General
Information
|
Total Land Area: |
71,620 km2 |
|
Land boundaries: |
958 km |
|
Coastline: |
402 km |
|
Capital: |
Freetown |
|
Other Large
Cities: |
Bo, Kenema,
Makeni |
|
Official
Language: |
English |
|
National
Currency Unit: |
Leone (SLL) |
|
National Day: |
April 27 |
Location and
Geography
Sierra Leone is
almost circular in
shape and located on
the South-western
part of the great
bulge of West
Africa. It is
bordered by Guinea
in the North and
East, Liberia in the
South, and the
Atlantic Ocean in
the West. Three main
topographical
regions run
North-west to
South-east, roughly
parallel with the
coast. The terrain
is made up of a
coastal belt of
mangrove swamps, the
upland plateau, a
wooded hill, and the
mountains in the
East. Meadows and
pastures cover one
third of the land
and forests a
quarter. The climate
is tropical with
both rainy and dry
seasons. The
beginning and end of
the rainy season are
marked by strong
thunderstorms and
very high humidity.
Demography
|
Population:
|
4.80 million
(2002) |
|
Crude Birth
Rate:
|
44 per thousand
people (2002) |
|
Crude Death
Rate:
|
25 per thousand
people (2002) |
|
Infant Mortality
Rate:
|
165 per thousand
(2002) |
|
Life Expectancy:
|
Male: 36 years,
Female: 39 years
(2002) |
|
Urban
Population:
|
38.0 percent
(2002) |
|
Adult Literacy:
|
36.00 percent
(2001) |
Economy
Agriculture is the
backbone of Sierra
Leone’s economy with
a majority of the
workforce engaged in
plantations of
around 70 different
crops. Rice is the
staple food crop.
Coffee, cocoa, palm
kernels and cassava
are the other major
crops. Mining is the
second most
important sector
constituting the
largest portion of
the country’s export
earnings. The main
natural resources
are diamonds,
titanium ore,
bauxite, iron ore,
gold and chromite.
Sierra Leone has the
world’s largest
deposits of rutile
(a mineral used to
manufacture paints
and alloys) mostly
located in the
South-western part
of the country. The
industrial sector
involves the
manufacture of
paint, beverages,
plastic footwear,
and textiles.
|
GDP at Current
Market Prices:
|
790 million US$
(2002) |
|
Per Capita GDP:
|
165 US$ (2002) |
|
Share of Sectors
in GDP:
|
53.0%
Agriculture,
32.0% Industry,
15.0% Services,
(2002) |
|
Total Exports:
|
99 million US$
(2002) |
|
Total Imports:
|
490 million US$
(2002) |
|
Major Exports
Items: |
Diamonds, rutile,
bauxite, palm
kernels, cocoa,
coffee and fish |
|
Major Imports
Items: |
Foodstuffs,
machinery and
transportation
equipment, fuels
and lubricants |
|
Major Trading
Partners: |
UK, Belgium,
Germany, India
and Netherlands
|
|
