Global InformationSierra Leone information
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Republic of Sierra Leone | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Motto: "Unity, Freedom, Justice" | |
| Anthem: "High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free" | |
 Location of Sierra Leone (dark green) | |
| Capital and largest city | Freetown 08°30′00″N 12°06′00″W / 8.50000°N 12.10000°W |
| Official languages | English |
| Recognised national languages | Krio |
| Ethnic groups (2015[1]) |
|
| Religion (2020)[2] |
|
| Demonym(s) | Sierra Leonean |
| Government | Unitary presidential republic |
• President | Julius Maada Bio |
• Vice-President | Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh |
• Chief Minister | David Sengeh |
• Speaker of Parliament | Abass Chernor Bundu |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Independence from the United Kingdom | |
• Dominion | 27 April 1961 |
• Republic | 19 April 1971 |
| Area | |
• Total | 71,740 km2 (27,700 sq mi) (117th) |
• Water (%) | 1.1 |
| Population | |
• 2023 estimate | 8,908,040[3] (100th) |
• Density | 112/km2 (290.1/sq mi) (114tha) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2023 estimate |
• Total |  $17.784 billion[4] (152nd) |
• Per capita | $2,097[4] (185th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total |  $3.519 billion[4] (170th) |
• Per capita | $414[4] (193rd) |
| Gini (2018) | 35.7[5] medium |
| HDI (2021) | 0.477[6] low (181st) |
| Currency | Leone (SLL) |
| Time zone | UTC (GMT) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +232 |
| ISO 3166 code | SL |
| Internet TLD | .sl |
| |
Sierra Leone,[a] officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It shares its southeastern border with Liberia and is bordered by Guinea to the north. With a land area of 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi),[11] Sierra Leone has a tropical climate and with a variety of environments ranging from savannas to rainforests. According to the 2015 census, Sierra Leone has a population of 7,092,113,[1] with Freetown serving as both the capital and largest city. The country is divided into five administrative regions, which are further subdivided into 16 districts.[12][13]
Sierra Leone is governed as a presidential republic, with a unicameral parliament and a directly elected president. Sierra Leone is a secular state with the constitution providing for the separation of state and religion and freedom of conscience, encompassing freedom of thought and religion.[14] Muslims constitute three-quarters of the population with a significant Christian minority. Notably, religious tolerance is very high, reflecting a social norm and part of the nation's cultural identity.[15]
Sierra Leone's current territorial configuration was established by the British Empire through two historical phases: initially, the coastal Sierra Leone Colony was founded in 1808 to resettle returning Africans following the abolition of the slave trade; subsequently, the inland Protectorate was created in 1896 in the wake of the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885. This led to the formal recognition of the territory as the Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate, or British Sierra Leone.[16][17] Independence from the United Kingdom was attained in 1961, with Sierra Leone transitioning into a Commonwealth realm as the Dominion of Sierra Leone under the leadership of Prime Minister Sir Milton Margai of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP).[18]
Under prime minister Siaka Stevens of the All People's Congress (APC), the country adopted a new constitution in 1971, transforming Sierra Leone into a presidential republic with Stevens as the inaugural president. After declaring the APC the sole legal party in 1978, Stevens was succeeded by Joseph Saidu Momoh in 1985. Momoh's enactment of a new constitution in 1991 reintroduced a multi-party system. That year, a protracted civil war initiated, featuring the government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel group, leading to significant turmoil. The conflict, characterized by multiple coups d'état, persisted for 11 years. Intervention by ECOMOG forces and later the United Kingdom resulted in the defeat of the RUF in 2002, ushering in a period of relative stability and recovery efforts. The remaining two main political parties are the APC and the SLPP.
Sierra Leone is a culturally diverse nation, home to approximately 18 ethnic groups, with the Temne and Mende peoples being predominant. The Creole people, descendants of freed African-American, Afro-Caribbean slaves and liberated Africans, constitute about 1.2% of the population. English is the official language, while Krio is the lingua franca, spoken by 97% of the population. The country is rich with natural resources, notably diamonds, gold, bauxite and aluminium. Sierra Leone maintains membership in several international organizations, including the United Nations, African Union, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Commonwealth of Nations, among others.
- ^ a b "Sierra Leone 2015 Population and Housing Census National Analytical Report" (PDF). Statistics Sierra Leone. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
religionswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Sierra Leone". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (SL)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ "GINI index (World Bank estimate) – Sierra Leone". World Bank. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
- ^ "Human Development Report 2021/2022" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ Lewis, M. Paul; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2015). "Liberia". Ethnologue (18th ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International.
- ^ Wells, John C. (2008), Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.), Longman, ISBN 9781405881180
- ^ "Sierra Leone". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- ^ Salone Definition
- ^ "Sierra Leone (country)". Encarta Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 28 February 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ "National Electoral Commission – Press Release" (PDF). 6 September 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- ^ "Sierra Leone unveils new geographical map". Africa Review. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- ^ "Sierra Leone". United States Department of State. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ United Nations (5 July 2013), "Inter-religious cooperation can be vital asset for rebuilding Sierra Leone – UN expert". Archived. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
- ^ Hargreaves, J. D. (January 1956). "IV. The Establishment of the Sierra Leone Protectorate and the Insurrection of 1898". Cambridge Historical Journal. 12 (1): 56–80. doi:10.1017/S1474691300000330. ISSN 2051-9818.
- ^ UNITED NATIONS INTEGRATED PEACEBUILDING OFFICE IN SIERRA LEONE. ABOUT SIERRA LEONE: HISTORY. Archived. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
- ^ Fisher, Humphrey J. (December 1969). "Elections and Coups in Sierra Leone, 1967". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 7 (4): 611–636. doi:10.1017/S0022278X00018863. ISSN 1469-7777.
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