Quick Data on Sierra Leone
Short Name | Sierra Leone |
Capital | Freetown |
Long Name | Republic of Sierra Leone |
Country Code | SL |
Continent | Africa |
Total Area | 71,740 sq km |
Population | 6,624,933 |
Language | English |
Nationality | Sierra Leonean(s) |
Geography of Sierra Leone
As a country in Africa, with coordinates at 8 30 N, 11 30 W, Sierra Leone neighbors Guinea 794 km, Liberia 299 km. The terrain in Sierra Leone is described as coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east, with an average elevation point of 279 m. The climate of Sierra Leone: tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April).
Surface Total | 71,740 sq km |
Land Surface | 71,620 sq km |
Water Surface | 120 sq km |
Land Boundaries | 1,093 km |
Neighbor Countries | Guinea 794 km, Liberia 299 km |
Coastline | 402 km |
Lowest Elevation Point | Atlantic Ocean 0 m |
Highest Elevation Point | Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m |
Resources of Sierra Leone
The country enjoys many types of natural resources, with the main ones being diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite. The agricultural land occupies 56.20% of Sierra Leone, while the land covered with forests is estimated at 37.50%.
Percent of Total Land | Surface Sq km | Data | |
Agricultural Land | 56.20% | 40,250 sq km | 2011 est. |
Irrigated Land | 300 sq km | 2012 | |
Forest Land | 37.50% | 26,858 sq km | 2011 est. |
Other Land | 6.30% | 4,512 sq km | 2011 est. |
Population of Sierra Leone
The population of the country is estimated at 6,624,933 people, with the biggest urban area having 1.202 million FREETOWN (capital) (2020). Known as Sierra Leonean(s), the people from Sierra Leone come from diversified ethnic groups such as Temne 35.5%, Mende 33.2%, Limba 6.4%, Kono 4.4%, Fullah 3.4%, Loko 2.9%, Koranko 2.8%, Sherbro 2.6%, Mandingo 2.4%, Creole 1.2% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century; also known as Krio), other Sierra Leone 4.7%, other foreign 0.3% (includes refugees from Liberia’s civil war, and small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians), unspecified 0.2% (2013 est.). The official language is English. Religions: Muslim 78.6%, Christian 20.8%, other 0.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2013 est.).
Population | 6,624,933 |
Nationality | Sierra Leonean(s) |
Official Language | English |
Other 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%) |
Birth Rate | 35.4 births / 1000 population (2020 est.) |
Death Rate | 9.8 deaths / 1000 population (2020 est.) |
Urban Population | 42.90% of total population (2020) |
Physicians Density | 0.03 physicians/1,000 population (2011) |
Hospital Beds Density | n/a beds/1,000 population (n/a) |
Governing Type of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is a presidential republic. The legal system makes use of mixed legal system of English common law and customary law.
Governing Type | presidential republic |
Citizenship by Birth | no |
Citizenship by Descent | at least one parent or grandparent must be a citizen of Sierra Leone |
Dual Citizenship | yes |
Residency Requirement for Naturalization | 5 years |
Suffrage Vote | 18 years of age; universal |
Economy of Sierra Leone
From a population total of 6,624,933, the labor force is 2.972 million (2017 est.). The main products in agriculture are: rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts, cashews; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish. Among the main industries considerable for the economy are: diamond mining; iron ore, rutile and bauxite mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, footwear). Its exports cover iron ore, diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish. The main import products are: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals.
Exports | $808.4 million (2017 est.) |
Imports | $1.107 billion (2017 est.) |
Export Partners | Cote dIvoire 37.7%, Belgium 20.5%, US 15.7%, China 10.2%, Netherlands 6.1% (2017) |
Import Partners | China 11.5%, US 9.2%, Belgium 8.8%, UAE 7.7%, India 7.4%, Turkey 5.2%, Senegal 5.1%, Netherlands 4.3% (2017) |
GDP / Capita | $1,600 (2017 est.) |
Electricity Production | 300 million kWh (2016 est.) |
Electrification Rate | population without electricity: 6 million (2017) |
Internet Users | 708,615 |
Internet Penetration Rate | 11.80% (July 2016 est.) |
For latest imports and exports data we recommend checking the website for the National Bank of Sierra Leone, statistics sectio