Sierra Leone

For other uses, see Sierra Leone (disambiguation).

Republic of Sierra Leone
Ripɔblik fɔ Siera Liɔn (Krio)
Motto: "Unity, Freedom, Justice"
Anthem: "High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free"
Location of Sierra Leone (dark green)
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 / 8.50000; -12.10000
Official languagesEnglish
Recognised national languagesKrio[citation needed]
Ethnic groups
(2015[2])
Religion
(2020)[3]
Demonym(s)Sierra Leonean
GovernmentUnitary presidential republic
• President
Julius Maada Bio
Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh
David Sengeh
Abass Chernor Bundu
LegislatureParliament
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[4] (100th)
• Density
124/km2 (321.2/sq mi) (114tha)
GDP (PPP)2024 estimate
• Total
Increase $30.34billion[5] (154th)
• Per capita
Increase $3,505[5] (167th)
GDP (nominal)2024 estimate
• Total
Increase $7.41 billion[5] (155th)
• Per capita
Increase $856[5] (177th)
Gini (2024)33.7[6]
medium inequality
HDI (2024)Decrease 0.458[7]
low (184th)
CurrencyLeone (SLE)
Time zoneUTC (GMT)
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy
Drives onright
Calling code+232
ISO 3166 codeSL
Internet TLD.sl
  1. Rank based on 2007 figure

Sierra Leone, (/siˌɛrə liˈoʊn(i)/ ⓘ, also UK: /siˌɛərə -/, US: /ˌsɪərə -/;[8][9] Krio: Salone[10]) officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Its land area is 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi).[11] It has a tropical climate and environments ranging from savannas to rainforests. As of the 2023 census, Sierra Leone has a population of 8,908,040.[2] Freetown is both its capital and its largest city. The country is divided into five administrative regions, which are further subdivided into 16 districts.[12][13]

Sierra Leone is a presidential republic, with a unicameral parliament and a directly elected president. It is a secular state. Its constitution provides for the separation of state and religion and freedom of conscience (which encompasses both freedom of thought and religion).[14] Muslims constitute three-quarters of the population, and there is a significant Christian minority. Notably, religious tolerance is very high: it is both a social norm and part of the nation's cultural identity.[15]

Sierra Leone's current territorial configuration was established in two phases: in 1808, the coastal Sierra Leone Colony was founded as a place to resettle returning Africans after the abolition of the slave trade; then in 1896, the inland Protectorate was created as a result of the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885. This led to the formal recognition of the territory as the Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate.[16][17] Sierra Leone attained independence from the United Kingdom in 1961 under the leadership of Prime Minister Sir Milton Margai of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP).[18] In 1971, under Prime Minister Siaka Stevens of the All People's Congress (APC), the country adopted a new constitution, transforming Sierra Leone into a presidential republic, with Stevens as the inaugural president. In 1978, Stevens declared the APC to be the sole legally recognized party. In 1985, he was succeeded by Joseph Saidu Momoh. Momoh's enactment of a new constitution in 1991 reintroduced a multi-party system. That same year, a protracted civil war broke out between the government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel group. The conflict, characterized by multiple coups d'état, persisted for 11 years. Intervention by ECOMOG forces and later by the United Kingdom resulted in the defeat of the RUF in 2002, ushering in a period of relative stability. The two major political parties that remain are the APC and the SLPP.

Sierra Leone is a culturally diverse country, 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. As of the most recent survey in 2019, 59.2% of the population is affected by multidimensional poverty and an additional 21.3% vulnerable to it.[19] 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.

  1. ^ Lewis, M. Paul; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2015). "Liberia". Ethnologue (18th ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International.
  2. ^ a b "Sierra Leone 2015 Population and Housing Census National Analytical Report" (PDF). Statistics Sierra Leone. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference religions was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Sierra Leone". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (SL)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  6. ^ "GINI index (World Bank estimate) – Sierra Leone". World Bank. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  7. ^ "HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2023-24" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. pp. 274–277.
  8. ^ Wells, John C. (2008), Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.), Longman, ISBN 9781405881180
  9. ^ "Sierra Leone". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  10. ^ Salone Definition
  11. ^ "Sierra Leone (country)". Encarta Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 28 February 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
  12. ^ "National Electoral Commission – Press Release" (PDF). 6 September 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  13. ^ "Sierra Leone unveils new geographical map". Africa Review. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  14. ^ "Sierra Leone". United States Department of State. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  15. ^ United Nations (5 July 2013), "Inter-religious cooperation can be vital asset for rebuilding Sierra Leone – UN expert". Archived. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ UNITED NATIONS INTEGRATED PEACEBUILDING OFFICE IN SIERRA LEONE. ABOUT SIERRA LEONE: HISTORY. Archived. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "Multidimensional Poverty Index 2023 Sierra Leone" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme Human Development Reports. 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2024.