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National Map
Of |
Sierra Leone |
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National Flag
Of |
Sierra Leone |
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Flag Description:
three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white,
and light blue
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National Emblem(Coat Of Arms)
Of |
Sierra Leone |
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National Anthem
Of |
Sierra Leone |
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Categories National Symbol Of |
Sierra Leone |
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Background:
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The 1991
to 2002 civil war between the government and the
Revolutionary United Front (RUF) resulted in tens of
thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2
million people (about one-third of the population), many
of whom are now refugees in neighboring countries. With
the support of the UN peacekeeping force and
contributions from the World Bank and international
community, demobilization and disarmament of the RUF and
Civil Defense Forces (CDF) combatants has been
completed. National elections were held in May 2002 and
the government continues to slowly reestablish its
authority. However, the gradual withdrawal of most UN
Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) peacekeepers in 2004
and early 2005, deteriorating political and economic
conditions in Guinea, and the tenuous security situation
in neighboring Liberia may present challenges to the
continuation of Sierra Leone's stability. |
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Location:
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Western
Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Guinea and Liberia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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8 30 N,
11 30 W |
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total:
71,740 sq km
land: 71,620 sq km
water: 120 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than South Carolina |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
958 km
border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
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Coastline:
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402 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical;
hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December);
winter dry season (December to April) |
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Terrain:
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coastal
belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland
plateau, mountains in east |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
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Natural resources:
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diamonds,
titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 6.98%
permanent crops: 0.89%
other: 92.13% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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290 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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dry,
sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara
(December to February); sandstorms, dust storms |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental
Modification |
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Geography - note:
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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:
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6,017,643
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 44.7% (male 1,318,508/female 1,371,164)
15-64 years: 52% (male 1,494,068/female
1,637,276)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 93,047/female
103,580) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
17.53 years
male: 17.2 years
female: 17.84 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.22%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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42.84
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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20.61
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0
migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: refugees currently in surrounding countries
are slowly returning (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
143.64 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 161.06 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 125.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 39.87 years
male: 37.74 years
female: 42.06 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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5.72
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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7% (2001
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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170,000
(2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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11,000
(2001 est.) |
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree
of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and
protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever
are high risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa
fever (2004) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective: Sierra Leonean |
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Ethnic groups:
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20 native
African tribes 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 |
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Religions:
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Muslim
60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10% |
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Languages:
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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%) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
total population: 29.6%
male: 39.8%
female: 20.5% (2000 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
conventional short form: Sierra Leone |
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Government type:
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constitutional democracy |
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Capital:
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Freetown
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Administrative divisions:
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3
provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern,
Western* |
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Independence:
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27 April
1961 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 27 April (1961) |
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Constitution:
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1 October
1991; subsequently amended several times |
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Legal system:
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based on
English law and customary laws indigenous to local
tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29
March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH
(since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the
president with the approval of the House of
Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the
president
elections: president elected by popular vote for
a five-year term; election last held 14 May 2002 (next
to be held May 2007); note - president's tenure of
office is limited to two five-year terms
election results: Ahmad Tejan KABBAH reelected
president; percent of vote - Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (SLPP)
70.6%, Ernest KOROMA (APC) 22.4% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Parliament (124 seats - 112 elected by
popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in
separate elections; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held
May 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - SLPP
70.06%, APC 22.35%, PLP 3%, others 4.59%; seats by party
- SLPP 83, APC 27, PLP 2 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court; Appeals Court; High Court |
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Political parties and leaders:
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All
People's Congress or APC [Ben KANU]; Peace and
Liberation Party or PLP [Darlington MORRISON, interim
chairman]; Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Sama
BANYA]; numerous others |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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trade
unions and student unions |
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International organization participation:
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ACP,
AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Ibrahim M. KAMARA
chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC
20009
telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263
FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Thomas N. HULL
embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens
Streets, Freetown
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [232] (22) 226481 through 226485
FAX: [232] (22) 225471 |
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Flag description:
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three
equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and
light blue |
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Economy - overview:
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Sierra
Leone is an extremely poor African nation with
tremendous inequality in income distribution. While it
possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery
resources, its economic and social infrastructure is not
well developed, and serious social disorders continue to
hamper economic development. About two-thirds of the
working-age population engages in subsistence
agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the
processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing
for the domestic market. Plans to reopen bauxite and
rutile mines shut down during an 11 year civil war have
not been implemented due to lack of foreign investment.
Alluvial diamond mining remains the major source of hard
currency earnings. The fate of the economy depends upon
the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued
receipt of substantial aid from abroad, which is
essential to offset the severe trade imbalance and
supplement government revenues. International financial
institutions contributed over $600 million in
development aid and budgetary support in 2003. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$3.335
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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6% (2004
est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $600 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 49%
industry: 30%
services: 21% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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1.369
million (1981 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA |
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Population below poverty line:
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68% (1989
est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 0.5%
highest 10%: 43.6% (1989) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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62.9
(1989) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1% (2002
est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $96 million
expenditures: $351 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (2000 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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rice,
coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry,
cattle, sheep, pigs; fish |
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Industries:
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diamonds
mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles,
cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining, small
commercial ship repair |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA |
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Electricity - production:
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255.3
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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237.4
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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6,500
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Exports:
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$49
million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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diamonds,
rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish (1999) |
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Exports - partners:
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Belgium
61.6%, Germany 11.8%, US 5.4% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$264
million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and
lubricants, chemicals (1995) |
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Imports - partners:
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Germany
14%, Cote d'Ivoire 10.7%, UK 9.1%, US 8.4%, China 5.6%,
Netherlands 5%, South Africa 4.1% (2004) |
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Debt - external:
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$1.5
billion (2002 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$103
million (2001 est.) |
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Currency (code):
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leone
(SLL) |
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Currency code:
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SLL |
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Exchange rates:
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leones
per US dollar - 2,701.3 (2004), 2,347.9 (2003), 2,099
(2002), 1,986.2 (2001), 2,092.1 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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24,000
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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67,000
(2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: marginal telephone and telegraph
service
domestic: the national microwave radio relay
trunk system connects Freetown to Bo and Kenema
international: country code - 232; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM
9, shortwave 1 (1999) |
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Radios:
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1.12
million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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2 (1999)
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Televisions:
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53,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.sl |
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Internet hosts:
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277
(2004) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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1 (2001)
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Internet users:
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8,000
(2002) |
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Highways:
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total:
11,300 km
paved: 904 km
unpaved: 10,396 km (2002) |
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Waterways:
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800 km
(2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Freetown,
Pepel, Sherbro Islands |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,435 GRT/8,750 DWT
by type: petroleum tanker 2 (2005) |
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Airports:
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10 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
9
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
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Heliports:
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2 (2004
est.) |
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Military branches:
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Republic
of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Air
Wing, Maritime Wing) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age (est.); no conscription (2001) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 1,110,077 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 552,785 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$13.2
million (2004) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.7%
(2004) |
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Disputes - international:
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domestic
fighting among disparate rebel groups, warlords, and
youth gangs in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and
Sierra Leone perpetuate insurgencies, street violence,
looting, arms trafficking, ethnic conflicts, and
refugees in border areas; UN Mission in Sierra Leone
(UNAMSIL) has maintained over 4,000 peacekeepers in
Sierra Leone since 1999; Sierra Leone pressures Guinea
to remove its forces from the town of Yenga occupied
since 1998 |
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Refugees and internally displaced persons:
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refugees (country of origin): 67,000 (Liberia)
(2004) |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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