Country	Sierra Leone
Capital	Freetown
Continent	Africa
Currency	Leone(SLL)
Languages	English, Temne, Mende & Krio

Locaion

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia

Geographic Co ordinates

8 30 N, 11 30 W

Land Boundries

Total:958 km
Border countries:Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km

Geography - note

rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa

Population

5,245,695 (July 2010 est.)
Country comparison to the world:113

Nationality

Noun:Sierra Leonean(s)
Adjective:Sierra Leonean

Ethnic groups

20 African ethnic groups 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, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians

Religions

Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%

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%)

Country Name

Conventional long form:Republic of Sierra Leone
Conventional short form:Sierra Leone
Local long form:Republic of Sierra Leone
Local short form:Sierra Leone

Government Type

constitutional democracy

Capital

Name:Freetown
Geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 13 15 W
Time difference:UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions

3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*

Independence

27 April 1961 (from the UK)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 27 April (1961)

Constitution

1 October 1991; amended several times

Legal system

based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Chief of state:President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government:President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007)
Cabinet:Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president
(For more information visit the World Leaders website)
Elections:president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 11 August 2007 and 8 September 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
Election results:second round results; percent of vote - Ernest Bai KOROMA 54.6%, Solomon BEREWA 45.4%

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament (124 seats; 112 members elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members to serve five-year terms)
Elections:last held on 11 August 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
Election results:percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 59, SLPP 43, PMDC 10

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court

Political Parties and Leaders

All People's Congress or APC [Ernest Bai KOROMA]; Peace and Liberation Party or PLP [Darlington MORRISON]; People's Movement for Democratic Change or PMDC [Charles MARGAI]; Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Solomon BEREWA]; numerous others

Political pressure groups and leaders

Other:student unions; trade unions

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chief of mission:Ambassador Bockari Kortu STEVENS
Chancery:1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Telephone:[1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263
FAX:[1] (202) 483-1793

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission:Ambassador June Carter PERRY
Embassy:Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown
Mailing address:use embassy street address
Telephone:[232] (22) 515 000 or (76) 515 000
FAX:[232] (22) 515 355

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and blue; green symbolizes agriculture, mountains, and natural resources, white represents unity and justice, and blue the sea and the natural harbor in Freetown

Video

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Government - Government - Sierra Leone President - Sierra Leone
                              Government Ministries - SLEmbassy
Newspapers -  AllAfrica Sierra Leone Awareness Times Christian Monitor Concord Times
                              IRIN Sierra Leone New People Online Newspaper ReliefWeb Sierra Leone
                              New People Sierra Express Media Sierra Leone News Standard Times Press
                              The Patriotic Vanguard
Tourism -         Ministry Of Tourism

Google News

This RSS feed URL is deprecatedThis RSS feed URL is deprecated, please update. New URLs can be found in the footers at https://news.google.com/news Fifa to lift Sierra Leone ban after end of Johansen trial - BBC Sport - BBC Sport BBC Sport Fifa to lift Sierra Leone ban after end of Johansen trial - BBC Sport BBC Sport Fifa will consider lifting Sierra Leone's suspension from international football after the corruption case against the country's FA President Isha Johansen ... Fifa put Stars AFCON dream on hold for long - MediamaxK24 TV Rupia backs Stars in AFCON 2019 push - FutaaFutaa all 4 news articles » Sierra Leone axes plan to build Chinese-funded airport - The Business Times The Business Times Sierra Leone axes plan to build Chinese-funded airport The Business Times [FREETOWN, Sierra Leone] Sierra Leone's government has terminated a US$400 million scheme to build a new airport with Chinese labour and loans, according to a letter written last week by the country's minister of transport and aviation, reviewed by ... More countries now wary of Chinese loansINQUIRER.net all 2 news articles » Spellbinding Sierra Leone has plenty to offer - The Economist 1843 The Economist 1843 Spellbinding Sierra Leone has plenty to offer The Economist 1843 As we drifted down the Moa river, long-armed monkeys danced through the canopy overhead, and small, brightly coloured birds swooped in and out of sight. Just as I was thinking that there was nowhere in west Africa more enchanting than Sierra Leone, the ... Sierra Leone: Financial Secretary says Africa is more indebted todayThe Patriotic Vanguard all 3 news articles » FIFA and government of Sierra Leone agree roadmap for Sierra Leone football - Sierra Leone Telegraph Sierra Leone Telegraph FIFA and government of Sierra Leone agree roadmap for Sierra Leone football Sierra Leone Telegraph Sierra Leone Telegraph: 19 October 2018: Officials of World's football governing body – FIFA, met at their head office in Zurich on Wednesday, 17 October 2018, with the vice president – Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, and the Attorney General of Sierra Leone ... Fifa fails to make decision on Sierra Leone - Daily NationDaily Nation FIFA, Sierra Leone delegates meet, talk suspension - FutaaFutaa FIFA to order rescheduling of Ghana-Sierra Leone qualifiers – ReportsGhanaWeb AllAfrica.com -Kenyans.co.ke -nation.co.ke all 18 news articles » Ghana still awaiting Fifa response on cancelled Sierra Leone ... - Goal.com Goal.com Ghana still awaiting Fifa response on cancelled Sierra Leone ... Goal.com Ghana Football Association Normalization Committee vice chairperson Lucy Quist says her outfit is still awaiting a Fifa response on the status of the cancelled ... FIFA to order rescheduling of Ghana-Sierra Leone botched ...GhanaWeb Ghana awaits FIFA's decision on suspended AFCON qualifier games against Sierra LeoneGhanasoccernet.com FIFA, Sierra Leone Government discuss the situation of the SLFAFutaa all 6 news articles » Sierra Leone diplomats leave for stations - The Patriotic Vanguard The Patriotic Vanguard Sierra Leone diplomats leave for stations The Patriotic Vanguard He disclosed that they were pleased with the calibre of people that were appointed to represent Sierra Leone in foreign countries, adding that the appointees were the best crop of diplomats to represent, build and rebrand the image of the country ... Sierra Leone hosts international conference on malaria - Journalducameroun.com - English - (press release) Journalducameroun.com - English - (press release) Sierra Leone hosts international conference on malaria Journalducameroun.com - English - (press release) A two-day conference on malaria prevention and control commenced in Freetown on Thursday with calls for increased funding in the fight against the deadly disease.The conference hosted by Sierra Leone's Ministry of Health and Sanitation is supported by ... Why the World Bank's optimism about global poverty misses the point - Sierra Leone Telegraph Sierra Leone Telegraph Why the World Bank's optimism about global poverty misses the point Sierra Leone Telegraph Sierra Leone Telegraph: 19 October 2018: The World Bank says there's reason to be optimistic: the globe has reached its “lowest poverty rate in recorded history”. But, writing in theconversation.com this week, Alf Gunvald Nilsen suggests that caution ... Sierra Leone police joins efforts to ensure children go to school - Sierra Leone Telegraph Sierra Leone Telegraph Sierra Leone police joins efforts to ensure children go to school Sierra Leone Telegraph Andrew Keili: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 17 October 2018: I couldn't help but be impressed by schoolchildren in my village on the day school reopened. Many of them had woken up early, dressed and were eagerly trooping happily to school. These included ... College of Charleston Film Series Explores Links Between Gullah Communities, Sierra Leone - charlestonchronicle.net charlestonchronicle.net College of Charleston Film Series Explores Links Between Gullah Communities, Sierra Leone charlestonchronicle.net The Carolina Lowcountry and Atlantic World (CLAW) Program at the College of Charleston will host a three-film series exploring the cultural connections between South Carolina's Gullah communities and Sierra Leone. All screenings will take place in ...