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 | SIERRA LEONEgeneral data of the country |
| General useful information |
| Note: some data are of constant value, while other are due to changes, fluctuations etc. |
| Nation and population |
| official name (short form): Sierra Leone |
| country code ISO: SL //; - FIPS: SL |
| location: West Africa |
| time zone: +0 UT |
| surface (land) area: 71740 sq.km = 27699 sq.mi //; - area incl. inland waters: sq.km = sq.mi |
| geographical position in extreme co-ordinates: North: 10° N / South: 7° N / East: 10° W / West: 13° W |
| borders (land): Guinea, Liberia |
| borders (coastline): Atlantic Ocean |
| climate: tropical and generally humid |
| Government |
| independent since: 1961-04-27 |
| type of government: republic |
| capital: Freetown |
| administrative division: province (3) + area (1), into district (12) |
| Population |
| population according to the latest census (1985): 3515,812, or: 3517,530 |
| total population according to the estimate of midyear 2000: 5232,624; or: 5031,000 /-; 2001: 5426,618 |
| population density: 73 per sq.km = 189 per sq.mi |
| population growth: 2,5% //; - doubling time: 29 years |
| birth rate: 45 - 49 per 1000 |
| death rate: 19 - 25 per 1000 |
| fertility rate: 7 children per female |
| maternal mortality: 450 per 100,000 |
| infant mortality (1-4 years): 166 per 1000 |
| life expectancy: 46 years (male: 43; female: 49) |
| age breakdown: 0-14 years: 45% //; - 15-59 years: 50% //; - 60+ years: 5% |
| urbanisation: 37% //; - urbanisation growth: 6% |
| percentage of urban population in the greatest city: 47% |
| Ethnic composition, language, religion |
| ethnic groups: Mende 35%; Tenme 32%; Limba 8%; Kono 5%; Bullom-Sherbro 4%; Fulani 4%; Kuranko 3,5%; Yalunka 3,5%; Kissi 2%; other 3,4% |
| languages: English (official); Creole, Mende, Limba, Tenme, Krio |
| religious affiliation: Sunnī Muslim 39 - 60%; traditional beliefs 30 - 51%; Christian 10% (> 5% Protestant) |
| Health |
| daily food intake: 2045 calories per capita |
| population with access to safe water: 28 - 34% |
| people per physician: 10800 |
| people per hospital bed: |
| Education, literacy |
| school enrolment: primary education 6-11 years: 37% |
| school enrolment: secondary education: 12% |
| school enrolment: tertiary education 20-24 years: 1% |
| adult literacy: 31% (male: 45%; female: 18%) [later total figure found: 36%] |
| Economy and infrastructure |
| Economy and trade |
| currency: Leone = 100 cents |
| annual inflation rate: 29% |
| population below poverty line: 58% |
| Gross Domestic Product: USD 150 per capita |
| GNI USD 130 per capita //; - [ppp: 480] |
| GDP growth: -6,5% |
| income: USD 210 per capita |
| import: USD 150 per capita //; - export: USD 116 per capita |
| trade: USD 72 per capita //; - or 25% of GDP |
| trade partners: US GB DE NL |
| human development index: 0,258 //; - position of the country in the world no.: 162 |
| female labour force: 32 - 37% |
| unemployment: % |
| tourism: 0,01 million |
| Economic activities in agriculture, fisheries, industry, mining, services, energy |
| land use: arable land: 9% //; - grass land: 31% //; - wooded area: 29% //; - arid land and desert: % |
| agriculture: labour force: 70% //; - part of agriculture in GDP: 43% |
| agricultural products: rice, cassava, sweet potatoes, groundnuts, tomatoes, palm kernels, plantains, cocoa, coffee |
| livestock (1000s): cattle: 420 / goats: 200 / pigs: 52 / poultry: 6066 / sheep: 365 |
| fish catch: 59400 - 68739 metric tonnes |
| industry: labour force: 14% //; - part of industry in GDP: 14% |
| industrial products: food & beverages, light manufacturing |
| mining products: diamonds, bauxite, rutile and ilmenite (both titanium ores), gold |
| CO2 emission per capita: 0,1 |
| services: labour force: 16% //; - part of services in GDP: 43% |
| energy use (kg per capita): 53 - 77 |
| electricity use (per capita): |
| annual water use (per capita): 99 |
| Traffic, communication |
| road network: 7500 (or 11674) km //; - of which paved: 8 (or 11)% //; - of which are motorways: 0 km |
| vehicles: 8 per 1000 |
| railways: 84 km //; - railways passenger/km: 66 |
| navigable inland waterways: 800 km |
| ownership telephone: 4 per 1000 |
| ownership radio receivers: 72 - 253 per 1000 |
| ownership tv-sets: 12 - 16 per 1000 |
| newspaper circulation: 2 per 1000 |
| persons per post office: 85000 |
| personal computers: per 1000 |
| Some physical landmarks |
| mountains: Bintimani (Loma Mountains) 1948 m, another (on maps nameless) peak 1824; Sankanbiaiwa (Tingi Mts.) 1715 |
| lowest point: sea level |
| lakes (natural): none, or unknown |
| lakes (artificial reservoirs): none, or unknown |
| lakes (deepest): unknown |
| rivers: Kaba, Rokel, Taia, Sewa, Moa, Mano |
| canals: none, or unknown |
| waterfalls: none, or unknown |
| caves: longest system: none, or unknown / deepest: |
| islands: Sherbro Island, Banana Island, Turtle Island |
| deserts: none |
| other natural features: |
| Additional remarks, especially on the statistical information |
| other important features: |
| apart from physical landmarks most of the above figures are changeable, in most cases they date from the 1990's |
| primary sources used for the general information: |
| BB CA EV PW WA WB WR, and some national statistical yearbooks |
| particulars concerning population data: |
To the page containing the population growth statistics of the country
To the page containing the historical population growth statistics of the provinces
To the page containing urban historical population statistics
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Internet website:Latest modification of this page on 2004-03-06 by Jan Lahmeyer
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