Page last updated on January 28, 2014
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 but still look to the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) - 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.
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
total: 71,740 sq km
country comparison to the world: 119
land: 71,620 sq km
water: 120 sq km
slightly smaller than South Carolina
total: 958 km
border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
arable land: 15.33%
permanent crops: 1.88%
other: 82.79% (2011)
total: 0.21 cu km/yr (52%/26%/22%)
per capita: 38.74 cu m/yr (2005)
dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms
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
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
rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa
noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective: Sierra Leonean
Temne 35%, Mende 31%, Limba 8%, Kono 5%, Kriole 2% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century; also known as Krio), Mandingo 2%, Loko 2%, other 15% (includes refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, and small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians) (2008 census)
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%)
Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%
5,612,685 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
0-14 years: 41.9% (male 1,169,343/female 1,181,669)
15-24 years: 19% (male 517,107/female 549,500)
25-54 years: 31.4% (male 847,115/female 914,650)
55-64 years: 4% (male 101,069/female 124,673)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 89,643/female 117,916) (2013 est.)
total dependency ratio: 79.3 %
youth dependency ratio: 74.5 %
elderly dependency ratio: 4.8 %
potential support ratio: 20.9 (2013)
total: 19 years
male: 18.5 years
female: 19.6 years (2013 est.)
2.3% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
37.77 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
11.26 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
-3.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population
country comparison to the world: 184
note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2013 est.)
urban population: 39.2% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 3.04% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
FREETOWN (capital) 875,000 (2009)
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: 0.93 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.8 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
890 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 4
total: 74.95 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 11
male: 83.59 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 66.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 56.98 years
country comparison to the world: 199
male: 54.47 years
female: 59.56 years (2013 est.)
4.87 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
18.8% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 2
0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2010)
0.4 beds/1,000 population (2006)
1.6% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
49,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
2,800 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
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)
6.8% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 144
21.3% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 28
3.6% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 125
definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
total population: 43.3%
male: 54.7%
female: 32.6% (2011 est.)
total: 12 years
male: 13 years
female: 11 years (2007)
total number: 573,287
percentage: 48 % (2005 est.)
conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
conventional short form: Sierra Leone
local long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
local short form: Sierra Leone
name: Freetown
geographic coordinates: 8 29 N, 13 14 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*
27 April 1961 (from the UK)
Independence Day, 27 April (1961)
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)
mixed legal system of English common law and customary law
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal
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 on 17 November 2012 (next to be held in 2017)
election results: Ernest Bai KOROMA elected to a second term; percent of vote - Ernest Bai KOROMA 58.7%, Julius Maada BIO 37.4%, other 3.9%
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
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
All People's Congress or APC [Ernest Bai KOROMA]
other: student unions; trade unions
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, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIT, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael S. OWEN (since 16 August 2010)
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
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
name: "High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free"
lyrics/music: Clifford Nelson FYLE/John Joseph AKA
note: adopted 1961
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 has yet to recover from the civil war, 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 completed a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility program that helped stabilize economic growth and reduce inflation and in 2010 approved a new program worth $45 million over three years. Political stability has led to a revival of economic activity such as the rehabilitation of bauxite and rutile mining, which are set to benefit from planned tax incentives. A number of offshore oil discoveries were announced in 2009 and 2010. The development of these reserves, which could be significant, is still several years away, however, growth skyrocketed to more than 20% in 2012, as exploitation activities began.
$7.97 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
$3.738 billion (2012 est.)
15.2% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
$1,300 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
17.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
household consumption: 84.6%
government consumption: 9.5%
investment in fixed capital: 39.9%
investment in inventories: 0%
exports of goods and services: 13.4%
imports of goods and services: -47.4%
agriculture: 51.8%
industry: 15%
services: 33.2% (2012 est.)
rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
diamond mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining, small commercial ship repair
2.207 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 33.6% (2003)
62.9 (1989)
country comparison to the world: 4
revenues: $576.9 million
expenditures: $773.5 million (2012 est.)
15.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
-5.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
36.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
12.9% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208
21% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
$324.7 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
$1.152 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
$429.1 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
$-862.5 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
$953.4 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish
China 51.1%, Belgium 18.2%, Japan 7.7%, Turkey 4.8% (2012)
$1.597 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals
China 16.5%, India 10.2%, South Africa 7.6%, US 6.7%, UK 6.7%, Belgium 4.6% (2012)
$1.172 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
$1.719 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
leones (SLL) per US dollar -
145 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
134.9 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
102,000 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
47.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
52.9% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
25.39 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 184
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
8,768 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
9,373 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
0 cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 191
1.492 million Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
18,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 190
2.21 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 143
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)
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)
282 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 191
14,900 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 199
8 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 164
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2013)
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2013)
total: 11,300 km
country comparison to the world: 131
paved: 904 km
unpaved: 10,396 km (2002)
800 km (600 km navigable year round) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 72
total: 215
country comparison to the world: 34
by type: bulk carrier 22, cargo 120, carrier 2, chemical tanker 19, container 6, liquefied gas 3, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 28, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned: 98 (Bangladesh 1, China 19, Cyprus 2, Egypt 3, Estonia 2, Hong Kong 7, Japan 4, Lebanon 2, North Korea 2, Romania 2, Russia 7, Singapore 9, Syria 13, Taiwan 7, Turkey 9, UAE 1, UK 1, Ukraine 5, Yemen 2) (2010)
major seaport(s): Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Maritime Wing and Air Wing) (2013)
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)
males age 16-49: 1,183,093 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 731,898
females age 16-49: 838,032 (2010 est.)
male: 54,212
female: 57,154 (2010 est.)
0.72% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 348
