Country Facts and Statistics
Sierra Leone
Population:
6,294,774 (with only about 3% of the population being over 65 years old)
Government:
Constitutional democracy
Official name: Republic of Sierra Leone
President: Ernest Bai Koroma
Capital: Freetown
Independence Day: April 27, 1961 (from UK)
Religions:
Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, Indigenous beliefs 30%
Exports:
diamonds, rutile, cocao, coffee, fish
Currency:
Leone (SLL); USD equivalent = 2,980 leones (2009)
Population Below the Poverty Line:
66% (2004)
Education:
In Sierra Leone, primary school is free, however parents are expected to pay for books, uniforms, shoes, school supplies and ceremonies. Secondary school is not free.
Typical Secondary School Fees: $50–250 per term (3 terms)
Literacy Rate: (definition: age 15 and over can read and write) total population: 35.1% (2004 est.)
Health:
Infant mortality: about 156/1,000 births
Births per woman: about 6
Life expectancy: about 40 years
Physicians per 1,000 people: 0
Health Expenditures per capita: $19
People living with HIV/AIDS: 170,000; 4.9% nationally (2001)
Climate:
Tropical; hot, humid; summer/rainy season (May through December); winter/dry season (December through April)
Other Facts:
Airports: 10
Airports with paved runways: 1
Internet Users: 13,000 people
Telephone landlines: 24,000
Cell Phones: 776,000 (2007)
Environmental Issues: Rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil exhaustion; civil war depleted natural resources; overfishing
Staple Food: Cassava (a plant that is used to make a variety of dishes) and rice.
Refugees and internally displaced people: 59,952 (from Liberia)
All facts and information stated has been taken from: www.CIA.gov, www.worldbank.com and www.state.gov.