| Land area (sq. km) |
71,620.00 |
WDI |
| Arable land (% of land area) |
7.96 |
WDI |
| Population, total |
5,336,449.00 |
WDI |
| Population growth (annual %) |
4.16 |
WDI |
| Population density (people per sq. km) |
74.51 |
WDI |
| Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) |
35.09 |
WDI/UN/UNICEF |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) |
41.11 |
WDI |
| Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) |
165.40 |
WDI |
| Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population)** |
70.20 |
WDI/CIA/UNICEF |
| Urban population (% of total) |
39.96 |
WDI |
| Ethnic breakdown |
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, |
CIA |
| Religious breakdown |
Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10% |
CIA |
| Language |
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 |
CIA |
| Capital City |
Freetown |
CIA |
| Character of government |
constitutional democracy ; Administrative Division: 3 provinces and 1 area; Independence day: 27 April 1961 (from UK) |
CIA* |
| Current President/Prime Minister |
President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998) |
CIA* |
| Executive branch description |
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 years term (elligible for second term) |
CIA* |
| Legislative branch description |
unicameral Parliament (124 seats - 112 elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members serve five-year terms) |
CIA* |
| Judicial branch description |
Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court |
CIA |
| Women in national parliament (% of total) |
15.00 |
WDI |
| Foreign aid per capita (current US$) |
67.40 |
WDI |
| Foreign direct investment, net inflow (BoP, current US$ bn) ** |
0.03 |
WDI |
| GDP growth (annual %) |
7.40 |
WDI |
| GDP per capita (constant 2000 US$) |
209.75 |
WDI |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) |
14.19 |
WDI |
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
1.22 |
WDI/CIA/WRI |
| Military expenditure (% of central government expenditure) |
10.00 (1993-2004) |
WDI/WRI/Dept of State/UNICEF |
| Health expenditure, public (% of GDP) |
2.04 (2003) |
WDI/WRI |
| Education expenditure, public (% of GDP) |
3.73 (2000) |
WDI/WRI |
| Main export |
diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish |
CIA |
| Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) |
N/A |
WDI/CIA |
| External debt, total (DOD, current US$) |
1,722,800,000.00 |
WDI/CIA |
| Currency |
Leone (SLL) |
CIA |
| Local Currency Rate, per US$ |
2,701.30 |
CIA |
| Internet users (per 1,000 people) |
1.87 |
WDI/Comp Industry Almanac |
| Mobile phone subscribers (per 1,000 people) |
22.30 |
WDI |
| Personal computers (per 1,000 people) |
N/A |
WDI |
| Telephone mainlines (per 1,000 people) |
4.87 |
WDI |
