1998 Edition

Area

total: 71,740 sq km land: 71,620 sq km water: 120 sq km

Area-comparative

slightly smaller than South Carolina

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)

Coastline

402 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m

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, Nuclear Test Ban, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geographic coordinates

8 30 N, 11 30 W

Irrigated land

290 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 958 km border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km

Land use

arable land: 7% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 31% forests and woodland: 28% other: 33% (1993 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Natural hazards

dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (November to May); sandstorms, dust storms

Natural resources

diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite

Terrain

coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east

Age structure

0-14 years: 45% (male 1,130,728; female 1,167,084) 15-64 years: 52% (male 1,257,901; female 1,367,902) 65 years and over: 3% (male 79,113; female 77,276) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate

46.16 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate

17.25 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups

20 native African tribes 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole 10% (descendents of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-eighteenth century), refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis and Indians

Infant mortality rate

129.38 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

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 descendents 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%)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 48.57 years male: 45.56 years female: 51.66 years (1998 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write in English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic total population: 31.4% male: 45.4% female: 18.2% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Sierra Leonean(s) adjective: Sierra Leonean

Net migration rate

11.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population

5,080,004 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate

4.01% (1998 est.)

Religions

Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.23 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Administrative divisions

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

Constitution

1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times

Country name

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

Data code

SL

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-first round KABBAH 36.0%, second round KABBAH 59.5%

FAX

[1] (202) 483-1793 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

[232] (22) 225471

Flag description

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

Government type

constitutional democracy

Independence

27 April 1961 (from UK)

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court 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 [John Desmond Fashole LUKE]; United National Peoples Party or UNPP [John KARIFA-SMART]; Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Thaimu BANGURA, chairman]; All Peoples Congress or APC [Edward Mohammed TURAY, chairman]; National Republican Party or NRP [Sahr Stephen MAMBU]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Andrew Victor LUNGAY]; Peoples National Convention or PNC [Edward John KARGBO, chairman]; National Unity Party or NUP [Dr. John KARIMU, chairman]; Sierra Leone Peoples Party or SLPP [President Tejan KABBAH, chairman]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Amadu M. B. JALLOH]; National Alliance for Democracy Party or NADP [Mohamed Yahya SILLAH]

Legal system

based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral House of Representatives (80 seats, 68 elected, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 26-27 February 1996 (next to be held 2001) 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

National capital

Freetown

National holiday

Republic Day, 27 April (1961)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture-products

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

Budget

revenues: $96 million expenditures: $150 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)

Currency

1 leone (Le) = 100 cents

Debt-external

$1.1 billion (1996)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

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. The seizure of power by the new Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) in May 1997 led to UN sanctions and a sharp drop in GDP. 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. Bauxite and rutile mines have been shut down by civil strife. The major source of hard currency is found in the mining of diamonds, the large majority of which are smuggled out of the country.

Electricity-capacity

126,000 kW (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita

48 kWh (1995)

Electricity-production

230 million kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

leones (Le) per US$1-1,312.37 (December 1997), 967.72 (1997), 920.73 (1996), 755.22 (1995), 586.74 (1994), 567.46 (1993)

Exports

total value: $47 million (f.o.b., 1996); note-much reduced in 1997 by civil warfare commodities: diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish partners: US 20%, Belgium 20%, Spain 13%, UK 6%, other Western Europe

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June Communications

GDP

purchasing power parity-$2.65 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector

agriculture: 39% industry: 27% services: 34% (1995)

GDP-per capita

purchasing power parity-$540 (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate

-27% (1997 est.)

Imports

total value: $211 million (c.i.f., 1996) commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants partners: Cote d'Ivoire, EU countries, India

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

mining (diamonds); small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining

Inflation rate-consumer price index

40% (1997 est.)

Labor force

total: 1.369 million (1981 est.) by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry 19%, services 16% (1981 est.) note: only about 65,000 wage earners (1985)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1

Radios

980,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone 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)

Telephones

17,526 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1

Televisions

45,000 (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Airports

10 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)

Heliports

1 (1997 est.)

Highways

total: 11,700 km paved: 1,287 km unpaved: 10,413 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

none

Railways

total: 84 km used on a limited basis because the mine at Marampa is closed narrow gauge: 84 km 1.067-m gauge

Waterways

800 km; 600 km navigable year round Ports and harbors: Bonthe, Freetown, Pepel

Military branches

Army, Navy, Police, Security Forces

Military expenditures-dollar figure

$14 million (FY92/93)

Military expenditures-percent of GDP

2.6% (FY92/93)

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 1,074,728 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 521,580 (1998 est.)

Disputes-international

none