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Communications

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Police, Security Forces

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $14 million, 2.6% of GDP (FY92/93)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,019,093 males fit for military service: 494,451 (1996 est.)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

980,000 (1992 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

marginal telephone and telegraph service domestic: national microwave radio relay system made unserviceable by military activities international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

17,526 (1991 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

Televisions [time series]

45,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish catch was 65,000 metric tons in 1994

Budget [time series]

revenues: $75 million expenditures: $128 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 leone (Le) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview [time series]

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.

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 130,000 kW production: 220 million kWh consumption per capita: 44 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

leones (Le) per US$1 - 951.63 (January 1996), 755.22 (1995), 586.74 (1994), 567.46 (1993), 499.44 (1992), 295.34 (1991)

Exports [time series]

$115 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: rutile 51%, bauxite 20%, diamonds 16%, coffee 6%, cocoa 7%, fish (1989) partners: US, UK, Belgium, Germany, other Western Europe

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.4 billion (yearend 1993)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $4.4 billion (1994 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 40% industry: 17% services: 43% (1994)

Real GDP per capita (GDP per capita) [time series]

$960 (1994 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP real growth rate) [time series]

-4% (1994 est.)

Imports [time series]

$150 million (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: foodstuffs 38%, machinery and equipment 44%, fuels and lubricants 18% (1989) partners: US, EU countries, Japan, China, Nigeria

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

$NA

Industries [time series]

mining (diamonds, bauxite, rutile); small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

24% (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

1.369 million (1981 est.) by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry 19%, services 16% (1981 est.) note: only about 65,000 wage earners (1985)

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 71,740 sq km land area: 71,620 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than South Carolina

Climate [time series]

tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)

Coastline [time series]

402 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current 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 natural hazards: dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (November to May); sandstorms, dust storms international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Environmental Modification

Geographic coordinates [time series]

8 30 N, 11 30 W

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

340 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 958 km border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 25% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 31% forest and woodland: 29% other: 13%

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Natural resources [time series]

diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite

Terrain [time series]

coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*

Capital [time series]

Freetown

Constitution [time series]

1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: (vacant) chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261

Executive branch [time series]

chief 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) cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[232] (22) 225471

Flag [time series]

three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue

Legislative branch (House of Representatives) [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

27 April 1961 (from UK)

International organization participation [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Legal system [time series]

based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

Country name (Name of country) [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone conventional short form: Sierra Leone

National holiday [time series]

Republic Day, 27 April (1961)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

15 parties registered for the February 1996 elections; National Peoples Party (NPP), Andrew TURAY; Democratic Center Party (DCP), Abu KOROMA; Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), Edward KAMARA, chairman; Coalition for Progress Party (CPP), Geredine WILLIAMS-SARHO; National Unity Movement (NUM); United National Peoples Party (UNPP); Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Thaimu BANGURA, chairman; All Peoples Congress (APC), S. A. T. KOROMA, chairman; National Republican Party (NRP); Social Democratic Party (SDP); Peoples National Convention (PNC), I. B. KARGBO, chairman; National Unity Party (NUP), A. O. D. GEORGE, chairman; Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), Paul DUNBAR, chairman; National Democratic Alliance (NDA); National Alliance for Democracy Party (NADP)

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type of government) [time series]

constitutional democracy

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador John L. HIRSCH embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [232] (22) 226481 through 226485

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 45% (male 1,057,824; female 1,092,291) 15-64 years: 52% (male 1,197,547; female 1,298,834) 65 years and over: 3% (male 75,066; female 71,559) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

47.13 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate [time series]

18.24 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

13 native African tribes 99% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 39%), Creole, European, Lebanese, and Asian 1%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

135.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages [time series]

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)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 47.47 years male: 44.56 years female: 50.47 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write in English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic (1995 est.) total population: 31.4% male: 45.4% female: 18.2%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Sierra Leonean(s) adjective: Sierra Leonean

Net migration rate [time series]

12.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population [time series]

4,793,121 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

4.14% (1996 est.)

Religions [time series]

Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%

Sex ratio [time series]

at 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.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.36 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 5 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2 (1995 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 11,674 km paved: 1,284 km unpaved: 10,390 km (1992 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

none

Ports [time series]

Bonthe, Freetown, Pepel

Railways [time series]

total: 84 km used on a limited basis because the mine at Marampa is closed narrow gauge: 84 km 1.067-m gauge

Waterways [time series]

800 km; 600 km navigable year round