Statistical information Sierra Leone 1990

Sierra Leone in the World
Backgroundtop of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaLand boundaries: 958 km total; Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
Coastline: 402 km
Maritime claims: Territorial sea: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
ElevationNatural resources: diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Land use: 25% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 31% meadows and pastures; 29% forest and woodland; 13% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 4,165,953 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Nationality: noun--Sierra Leonean(s; adjective--Sierra Leonean
Ethnic groups: 99% native African (30% Temne, 30% Mende; 1% Creole, European, Lebanese, and Asian; 13 tribes
Languages: English (official; regular use limited to literate minority; principal vernaculars are Mende in south and Temne in north; Krio is the language of the resettled ex-slave population of the Freetown area and is lingua franca
Religions: 30% Muslim, 30% indigenous beliefs, 10% Christian, 30% other or none
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 47 births/1000 population (1990)
Death rate: 21 deaths/1000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1990)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: extensive mangrove swamps hinder access to sea; deforestation; soil degradation
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 154 deaths/1000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 42 years male, 47 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born/woman (1990)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 31% (1986)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry name: conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
Government type: republic under presidential regime
Capital: Freetown
Administrative divisions: 4 provinces; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western
Dependent areasIndependence: 27 April 1961 (from UK)
National holiday: Republic Day, 27 April (1961)
Constitution: 14 June 1978
Legal system: based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal at age 21
Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Gen. Joseph Saidu MOMOH (since 28 November 1985; First Vice President Abu Bakar KAMARA (since 4 April 1987; Second Vice President Salia JUSU-SHERIFF (since 4 April 1987)
Legislative branch: Army, Navy
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: ACP, AfDB, Commonwealth, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, Mano River Union, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representationIn the us: Ambassador George CAREW; Chancery at 1701 19th Street NW, Washington DC 20,009; telephone (202) 939-9,261; US--Ambassador Johnny YOUNG; Embassy at the corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Street, Freetown; telephone 26,481
Flag description
: three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: The economic and social infrastructure is not well developed. Subsistence agriculture dominates the economy, generating about one-third of GDP and employing about two-thirds of the working population. Manufacturing accounts for less than 10% of GDP, consisting mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Diamond mining provides an important source of hard currency. The economy suffers from high unemployment, rising inflation, large trade deficits, and a growing dependency on foreign assistance.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for over 30% of GDP and two-thirds of the labor force; largely subsistence farming; cash crops--coffee, cocoa, palm kernels; harvests of food staple rice meets 80% of domestic needs; annual fish catch averages 53,000 metric tons
Industries: mining (diamonds, bauxite, rutile), small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear), petroleum refinery
Industrial production growth rate: - 19% (FY88 est.)
Labor force:
1,369,000 (est.), 65% agriculture, 19%
industry, 16%
services (1981; only about 65,000 earn wages (1985; 55% of population of working age
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $86 million; expenditures $128 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $106 million (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: rutile 50%, bauxite 17%, cocoa 11%, diamonds 3%, coffee 3%
Partners: US, UK, Belgium, FRG, other Western Europe
Imports: $167 million (c.i.f., 1988)
Commodities: capital goods 40%, food 32%, petroleum 12%, consumer goods 7%, light industrial goods
Partners: US, EC, Japan, China, Nigeria
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $805 million (1989 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: leones per US$1--87.7193 (January 1990), 58.1395 (1989), 31.2500 (1988), 30.7692 (1987), 8.3963 (1986), 4.7304 (1985)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 83,000 kW capacity; 180 million kWh produced, 45 kWh per capita (1989)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: 1% of GDP (1986)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 12 total, 8 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 800 km; 600 km navigable year round
Merchant marinePorts and terminalstop of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs