Statistical information Sierra Leone 1996

Sierra Leone in the World
Backgroundtop of pageLocation: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
Geographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 71,740 km²
Land: 71,620 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries: Total 958 km, Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
Coastline: 402 km
Maritime claimsTerritorial sea: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
Natural resources:
Diamonds
Titanium ore
Bauxite
Iron ore
Gold
Chromite
Land useArable land: 25%
Permanent crops: 2%
Permanent pastures: 31%
Forests and woodland: 29%
Other: 13%
Irrigated land: 340 km² (1989 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation:
4,793,121 (July 1996 est.)
4,753,120 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate:4.14% (1996 est.)
2.63% (1995 est.)
NationalityNoun: Sierra Leonean(s)
Adjective: Sierra Leonean
Ethnic groups:
13 native African tribes 99% (Temne 30%
Mende 30%
Other 39%)
Creole, European, Lebanese, and Asian 1%
Languages: English (official; regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (the language of the re-settled ex-slave population of the Freetown area and is lingua franca)
Religions:
Muslim 60%
Indigenous beliefs 30%
Christian 10%
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years:45% (male 1,057,824; female 1,092,291) (July 1996 est.)
44% (male 1,020,943; female 1,054,826) (July 1995 est.)
15-64 years:52% (male 1,197,547; female 1,298,834) (July 1996 est.)
53% (male 1,216,510; female 1,310,506) (July 1995 est.)
65 years and over:3% (male 75,066; female 71,559) (July 1996 est.)
3% (male 77,353; female 72,982) (July 1995 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate:
4.14% (1996 est.)
2.63% (1995 est.)
Birth rate:
47.13 births/1000 population (1996 est.)
44.65 births/1000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate:
18.24 deaths/1000 population (1996 est.)
18.38 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 12.52 migrant(s)/1000 population (1996 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent 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
Current issues Natural hazards: dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (November to May); sandstorms, dust storms
International agreements: party to_Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified_Climate Change, Environmental Modification
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female
All ages:0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.) Infant Mortality Rate:135.6 deaths/1000 live births (1996 est.)
138.8 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rateLife expectancy at birthTotal population: 47.47 years (1996 est.), 46.94 years (1995 est.)
Male: 44.56 years (1996 est.), 44.07 years (1995 est.)
Female: 50.47 years (1996 est.), 49.89 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.36 children born/woman (1996 est.)
5.9 children born/woman (1995 est.)
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 expendituresLiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over that can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic (1995 est.)
Total population: 31.4%
Male: 45.4%
Female: 18.2%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
Conventional short form: Sierra Leone
Government type: Military government
Capital: Freetown
Administrative divisions: 3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*
Dependent areasIndependence: 27 April 1961 (from U.K.)
National holiday: Republic Day, 27 April (1961)
Constitution: 1 October 1991; suspended following 19 April 1992 coup
Legal system: Based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branchChief of state and head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (inaugurated 29 March 1996); election held 26-27 February 1996 (next to be held NA 2000) 29 april 1992_29 march 1996:Capt. Valentine E. M. STRASSER
Cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president
Legislative branch: Unicameral House of Representatives:Elections last held NA February 1996 (next to be held NA; results_percent of vote by party NA; seats (80 total, 68 elected, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections) 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
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leadersInternational 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 representationFlag description
: Three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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 push down production, exports, and the value of the leone. Agriculture employs about two-thirds of the working population, with subsistence agriculture dominating the sector. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. The mining of diamonds, bauxite, and rutile is the major source of hard currency. The government has worked hard to meet its IMF- and World Bank-mandated stabilization targets, holding down fiscal deficits, and retiring much of its domestic debt_but at a steep cost in terms of forgone capital investments and social spending. Moreover, the economic infrastructure has nearly collapsed due to neglect and war-related disruptions in the mining and agricultural export sectors. The continuing civil war in Liberia has led to a large influx of refugees, who place additional burdens on Sierra Leone's fragile economy.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate:
-4% (1994 est.)
0.7% (1993 est.)
Real gdp per capita:
purchasing power parity_ $960 (1994 est.)
$1,000 (1993 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: 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: Growth rate -1.5% (FY91/92; accounts for 11% of GDP
Labor force: 1.369 million (1981 est.)
By occupation Agriculture: 65%
By occupation Industry: 19%
By occupation Services: 16% (1981 est.)
By occupation note: Only about 65,000 wage earners (1985)
Unemployment rate: NA
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $75 million (FY94/95), $68 million (1992 est.)
Expenditures: $128 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95 est.), $118 million, including capital expenditures of $28 million (1992 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:
total value. $115 million (f.o.b., 1994)
$149 million (f.o.b., 1993)
Commodities:Rutile 51%
Bauxite 20%
Diamonds 16%
Coffee 6%
Cocoa 7%
Fish (1989)
Partners:U.S.
U.K.
Belgium
Germany
Other Western Europe
ImportsTotal value:$150 million (c.i.f., 1994)
$149 million (c.i.f., 1993)
Commodities:Foodstuffs 38%
Machinery and equipment 44%
Fuels and Lubricants 18% (1989)
Partners:U.S.
EU countries
Japan
China
Nigeria
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $1.4 billion (yearend 1993)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Leones (Le) per US$1_951.63 (January 1996), 755.22 (1995), 586.74 (1994), 567.46 (1993), 499.44 (1992), 295.34 (1991), 144.9275 (1990)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 130,000 kW
Production: 220 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 44 kWh (1993)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone system: 17,526 telephones (1991 est.); marginal telephone and telegraph service
Local: NA
Intercity: national microwave radio relay system made unserviceable by military activities
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $14 million, 2.6% of GDP (FY92/93)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 5
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m:2
2 (1995 est.)
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 800 km; 600 km navigable year round
Merchant marine: None
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs