) 515 000 or (76) 515 000
- FAX:
- [232] (76) 515 355
Flag description
- three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and blue;
- green symbolizes agriculture, mountains, and natural resources, white represents unity and justice, and blue the sea and the natural harbor in Freetown
Economy
Sierra Leone is extremely poor.
39 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2013 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
Economy - overview
Sierra Leone is extremely poor. Nearly half of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. The country possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, but it is still recovering from a civil war that ended in the early 2000s that destroyed most institutions.
In recent years economic growth has been driven by mining - particularly of iron ore and oil exploration. The country exports rutile, diamonds, and bauxite, and is vulnerable to fluctuations in international commodity prices. The country relies on external assistance to meet its budgetary needs;
overseas grants make up one-fourth of total revenue. Corruption is a hindrance to foreign investment, although from 2011 to 2012 the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission increased convictions of high-level officials from nine to 22 and recovered millions of dollars. In December 2013, the US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) did not hold a vote on the reselection of Sierra Leone because the country did not pass MCC’s Scorecard Corruption indicator; however, MCC continues compact development through a more limited engagement.
Gross national saving
27.8% of GDP (2013 est.) · 17.2% of GDP (2012 est.) · -1% of GDP (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Agriculture - products
- rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts;
- poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs;
- fish
Industries
- diamond mining;
- iron ore, rutile and bauxite mining;
- small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear);
- petroleum refining, small commercial ship repair
Commercial bank prime lending rate
20.5% (31 December 2013 est.) · 21% (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
Stock of narrow money
$355.7 million (31 December 2013 est.) · $324.7 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Stock of broad money
$1.001 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $772.6 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Stock of domestic credit
$567.7 million (31 December 2013 est.) · $429.1 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Current account balance
-$463.3 million (2013 est.) · -$862.5 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Debt - external
$1.331 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $1.172 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$2.394 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $1.719 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Exchange rates
leones (SLL) per US dollar - 4,320.8 (2013 est.) · 4,344 (2012 est.) · 3,978.1 (2010 est.)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 102,000 kW(2010 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- marginal telephone service with poor infrastructure
- domestic:
- the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects Freetown to Bo and Kenema;
- while mobile-cellular service is growing rapidly from a small base, service area coverage remains limited
- international:
- country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)
Broadcast media
- 1 government-owned TV station;
- 1 private TV station began operating in 2005;
- a pay-TV service began operations in late 2007;
- 1 government-owned national radio station;
- about two dozen private radio stations primarily clustered in major cities;
- transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2007)
Transportation
8 fieldsMerchant marine, 215 ships by type
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Maritime Wing and Air Wing) (2013)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Maritime Wing and Air Wing) (2013)
Military service age and obligation
- 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent);
- women are eligible to serve;
- no conscription;
- candidates must be HIV negative (2012)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - international
- Sierra Leone opposes Guinean troops' continued occupation of Yenga, a small village on the Makona River that serves as a border with Guinea;
- Guinea's forces came to Yenga in the mid-1990s to help the Sierra Leonean military to suppress rebels and to secure their common border but have remained there even after both countries signed a 2005 agreement acknowledging that Yenga belonged to Sierra Leone;
- in 2012, the two sides signed a declaration to demilitarize the area
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Sierra Leone.” The World Factbook 2014. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/sierra-leone/2014.