Sierra Leone
|
| Basic Facts |
| 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 |
| Gevernment 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) |
| Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue |
| Currency | leone (SLL) |
| Internet country code | .sl |
| Ports and terminals | Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands |
| 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 |
| Geography |
| Location | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia |
| Coordinates | 8 30 N, 11 30 W |
| Continent | Africa |
| Area |
total: 71,740 sq km
land: 71,620 sq km water: 120 sq km |
| Boundaries |
total: 958 km
border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km |
| Coastline | 402 km |
| 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 |
| Natural resources | diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite |
| Natural hazards | dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms |
| People |
| Population | 6,005,250 (July 2006 est.) |
| Ethnic groups | 20 African ethnic groups 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century), refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians |
| Religions | Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10% |
| 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%) |
