Map of Sierra Leone | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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 to 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, has developed as a guarantor of the country's stability; the armed forces remained on the sideline during the 2007, 2012, and 2018 national elections. 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 free primary and secondary education, economic growth, accountable governance, health, and infrastructure.


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

Geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 11 30 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 71,740 km²
Land: 71,620 km²
Water: 120 km²
Rank: 120
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries
Total: 1093 km
Border countries: (2) Guinea 794 km; , Liberia 299 km

Coastline: 402 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 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
Mean elevation: 279 m
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
Agricultural land: 56.2% (2011 est.)
Forest: 37.5% (2011 est.)
Other: 6.3% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 300 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms

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


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Population
Distribution: population clusters are found in the lower elevations of the south and west; the northern third of the country is less populated: 6,312,212 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 108
Growth rate: 2.4% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 27
Below poverty line: 70.2% (2004 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
Adjective: Sierra Leonean

Ethnic groups: Temne 35.5%, Mende 33.2%, Limba 6.4%, Kono 4.4%, Fullah 3.4%, Loko 2.9%, Koranko 2.8%, Sherbro 2.6%, Mandingo 2.4%, Creole 1.2% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century; also known as Krio), other Sierra Leone 4.7%, other foreign 0.3% (includes refugees from Liberia's civil war, and small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians), unspecified 0.2% (2013 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 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 78.6%, Christian 20.8%, other 0.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2013 est.)

Demographic profile: Sierra Leone’s youthful and growing population is driven by its high total fertility rate (TFR) of almost 5 children per woman, which has declined little over the last two decades. Its elevated TFR is sustained by the continued desire for large families, the low level of contraceptive use, and the early start of childbearing. Despite its high TFR, Sierra Leone’s population growth is somewhat tempered by high infant, child, and maternal mortality rates that are among the world’s highest and are a result of poverty, a lack of potable water and sanitation, poor nutrition, limited access to quality health care services, and the prevalence of female genital cutting.Sierra Leone’s large youth cohort - about 60% of the population is under the age of 25 - continues to struggle with high levels of unemployment, which was one of the major causes of the country’s 1991-2002 civil war and remains a threat to stability today. Its estimated 60% youth unemployment rate is attributed to high levels of illiteracy and unskilled labor, a lack of private sector jobs, and low pay.Sierra Leone has been a source of and destination for refugees. Sierra Leone’s civil war internally displaced as many as 2 million people, or almost half the population, and forced almost another half million to seek refuge in neighboring countries (370,000 Sierra Leoneans fled to Guinea and 120,000 to Liberia). The UNHCR has helped almost 180,000 Sierra Leoneans to return home, while more than 90,000 others have repatriated on their own. Of the more than 65,000 Liberians who took refuge in Sierra Leone during their country’s civil war (1989-2003), about 50,000 have been voluntarily repatriated by the UNHCR and others have returned home independently. As of 2015, less than 1,000 Liberians still reside in Sierra Leone.

Age structure
0-14 years: 41.71% (male 1,314,905 /female 1,317,921)
15-24 years: 18.6% (male 572,274 /female 602,105)
25-54 years: 32.23% (male 973,698 /female 1,060,688)
55-64 years: 3.7% (male 110,176 /female 123,268)
65 years and over: 3.76% (male 97,922 /female 139,255) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 82.6 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 78 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 4.6 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 21.9 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 19.1 years (2018 est.)
Male: 18.4 years
Female: 19.7 years
Rank: 201

Population growth rate: 2.4% (2018 est.)
Rank: 27

Birth rate: 36 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 18

Death rate: 10.2 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 33

Net migration rate: -1.8 migrant(s)/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 160

Population distribution: population clusters are found in the lower elevations of the south and west; the northern third of the country is less populated

Urbanization
Urban population: 42.5% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 3.12% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 1.168 million FREETOWN (capital) (2019)

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, soil exhaustion, and flooding; loss of biodiversity; air pollution; water pollution; overfishing
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 66.7 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 74.9 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 58.3 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 9

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 59 years (2018 est.)
Male: 56.4 years
Female: 61.7 years
Rank: 212

Total fertility rate: 4.69 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 21

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 22.5% (2017)

Drinking water source
Urban: 15.1% of population
Rural: 52.2% of population
Total: 37.4% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure: 16.5% (2016)

Physicians density: 0.03 physicians/1000 population (2011)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 77.2% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 93.1% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 86.7% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.5% (2018 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 33
People living with hivaids: 70,000 (2018 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 55
Deaths: 2,100 (2018 est.)
Deaths rank: 45

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever (2016)
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2016)
Animal contact diseases: rabies (2016)
Aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases: Lassa fever (2016)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 8.7% (2016)
Rank: 147

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 18.2% (2013)
Rank: 32

Education expenditures: 4.6% of GDP (2017)
Rank: 85

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
Total population: 48.1%
Male: 58.7%
Female: 37.7% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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
Etymology: the Portuguese explorer Pedro de SINTRA named the country Serra Leoa (Lion Mountains) for the impressive mountains he saw while sailing the West African coast in 1462

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Freetown
Geographic coordinates: 8 29 N, 13 14 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology: name derived from the fact that the original settlement served as a haven for free-born and freed African Americans, as well as for liberated Africans rescued from slave ships

Administrative divisions: 4 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, North Western, Southern, Western*

Dependent areas

Independence: 27 April 1961 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 April (1961)

Constitution
History: several previous; latest effective 1 October 1991
Amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments requires at least two-thirds majority vote of Parliament in two successive readings and assent of the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting fundamental rights and freedoms and many other constitutional sections also requires approval in a referendum with participation of at least one half of qualified voters and at least two thirds of votes cast; amended several times, last in 2013 (2017)

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

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent or grandparent must be a citizen of Sierra Leone
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Julius Maada BIO (since 4 April 2018); Vice President Mohamed Juldeh JALLOH (since 4 April 2018) ; note - the president is both chief of state, head of government, and minister of defense
Head of government: President Julius Maada BIO (since 4 April 2018); Vice President Mohamed Juldeh JALLOH (since 4 April 2018)
Cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president, approved by Parliament; the cabinet is responsible to the president
Electionsappointments: 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 4 April 2018 (next to be in March 2023)
Election results: Julius Maada BIO elected president in second round; percent of vote - Julius Maada BIO (SLPP) 51.8%, Samura KAMARA (APC) 48.2%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Parliament (146 seats; 132 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 14 seats filled in separate elections by non-partisan members of Parliament called paramount chiefs; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 7 March 2018 (next to be held in March 2023)
Election results: percent of vote by party - n/a; seats by party - APC 68, SLPP 49, C4C 8, other 7; composition - men 131, women 15, percent of women 10.3%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: 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 are subject to approval by Parliament; all Judicature judges serve until retirement at age 65
Subordinate courts: magistrates courts; District Appeals Court; local courts

Political parties and leaders: All People's Congress or APC [Ernest Bai KOROMA]Coalition for Change or C4C [Tamba R. SANDY]National Grand Coalition or NGC [Dr. Dennis BRIGHT]Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Dr. Prince HARDING]numerous other parties

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 939-9,261 through 9,263
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Maria E. BREWER (since 20 December 2017)
From the us telephone: [232] 99 105 000
From the us embassy: Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us FAX: [232] 99 515 355

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue; green symbolizes agriculture, mountains, and natural resources, white represents unity and justice, and blue the sea and the natural harbor in Freetown

National symbols: lion; national colors: green, white, blue

National anthem
Name: High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free
Lyricsmusic: Clifford Nelson FYLE/John Joseph AKA: note: adopted 1961

National heritage


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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. Until 2014, the government had relied on external assistance to support its budget, but it was gradually becoming more independent. The Ebola outbreak of 2014 and 2015, combined with falling global commodities prices, caused a significant contraction of economic activity in all areas. While the World Health Organization declared an end to the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone in November 2015, low commodity prices in 2015-2016 contributed to the country’s biggest fiscal shortfall since 2001. In 2017, increased iron ore exports, together with the end of the Ebola epidemic, supported a resumption of economic growth.Continued economic growth will depend on rising commodities prices and increased efforts to diversify the sources of growth. Non-mining activities will remain constrained by inadequate infrastructure, such as power and roads, even though power sector projects may provide some additional electricity capacity in the near term. Pervasive corruption and undeveloped human capital will continue to deter foreign investors. Sustained international donor support in the near future will partially offset these fiscal constraints.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 158

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 92

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 219

Gross national saving:
Rank: 163

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 97.9% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 12.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 18.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.4% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 26.8% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -55.3% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 60.7% (2017 est.)
Industry: 6.5% (2017 est.)
Services: 32.9% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts, cashews; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish

Industries: diamond mining; iron ore, rutile and bauxite mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, footwear)

Industrial production growth rate: 15.5% (2017 est.)
Rank: 3

Labor force: 2.972 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 105
By occupation agriculture: 61.1%
By occupation industry: 5.5%
By occupation services: 33.4% (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 172

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 70.2% (2004 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.6%
Highest 10: 33.6% (2003)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 106

Budget
Revenues: 562 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 846.4 million (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -7.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 199

Taxes and other revenues: 15.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 189

Public debt:
Rank: 63

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 215

Central bank discount rate: NA

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 23

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 177

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 181

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 174

Market value of publicly traded shares: NA

Current account balance:
Rank: 113

Exports:
Rank: 170
Partners: Cote dIvoire 37.7%, Belgium 20.5%, US 15.7%, China 10.2%, Netherlands 6.1% (2017)
Commodities: iron ore, diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish

Imports:
Rank: 183
Commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals
Partners: China 11.5%, US 9.2%, Belgium 8.8%, UAE 7.7%, India 7.4%, Turkey 5.2%, Senegal 5.1%, Netherlands 4.3% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 152

Debt external:
Rank: 159

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 123

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 40

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 6 million (2017)
Access electrification total population: 20% (2017)
Access electrification urban areas: 19% (2017)
Access electrification rural areas: 20% (2017)
Production: 300 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 185
Consumption: 279 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 188
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 197
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 199
Installed generating capacity: 113,300 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 179
Generation sources fossil fuels: 23% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 194
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 182
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 51% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 38
Generation sources other renewable sources: 26% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 27

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 199
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 192
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 194
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 194

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 200
Products consumption: 6,500 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 169
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 201
Products imports: 6,439 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 164

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 195
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 197
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 183
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 188
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 193

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 984,800 Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 170

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 17,000 (July 2016 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 185
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 6,279,270
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 102 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 111

Telephone system
General assessment: telephone service improving with the expansion of the mobile sector; the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects Freetown to Bo and Kenema; mobile-cellular service has grown rapidly from a small base, overcoming the deficiencies of the fixed-line sector; mobile sector high penetration; investments in upgrades to LTE (2018)
Domestic: fixed-line less than 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular 102 per 100 (2018)
International: country code - 232; landing point for the ACE submarine cable linking South Africa, over 20 western African countries and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

Broadcast media: 1 government-owned TV station; 3 private TV stations; 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 (2019)

Internet
Country code: .sl
Users total: 708,615
Users percent of population: 11.8% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 141

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 131

Military and security forces: Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Maritime Wing and Air Wing) (2019)

Military service age and obligation: 18-29 for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve; no conscription (2019)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 50,193 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 9L (2016)

Airports: 8 (2013)
Rank: 162
With paved runways total: 1 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 7 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7 (2013)

Heliports: 2 (2013)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 800 km
Note: (600 km navigable year-round) (2011)
Rank: 72

Merchant marine
Total: 469
By type: bulk carrier 21, container ship 10, general cargo 255, oil tanker 68, other 115 (2018)
Rank: 41

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands


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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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs