International Security Bulletin

Sierra Leone

Republic of Sierra Leone

Capital: Freetown

The Sierra Leone Bulletin

Weekly Brief: May 4, 2015

Top Story Representatives from around the world traveled to New York this week to begin the ninth review conference for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Review conferences have been held every five years since the NPT entered into effect in 1970. American Secretary of State John Kerry, who will lead his country’s […]

Weekly Brief: March 30, 2015

Middle East Fighting in Yemen continued to escalate this week. On Wednesday, the Houthi rebels seized an airbase as they moved closer to the city of Aden, where President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was sheltered. By Thursday, Mr. Hadi had briefly sought shelter in Oman before moving on to Riyadh. On Thursday, Saudi Arabia led airstrikes against the Houthis in […]

History

Democracy is slowly being reestablished after the civil war from 1991 to 2002 that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about a third of the population). The military, which took over full responsibility for security following the departure of UN peacekeepers at the end of 2005, is increasingly developing as a guarantor of the country's stability. The armed forces remained on the sideline during the 2007 and 2012 national elections but still look to the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) - a civilian UN mission - to support efforts to consolidate peace. The new government's priorities include furthering development, creating jobs, and stamping out endemic corruption.

Geography

Metric Units

Total Area 71,740 sq km
Land Boundaries 958 km
Border Countries Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
Coastline 402 km
Terrain coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east
Minimum Elevation 0 m
Maximum Elevation 1,948 m
Climate tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
Natural Resources diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Arable Land 15.33%
Permanent Crops 1.88%

Economy

Gross Domestic Product $8.38 billion
GDP (per capita) $1,400
GDP Growth 21.3%
Unemployment Rate No data%
Population in Poverty 70.2%
GINI Index 62.9

Budget & Debt

Expenditures $685.7 million
Revenue $527.5 million
Current Account Balance $-969.9 million
External Debt $827.6 million

Trade

Exports $1.17 billion
Export Items diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish
Export Partners Belgium 28.8%, Romania 12.5%, Netherlands 9.2%, China 7.3%, US 6.9%, Turkey 6%, UK 5.8% (2011)
Imports $1.68 billion
Import Items foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals
Import Partners China 16%, South Africa 11.1%, US 7.3%, UK 7.1%, India 5.7%, Malaysia 4.3% (2011)

People

Population 5,612,685
Population Growth 2.3%
Ethnic Groups Temne 35%, Mende 31%, Limba 8%, Kono 5%, Kriole 2% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century; also known as Krio), Mandingo 2%, Loko 2%, other 15% (includes refugees from Liberia's recent civil wa
Religion Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%
Life Expectancy 56.98 years
Infant Mortality 0.94 deaths/1,000 live births
Maternal Mortality 3.3 deaths/100,000 live births

Energy

Electricity Production 120 million kWh
Electricity Consumption 111.6 million kWh
From Fossil Fuels 92.3%
From Nuclear 0%
From Hydroelectric 7.7%
From Renewable Sources 0%