2015 Edition

Background

The British set up a trading post near present-day Freetown in the 17th century. Originally the trade involved timber and ivory, but later it expanded into slaves. Following the American Revolution, a colony was established in 1787 and Sierra Leone became a destination for resettling black loyalists who had originally been resettled in Nova Scotia. After the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, British crews delivered thousands of Africans liberated from illegal slave ships to Sierra Leone, particularly Freetown. The colony gradually expanded inland during the course of the 19th century; independence was attained in 1961. Democracy is slowly being reestablished after the civil war (1991-2002) 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 and 2012 national elections, and deployed over 850 peacekeepers to the African Union Mission in Somalia. 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 marked the end of more than 15 years of peacekeeping and political operations in Sierra Leone. The government's stated priorities include furthering development - including recovering from the Ebola epidemic - creating jobs, and stamping out endemic corruption.

Area

land

71,620 sq km

total

71,740 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

highest point

Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 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 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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

38.74 cu m/yr (2005)

total

0.21 cu km/yr (52%/26%/22%)

Geographic coordinates

8 30 N, 11 30 W

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

Irrigated land

293.6 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries (2)

Guinea 794 km, Liberia 299 km

total

1,093 km

Land use

arable land 23.4%; permanent crops 2.3%; permanent pasture 30.5%

agricultural land

56.2%

forest

37.5%

other

6.3% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); 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

Total renewable water resources

160 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

41.93% (male 1,228,380/female 1,236,475)

15-24 years

18.67% (male 532,738/female 564,828)

25-54 years

31.85% (male 898,538/female 973,908)

55-64 years

3.82% (male 102,915/female 121,864)

65 years and over

3.73% (male 92,777/female 126,675) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

37.03 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

48% (2005 est.)

total number

573,287

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

18.1% (2013)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

16.6% (2013)

Death rate

10.81 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.9%

potential support ratio

20.6% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

81.9%

youth dependency ratio

77.1%

Drinking water source

urban: 84.9% of population

rural: 47.8% of population

total: 62.6% of population

urban: 15.1% of population

rural: 52.2% of population

total: 37.4% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

2.9% of GDP (2012)

Ethnic groups

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)

Health expenditures

11.8% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.4% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

2,700 (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

54,000 (2014 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2006)

Infant mortality rate

female

62.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

80.14 deaths/1,000 live births

total

71.68 deaths/1,000 live births

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%)

Life expectancy at birth

female

60.42 years (2015 est.)

male

55.23 years

total population

57.79 years

Literacy

definition

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

female

37.7% (2015 est.)

male

58.7%

total population

48.1%

Major infectious diseases

aerosolized dust or soil contact disease

Lassa fever (2013)

animal contact disease

rabies

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

Major urban areas - population

FREETOWN (capital) 1.007 million (2015)

Median age

female

19.6 years (2015 est.)

male

18.4 years

total

19 years

Nationality

adjective

Sierra Leonean

noun

Sierra Leonean(s)

Net migration rate

-2.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population

note

refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

6.6% (2014)

Physicians density

0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

Population

5,879,098 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

2.35% (2015 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

urban: 22.8% of population

rural: 6.9% of population

total: 13.3% of population

urban: 77.2% of population

rural: 93.1% of population

total: 86.7% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

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

0.85 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.73 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.8 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.75% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

39.9% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

geographic coordinates

8 29 N, 13 14 W

name

Freetown

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)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador John HOOVER (since 4 November 4 December 2014))

embassy

Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown

FAX

[232] (76) 515 355

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

[232] (76) 515 000 or (76) 515 000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Bockari Kortu STEVENS (since 28 March 2008)

FAX

[1] (202) 483-1793

telephone

[1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263

Executive branch

cabinet

Ministers of State appointed by the president, approved by Parliament; the cabinet is responsible to the president

chief of state

President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Ernest Bai KOROMA reelected president; percent of vote - Ernest Bai KOROMA (APC) 58.7%, Julius Maada BIO (SLPP) 37.4%, other 3.9%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 17 November 2012 (next to be held in 2017)

head of government

President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007)

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

Government type

constitutional democracy

Independence

27 April 1961 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, 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, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

Legal system

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Parliament (124 seats; 112 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 12 seats filled in separate elections by non-partisan members of Parliament called "paramount chiefs;" members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 69, SLPP 43

elections

last held on 17 November 2012 (next to be held in 2017)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Clifford Nelson FYLE/John Joseph AKA

name

"High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free"

note

adopted 1961

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 April (1961)

National symbol(s)

lion; national colors: green, white, blue

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 other parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

other

student unions; trade unions

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$908.8 million (2014 est.)

revenues

$730.3 million

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-3.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate

19.8% (31 December 2014 est.)

20.56% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$382 million (2014 est.)

-$925.5 million (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$1.46 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.26 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

62.9 (1989)

Economy - overview

Sierra Leone is extremely poor and 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 destroyed most institutions before ending in the early 2000s. In recent years economic growth has been driven by mining - particularly iron ore. The country’s principal exports are iron ore, diamonds, and rutile, and the economy is vulnerable to fluctuations in international prices. In 2014, rapid spread of Ebolavirus caused a contraction of economic activity in several areas, including transportation, health, and industrial production. Iron ore production dropped, due to low global prices and high costs, driven by the epidemic. A long-term shutdown of the industry would badly hurt the economy because it supports thousands of jobs and creates about 20% of GDP. Until 2014, the government had relied on external assistance to support its budget, but it was gradually becoming more independent. The epidemic has disrupted economic activity, deterred private investment, and forced the government to increase expenditures on health care, straining the budget and restricting other public investment projects. A rise in international donor support will partially offset these fiscal constraints.

Exchange rates

leones (SLL) per US dollar -

4,376.1 (2014 est.)

4,332.5 (2013 est.)

4,344 (2012 est.)

4,336.1 (2011 est.)

3,978.1 (2010 est.)

Exports

$2.241 billion (2014 est.)

$1.917 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish

Exports - partners

China 80%, Belgium 8.8% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

8.8%

government consumption

7.4%

household consumption

88.9%

imports of goods and services

-47.8%

investment in fixed capital

41.9%

investment in inventories

0.8%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

42.5%

industry

26.8%

services

30.7% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,000 (2014 est.)

$1,900 (2013 est.)

$1,600 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

6% (2014 est.)

20.1% (2013 est.)

15.2% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$5.033 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$12.63 billion (2014 est.)

$11.91 billion (2013 est.)

$9.915 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

3.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

10.3% of GDP (2013 est.)

3.3% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

33.6% (2003)

lowest 10%

2.6%

Imports

$2.069 billion (2014 est.)

$1.97 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals

Imports - partners

China 13.2%, US 7.1%, India 6.8%, UK 6.6%, Belgium 6.1%, Netherlands 4.7%, South Africa 4.6% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

88.5% (2013 est.)

Industries

diamond mining; iron ore, rutile and bauxite mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining, small commercial ship repair

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.3% (2014 est.)

10.3% (2013 est.)

Labor force

2.471 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

70.2% (2004 est.)

Public debt

30.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

30.3% of GDP (2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$960.1 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$857.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$400,000 (31 December 2014 est.)

$400,000 (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$2.704 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$2.319 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$652.7 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$547.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$448.3 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$370.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

13.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

1.311 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

134.9 million kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

33.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

66.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

81,000 kW (2011 est.)

Electricity - production

145 million kWh (2011 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

9,540 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

9,373 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

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)

Internet country code

.sl

Internet users

percent of population

1.5% (2014 est.)

total

85,600

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 9, shortwave 1 (2001)

Telephone system

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

general assessment

marginal telephone service with poor infrastructure

international

country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

16,500

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

83 (2014 est.)

total

4.8 million

Television broadcast stations

2 (1999)

Airports

8 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 (2013)

total

1

Airports - with unpaved runways

914 to 1,523 m

7 (2013)

total

7

Heliports

2 (2013)

Merchant marine

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)

total

215

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands

Roadways

paved

904 km

total

11,300 km

unpaved

10,396 km (2002)

Waterways

800 km (600 km navigable year round) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49

1,183,093 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

838,032 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

731,898

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

57,154 (2010 est.)

male

54,212

Military branches

Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Maritime Wing and Air Wing) (2013)

Military expenditures

0.72% of GDP (2012)

0.8% of GDP (2011)

0.72% of GDP (2010)

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)

Disputes - 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