Map of Sierra Leone | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Continuously populated for at least 2,500 years, the dense jungle in the area of Sierra Leone allowed the region to remain relatively protected from invaders from empires in West Africa. Traders introduced Sierra Leone to Islam, which occupies a central role in Sierra Leonean culture and history. In the 17^th century, the British set up a trading post near present-day Freetown. The trade originally involved timber and ivory but later expanded to enslaved people. In 1787, following the American Revolution, Sierra Leone became a destination for Black British loyalists from the new United States. After the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, British ships delivered thousands of liberated Africans to Sierra Leone. During the 19^th century, the colony gradually expanded inland.


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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
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries
Total: 1,093 km
Border countries: (2) Guinea 794 km; Liberia 299 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
Highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 279 m

Natural resources: diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite

Land use
Agricultural land: 56.2% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 23.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 30.5% (2018 est.)
Forest: 37.5% (2018 est.)
Other: 6.3% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 300 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²: Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 110 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 160 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

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 as shown on this: 8,908,040 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 2.41% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 56.8% (2018 est.)

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

Ethnic groups: Temne 35.4%, Mende 30.8%, Limba 8.8%, Kono 4.3%, Korankoh 4%, Fullah 3.8%, Mandingo 2.8%, Loko 2%, Sherbro 1.9%, 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 5% (2019 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 77.1%, Christian 22.9% (2019 est.)

Demographic profile: Sierra Leone’s youthful and growing population is driven by its high total fertility rate (TFR) of almost 4 children per woman as of 2022, 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.

Age structure
0-14 years: 40.54% (male 1,820,988/female 1,790,185)
15-64 years: 56.89% (male 2,476,286/female 2,591,155)
65 years and over: 2.58% (2023 est.) (male 111,937/female 117,489)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 74
Youth dependency ratio: 68.5
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.5
Potential support ratio: 18.3 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 19.2 years (2023 est.)
Male: 18.8 years
Female: 19.6 years

Population growth rate: 2.41% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 31.5 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 9.1 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

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

Urbanization
Urban population: 44.3% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 1.309 million FREETOWN (capital) (2023)

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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 39.42 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.09 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 3.16 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 19.6 years (2019 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Maternal mortality ratio: 443 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 72.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 77.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 67.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 59.1 years (2023 est.)
Male: 57.5 years
Female: 60.7 years

Total fertility rate: 3.71 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 21.2% (2019)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 92.5% of population
Improved rural: 58% of population
Improved total: 72.8% of population
Unimproved urban: 7.5% of population
Unimproved rural: 42% of population
Unimproved total: 27.2% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 8.8% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 0.07 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
Animal contact diseases: rabies
Aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases: Lassa fever

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 8.7% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 3.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 2.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 13.5% (2020 est.)
Male: 20.5% (2020 est.)
Female: 6.4% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 12% (2021)

Education expenditures: 9.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
Total population: 48.6%
Male: 56.3%
Female: 41.3% (2022)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 10.8% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 15.8%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 7.6%


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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 2016

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 27 June 2023); Vice President Mohamed Juldeh JALLOH (since 27 June 2023); note - the president is both chief of state, head of government, and minister of defense
Head of government: President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023); Vice President Mohamed Juldeh JALLOH (since 27 June 2023)
Cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president, approved by Parliament; the cabinet is responsible to the president
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by 55 percent in the first round or absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 24 June 2023 (next to be held in 2,028)
Election results:

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Parliament (146 seats; 132 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by a district block proportional representation 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 24 June 2023 (next to be held in 2,028)
Election results: percent of vote by party - n/a; seats by party - SLPP 81, APC 54; composition - men 94, women 41, percent of women 30.3%

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:

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, 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, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNOOSA, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Sidique Abou-Bakarr WAI (since 8 April 2019)
In the us chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,009-1605
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 939-9,261
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Bryan David HUNT (since 8 September 2023)
From the us embassy: Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown
From the us mailing address: 2,160 Freetown Place, Washington DC 20,521-2,160
From the us telephone: [232] 99 105 000
From the us email address and website:

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"
Lyrics/music: Clifford Nelson FYLE/John Joseph AKA
Note: adopted 1961

National heritage


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Economy overview: low-income West African economy; primarily subsistent agriculture; key iron and diamond mining activities suspended; slow recovery from 1990s civil war; systemic corruption; high-risk debt; high youth unemployment; natural resource rich

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

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: cassava, rice, vegetables, oil palm fruit, sweet potatoes, milk, citrus fruit, groundnuts, fruit, pulses nes

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

Industrial production growth rate: 17.41% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 2.858 million (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 10.8% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 15.8%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 7.6%

Population below poverty line: 56.8% (2018 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 35.7 (2018 est.)

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

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $740 million (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $867 million (2019 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -7.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

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

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources: 6.92% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:

Exports:
Partners: Belgium 26%, China 25%, Romania 9%, United Arab Emirates 6%, Germany 5%, Netherlands 5% (2019)
Commodities: titanium, lumber, diamonds, aluminum, cocoa beans (2019)

Imports:
Partners: China 27%, India 11%, United States 6%, Ghana 5%, Turkey 5% (2019)
Commodities: rice, plastics, packaged medicines, sauces/seasonings, cars (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 6 million (2020)
Access electrification-total population: 27.4% (2021)
Access electrification-urban areas: 56.9% (2021)
Access electrification-rural areas: 4.9% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 180,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 130.708 million kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 77 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 8.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 2.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 87% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 1.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 5,900 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 6,439 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 899,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 899,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 1.803 million Btu/person (2019 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 269 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 8,227,093 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 98 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

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 

Internet
Country code: .sl
Users total: 1,047,499 (2022 est.)
Users percent of population: 12.7% (2022 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:

Military and security forces:

Military service age and obligation: 18-25 for voluntary military service for men and women (25-40 for specialists); no conscription (2023)

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 (2015) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 9L

Airports: 8 (2021)
With paved runways: 1
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
With unpaved runways: 7
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Heliports: 2 (2021)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 11,701 km (2015)
Paved: 1,051 km (2015)
Unpaved: 10,650 km (2015)
Urban: 3,000 km (2015)
Non-urban: 8,700 km (2015)

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

Merchant marine
Total: 605 (2022)
By type: bulk carrier 36, container ship 6, general cargo 325, oil tanker 104, other 134

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


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Disputes international: Sierra Leone-Guinea: Sierra Leone opposed 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 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; in 2019, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stated that the dispute over Yenga had been resolved; however, at a 2021 ECOWAS meeting, Sierra Leone’s President BIO called on the bloc to help resolve an incursion of Guinean troops in Yenga

Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs:

Illicit drugs