Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

Introduction

Background

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 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

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

8 30 N, 11 30 W

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 71,740 sq km
country comparison to the world: 119 land:71,620 sq km
water:120 sq km

Area – comparative

slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries

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

Coastline

402 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone:24 nm
exclusive economic zone:200 nm
continental shelf:200 nm

Climate

tropical

hot, humid

summer rainy season (May to December)

winter dry season (December to April)

Terrain

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

Elevation extremes

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

Natural resources

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

Land use

arable land: 7.95%
permanent crops:1.05%
other:91% (2005)

Irrigated land

300 sq km (2008)

Total renewable water resources

160 cu km (1987)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.38cu km/yr (5%/3%/92%)
per capita:69cu 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 and Society

Nationality

noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective:Sierra Leonean

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)

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%)

Religions

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

Population

5,363,669 (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113

Age structure

0-14 years: 41.8% (male 1,113,528/female 1,130,112)
15-64 years:54.5% (male 1,401,907/female 1,522,335)
65 years and over:3.7% (male 86,614/female 109,173) (2011 est.)

Median age

total: 19.1 years
male:18.6 years
female:19.5 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate

2.249% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36

Birth rate

38.46 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14

Death rate

11.73 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32

Net migration rate

-4.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population
country comparison to the world: 190 note:refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2011 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 38% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization:3.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities – population

FREETOWN (capital) 875,000 (2009)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:0.98 male(s)/female
15-64 years:0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.81 male(s)/female
total population:0.94 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

970 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)
country comparison to the world: 7

Infant mortality rate

total: 78.38 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 15 male:87.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female:69.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 56.13 years
country comparison to the world: 196 male:53.69 years
female:58.65 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.94 children born/woman (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21

Health expenditures

13.1% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 6

Physicians density

0.016 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
country comparison to the world: 190

Hospital bed density

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2006)
country comparison to the world: 173

Drinking water source

improved:
urban: 86% of population
rural: 26% of population
total: 49% of population
unimproved:
urban: 14% of population
rural: 74% of population
total: 51% of population (2008)

Sanitation facility access

improved:
urban: 24% of population
rural: 6% of population
total: 13% of population
unimproved:
urban: 76% of population
rural: 94% of population
total: 87% of population (2008)

HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate

1.6% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34

HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS

49,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58

HIV/AIDS – deaths

2,800 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47

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)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

21.3% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 28

Education expenditures

4.3% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 93

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
total population:35.1%
male:46.9%
female:24.4% (2004 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years
male:13 years
female:11 years (2007)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 5.2%
country comparison to the world: 122 male:7.3%
female:3.5% (2004)

Government

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

Government type

constitutional democracy

Capital

name: Freetown
geographic coordinates:8 30 N, 13 15 W
time difference:UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions

3 provinces and 1 area*

Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*

Independence

27 April 1961 (from the UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 April (1961)

Constitution

1 October 1991

amended several times

Legal system

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration

accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age

universal

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
(For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections:president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term)

election last held on 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

members to 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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Appeals Court

High Court

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 [John BENJAMIN]

numerous others

Political pressure groups and leaders

other: student unions

trade unions

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNMIT, UNWTO, UPU, 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 Michael S. OWEN
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

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

National symbol(s)

lion

National anthem

name: “High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free”
lyrics/music:Clifford Nelson FYLE/John Joseph AKA
note:adopted 1961

Economy

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 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 has 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 on these reserves, which could be significant, is still several years away.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$4.72 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163 $4.498 billion (2009 est.)
$4.358 billion (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.905 billion (2010 est.)

GDP – real growth rate

5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74 3.2% (2009 est.)
5.5% (2008 est.)

GDP – per capita (PPP)

$900 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 217 $900 (2009 est.)
$900 (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP – composition by sector

agriculture: 51.3%
industry:22%
services:26.7% (2010 est.)

Labor force

2.207 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115

Labor force – by occupation

agriculture: NA%
industry:NA%
services:NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Population below poverty line

70.2% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%:33.6% (2003)

Distribution of family income – Gini index

62.9 (1989)
country comparison to the world: 6

Investment (gross fixed)

15.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162

Budget

revenues: $389.7 million
expenditures:$527.9 million (2010 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

20.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-7.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

16.6% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 217 9.3% (2009 est.)

Central bank discount rate

NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate

21.25% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14 22.167% (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$249.7 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172 $209.4 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$532.8 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173 $437 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$333.2 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175 $178.7 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

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

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Electricity – production

58 million kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200

Electricity – consumption

53.94 million kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200

Electricity – exports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity – imports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Oil – production

25 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124

Oil – consumption

9,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156

Oil – exports

499.5 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124

Oil – imports

4,945 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156

Oil – proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189

Natural gas – production

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123

Natural gas – consumption

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126

Natural gas – exports

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177

Natural gas – imports

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183

Natural gas – proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190

Current account balance

-$277.8 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93 -$291 million (2009 est.)

Exports

$362.9 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174 $270.4 million (2009 est.)

Exports – commodities

diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish

Exports – partners

Belgium 29.2%, Romania 15.3%, US 9%, Netherlands 7.3%, Cote dIvoire 5.7%, UK 4.1% (2010)

Imports

$735.9 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180 $511.9 million (2009 est.)

Imports – commodities

foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals

Imports – partners

South Africa 14.7%, China 10.7%, Malaysia 6.7%, US 6.6%, UK 6.4%, Cote dIvoire 5.7%, India 4.8% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$409 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150 $405 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Debt – external

$1.61 billion (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145

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)

Transportation

Airports

9 (2010)
country comparison to the world:161

Airports – with paved runways

total: 1
over 3,047 m:1 (2010)

Airports – with unpaved runways

total: 8
914 to 1,523 m:7
under 914 m:1 (2010)

Heliports

2 (2010)

Roadways

total: 11,300 km
country comparison to the world: 132 paved:904 km
unpaved:10,396 km (2002)

Waterways

800 km (600 km navigable year round) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 72

Merchant marine

total: 189
country comparison to the world: 35 by type:bulk carrier 7, cargo 131, carrier 1, chemical tanker 12, container 3, liquefied gas 3, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned:91 (Bangladesh 1, China 12, Cyprus 1, Egypt 2, Estonia 1, Hong Kong 4, Japan 3, Malaysia 1, North Korea 1, Romania 4, Russia 6, Singapore 5, Syria 20, Taiwan 1, Turkey 14, UAE 6, UK 1, Ukraine 5, US 1, Yemen 2) (2010)

Ports and terminals

Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands

Military

Military branches

Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Maritime Wing and Air Wing) (2010)

Military service age and obligation

17 years 6 months of age for male and female voluntary military service (younger with parental consent)

no conscription

candidates must be HIV negative (2009)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 1,183,093 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 731,898
females age 16-49:838,032 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 54,212
female:57,154 (2010 est.)

Military expenditures

2.3% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 66

Transnational Issues

Disputes – international

as domestic fighting among disparate ethnic groups, rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone gradually abates, 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 27,311 (Liberia) (2007)