factbook.json/africa/sl.json

{
  "Introduction": {
    "Background": {
      "text": "<p>Continuously populated for at least 2,500 years, the dense jungle in the area of Sierra Leone allowed the region to remain relatively protected from invaders from empires in West Africa. Traders introduced Sierra Leone to Islam, which occupies a central role in Sierra Leonean culture and history. In the 17th century, the British set up a trading post near present-day Freetown. The trade originally involved timber and ivory, but later expanded to enslaved people. In 1787, following the American Revolution, Sierra Leone became a destination for black British loyalists from the new United States. After the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, British ships delivered thousands of liberated Africans to Sierra Leone. During the 19th century, the colony gradually expanded inland.</p> <p>In 1961, Sierra Leone became independent of the UK. While Sierra Leone held free and fair elections in 1962 and 1967, Siaka STEVENS - Sierra Leone’s second prime minister - quickly reverted to authoritarian tendencies, outlawing most political parties and ruling from 1967 to 1985. In 1991, Sierra Leonean soldiers launched a civil war against STEVENS’ ruling party. The war caused tens of thousands of deaths and displaced more than 2 million people (about one-third of the population). In 1998, a Nigerian-led West African coalition military force intervened, installing Tejan KABBAH - who was originally elected in 1996 - as prime minister. In 2002, KABBAH officially announced the end of the war. Since 1998, Sierra Leone has conducted uninterrupted democratic elections, dominated by the two main political parties. In 2018, Julius Maada BIO of the Sierra Leone People’s Party won the presidential election that saw a high voter turnout despite some allegations of voter intimidation. The next presidential election is scheduled for March 2023.</p>"
    }
  },
  "Geography": {
    "Location": {
      "text": "Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia"
    },
    "Geographic coordinates": {
      "text": "8 30 N, 11 30 W"
    },
    "Map references": {
      "text": "Africa"
    },
    "Area": {
      "total": {
        "text": "71,740 sq km"
      },
      "land": {
        "text": "71,620 sq km"
      },
      "water": {
        "text": "120 sq km"
      }
    },
    "Area - comparative": {
      "text": "slightly smaller than South Carolina"
    },
    "Land boundaries": {
      "total": {
        "text": "1,093 km"
      },
      "border countries": {
        "text": "Guinea 794 km; Liberia 299 km"
      }
    },
    "Coastline": {
      "text": "402 km"
    },
    "Maritime claims": {
      "territorial sea": {
        "text": "12 nm"
      },
      "contiguous zone": {
        "text": "24 nm"
      },
      "exclusive economic zone": {
        "text": "200 nm"
      },
      "continental shelf": {
        "text": "200 nm"
      }
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)"
    },
    "Terrain": {
      "text": "coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east"
    },
    "Elevation": {
      "highest point": {
        "text": "Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m"
      },
      "lowest point": {
        "text": "Atlantic Ocean 0 m"
      },
      "mean elevation": {
        "text": "279 m"
      }
    },
    "Natural resources": {
      "text": "diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite"
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "56.2% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: arable land": {
        "text": "arable land: 23.4% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent crops": {
        "text": "permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
        "text": "permanent pasture: 30.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "37.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "6.3% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Irrigated land": {
      "text": "300 sq km (2012)"
    },
    "Major watersheds (area sq km)": {
      "text": "Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km)"
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "population clusters are found in the lower elevations of the south and west; the northern third of the country is less populated as shown on this population distribution map"
    },
    "Natural hazards": {
      "text": "dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms"
    },
    "Geography - note": {
      "text": "rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa"
    }
  },
  "People and Society": {
    "Population": {
      "text": "8,692,606 (2022 est.)"
    },
    "Nationality": {
      "noun": {
        "text": "Sierra Leonean(s)"
      },
      "adjective": {
        "text": "Sierra Leonean"
      }
    },
    "Ethnic groups": {
      "text": "Temne 35.4%, Mende 30.8%, Limba 8.8%, Kono 4.3%, Korankoh 4%, Fullah 3.8%, Mandingo 2.8%, Loko 2%, Sherbro 1.9%, Creole 1.2% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century; also known as Krio), other 5% (2019 est.)"
    },
    "Languages": {
      "text": "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%)"
    },
    "Religions": {
      "text": "Muslim 77.1%, Christian 22.9% (2019 est.)"
    },
    "Demographic profile": {
      "text": "<p>Sierra Leone’s youthful and growing population is driven by its high total fertility rate (TFR) of almost 5 children per woman, which has declined little over the last two decades. Its elevated TFR is sustained by the continued desire for large families, the low level of contraceptive use, and the early start of childbearing. Despite its high TFR, Sierra Leone’s population growth is somewhat tempered by high infant, child, and maternal mortality rates that are among the world’s highest and are a result of poverty, a lack of potable water and sanitation, poor nutrition, limited access to quality health care services, and the prevalence of female genital cutting.</p><p>Sierra Leone’s large youth cohort – about 60% of the population is under the age of 25 – continues to struggle with high levels of unemployment, which was one of the major causes of the country’s 1991-2002 civil war and remains a threat to stability today. Its estimated 60% youth unemployment rate is attributed to high levels of illiteracy and unskilled labor, a lack of private sector jobs, and low pay.</p><p>Sierra Leone has been a source of and destination for refugees. Sierra Leone’s civil war internally displaced as many as 2 million people, or almost half the population, and forced almost another half million to seek refuge in neighboring countries (370,000 Sierra Leoneans fled to Guinea and 120,000 to Liberia). The UNHCR has helped almost 180,000 Sierra Leoneans to return home, while more than 90,000 others have repatriated on their own. Of the more than 65,000 Liberians who took refuge in Sierra Leone during their country’s civil war (1989-2003), about 50,000 have been voluntarily repatriated by the UNHCR and others have returned home independently. As of 2015, less than 1,000 Liberians still reside in Sierra Leone.</p>"
    },
    "Age structure": {
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "41.38% (male 1,369,942/female 1,371,537)"
      },
      "15-24 years": {
        "text": "18.83% (male 610,396/female 636,880)"
      },
      "25-54 years": {
        "text": "32.21% (male 1,020,741/female 1,112,946)"
      },
      "55-64 years": {
        "text": "3.89% (male 121,733/female 135,664)"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "3.7% (male 100,712/female 144,382) (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Dependency ratios": {
      "total dependency ratio": {
        "text": "76.3"
      },
      "youth dependency ratio": {
        "text": "71.1"
      },
      "elderly dependency ratio": {
        "text": "5.2"
      },
      "potential support ratio": {
        "text": "19.4 (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Median age": {
      "total": {
        "text": "19.1 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "18.5 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "19.7 years (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Population growth rate": {
      "text": "2.49% (2022 est.)"
    },
    "Birth rate": {
      "text": "32.2 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)"
    },
    "Death rate": {
      "text": "9.32 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)"
    },
    "Net migration rate": {
      "text": "2.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)"
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "population clusters are found in the lower elevations of the south and west; the northern third of the country is less populated as shown on this population distribution map"
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "43.8% of total population (2022)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "3.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major urban areas - population": {
      "text": "1.272 million FREETOWN (capital) (2022)"
    },
    "Sex ratio": {
      "at birth": {
        "text": "1.03 male(s)/female"
      },
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "1.02 male(s)/female"
      },
      "15-24 years": {
        "text": "0.97 male(s)/female"
      },
      "25-54 years": {
        "text": "0.97 male(s)/female"
      },
      "55-64 years": {
        "text": "1.25 male(s)/female"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "0.83 male(s)/female"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "0.98 male(s)/female (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Mother's mean age at first birth": {
      "text": "19.6 years (2019 est.)",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> median age at first birth among women 20-49"
    },
    "Maternal mortality ratio": {
      "text": "1,120 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Infant mortality rate": {
      "total": {
        "text": "73.42 deaths/1,000 live births"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "78.45 deaths/1,000 live births"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "68.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Life expectancy at birth": {
      "total population": {
        "text": "58.76 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "57.16 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "60.41 years (2022 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Total fertility rate": {
      "text": "3.8 children born/woman (2022 est.)"
    },
    "Contraceptive prevalence rate": {
      "text": "21.2% (2019)"
    },
    "Drinking water source": {
      "improved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 92.5% of population"
      },
      "improved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 58% of population"
      },
      "improved: total": {
        "text": "total: 72.8% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 7.5% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 42% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: total": {
        "text": "total: 27.2% of population (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Current Health Expenditure": {
      "text": "8.8% (2019)"
    },
    "Physicians density": {
      "text": "0.03 physicians/1,000 population (2011)"
    },
    "Sanitation facility access": {
      "improved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 79.5% of population"
      },
      "improved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 35.5% of population"
      },
      "improved: total": {
        "text": "total: 54.4% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 20.5% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 64.5% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: total": {
        "text": "total: 45.6% of population (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate": {
      "text": "1.5% (2020 est.)"
    },
    "HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS": {
      "text": "80,000 (2020 est.)"
    },
    "HIV/AIDS - deaths": {
      "text": "3,200 (2020 est.)"
    },
    "Major infectious diseases": {
      "degree of risk": {
        "text": "very high (2020)"
      },
      "food or waterborne diseases": {
        "text": "bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever"
      },
      "vectorborne diseases": {
        "text": "malaria and&nbsp;dengue fever"
      },
      "water contact diseases": {
        "text": "schistosomiasis"
      },
      "animal contact diseases": {
        "text": "rabies"
      },
      "aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases": {
        "text": "Lassa fever"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note: </strong>on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Sierra Leone is currently considered a high risk to travelers for polio; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine"
    },
    "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": {
      "text": "8.7% (2016)"
    },
    "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": {
      "text": "13.5% (2019)"
    },
    "Child marriage": {
      "women married by age 15": {
        "text": "8.6% (2019)"
      },
      "women married by age 18": {
        "text": "29.6% (2019)"
      },
      "men married by age 18": {
        "text": "4.1% (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Education expenditures": {
      "text": "9.3% of GDP (2020)"
    },
    "Literacy": {
      "definition": {
        "text": "age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "43.2%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "51.6%"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "39.8% (2018)"
      }
    },
    "Unemployment, youth ages 15-24": {
      "total": {
        "text": "9.4%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "14.8%"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "6.1% (2014 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Environment": {
    "Environment - current issues": {
      "text": "rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation, soil exhaustion, and flooding; loss of biodiversity; air pollution; water pollution; overfishing"
    },
    "Environment - international agreements": {
      "party to": {
        "text": "Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands"
      },
      "signed, but not ratified": {
        "text": "Environmental Modification"
      }
    },
    "Air pollutants": {
      "particulate matter emissions": {
        "text": "20.63 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)"
      },
      "carbon dioxide emissions": {
        "text": "1.09 megatons (2016 est.)"
      },
      "methane emissions": {
        "text": "3.16 megatons (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)"
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "56.2% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: arable land": {
        "text": "arable land: 23.4% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent crops": {
        "text": "permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
        "text": "permanent pasture: 30.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "37.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "6.3% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "43.8% of total population (2022)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "3.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Revenue from forest resources": {
      "forest revenues": {
        "text": "6.92% of GDP (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Revenue from coal": {
      "coal revenues": {
        "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major infectious diseases": {
      "degree of risk": {
        "text": "very high (2020)"
      },
      "food or waterborne diseases": {
        "text": "bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever"
      },
      "vectorborne diseases": {
        "text": "malaria and&nbsp;dengue fever"
      },
      "water contact diseases": {
        "text": "schistosomiasis"
      },
      "animal contact diseases": {
        "text": "rabies"
      },
      "aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases": {
        "text": "Lassa fever"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note: </strong>on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Sierra Leone is currently considered a high risk to travelers for polio; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine"
    },
    "Food insecurity": {
      "severe localized food insecurity": {
        "text": "due to high food prices - about 1.76 million people are estimated to be severely food insecure during the June&minus;August 2021 period on account of high food prices and low purchasing power, resulting in acute constraints on households&rsquo; access to food; the main drivers of the food insecurity are the effects of adverse weather events (flooding), Fall Armyworm attacks on maize in some localized areas, high inflation rate, weakening local currency and the effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic restrictions (2021)"
      }
    },
    "Waste and recycling": {
      "municipal solid waste generated annually": {
        "text": "610,222 tons (2004 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major watersheds (area sq km)": {
      "text": "Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km)"
    },
    "Total water withdrawal": {
      "municipal": {
        "text": "111 million cubic meters (2017 est.)"
      },
      "industrial": {
        "text": "55.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural": {
        "text": "45.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Total renewable water resources": {
      "text": "160 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)"
    }
  },
  "Government": {
    "Country name": {
      "conventional long form": {
        "text": "Republic of Sierra Leone"
      },
      "conventional short form": {
        "text": "Sierra Leone"
      },
      "local long form": {
        "text": "Republic of Sierra Leone"
      },
      "local short form": {
        "text": "Sierra Leone"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "the Portuguese explorer Pedro de SINTRA named the country \"Serra Leoa\" (Lion Mountains) for the impressive mountains he saw while sailing the West African coast in 1462"
      }
    },
    "Government type": {
      "text": "presidential republic"
    },
    "Capital": {
      "name": {
        "text": "Freetown"
      },
      "geographic coordinates": {
        "text": "8 29 N, 13 14 W"
      },
      "time difference": {
        "text": "UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "name derived from the fact that the original settlement served as a haven for free-born and freed African Americans, as well as for liberated Africans rescued from slave ships"
      }
    },
    "Administrative divisions": {
      "text": "4 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, North Western, Southern, Western*"
    },
    "Independence": {
      "text": "27 April 1961 (from the UK)"
    },
    "National holiday": {
      "text": "Independence Day, 27 April (1961)"
    },
    "Constitution": {
      "history": {
        "text": "several previous; latest effective 1 October 1991"
      },
      "amendments": {
        "text": "proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments requires at least two-thirds majority vote of Parliament in two successive readings and assent of the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting fundamental rights and freedoms and many other constitutional sections also requires approval in a referendum with participation of at least one half of qualified voters and at least two thirds of votes cast; amended several times, last in 2016"
      }
    },
    "Legal system": {
      "text": "mixed legal system of English common law and customary law"
    },
    "International law organization participation": {
      "text": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction"
    },
    "Citizenship": {
      "citizenship by birth": {
        "text": "no"
      },
      "citizenship by descent only": {
        "text": "at least one parent or grandparent must be a citizen of Sierra Leone"
      },
      "dual citizenship recognized": {
        "text": "yes"
      },
      "residency requirement for naturalization": {
        "text": "5 years"
      }
    },
    "Suffrage": {
      "text": "18 years of age; universal"
    },
    "Executive branch": {
      "chief of state": {
        "text": "President Julius Maada BIO (since 4 April 2018); Vice President Mohamed Juldeh JALLOH (since 4 April 2018) ; note - the president is both chief of state, head of government, and minister of defense&nbsp;"
      },
      "head of government": {
        "text": "President Julius Maada BIO (since 4 April 2018); Vice President Mohamed Juldeh JALLOH (since 4 April 2018)"
      },
      "cabinet": {
        "text": "Ministers of State appointed by the president, approved by Parliament; the cabinet is responsible to the president&nbsp;"
      },
      "elections/appointments": {
        "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 4 April 2018&nbsp;(next to be in 2023)"
      },
      "election results": {
        "text": "Julius Maada BIO elected president in second round; percent of vote - Julius Maada BIO (SLPP) 51.8%, Samura KAMARA (APC) 48.2%"
      }
    },
    "Legislative branch": {
      "description": {
        "text": "unicameral Parliament (146 seats; 132 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 14 seats filled in separate elections by non-partisan members of Parliament called \"paramount chiefs;\" members serve 5-year terms)"
      },
      "elections": {
        "text": "last held on 7 March 2018 (next to be held in March 2023)"
      },
      "election results": {
        "text": "percent of vote by party - n/a; seats by party - APC 68, SLPP 49, C4C 8, other 7; composition - men 131, women 15, percent of women 10.3%"
      }
    },
    "Judicial branch": {
      "highest courts": {
        "text": "Superior Court of Judicature (consists of the Supreme Court - at the apex - with the chief justice and 4 other judges, the Court of Appeal with the chief justice and 7 other judges, and the High Court of Justice with the chief justice and 9 other judges); note &ndash; the Judicature has jurisdiction in all civil, criminal, and constitutional matters"
      },
      "judge selection and term of office": {
        "text": "Supreme Court chief justice and other judges of the Judicature appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, a 7-member independent body of judges, presidential appointees, and the Commission chairman, and are subject to approval by Parliament; all Judicature judges serve until retirement at age 65"
      },
      "subordinate courts": {
        "text": "magistrates' courts; District Appeals Court; local courts"
      }
    },
    "Political parties and leaders": {
      "text": "All People's Congress or APC [Ernest Bai KOROMA]<br>Coalition for Change or C4C [Tamba R. SANDY]<br>National Grand Coalition or NGC [Dr. Dennis BRIGHT]<br>Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Dr. Prince HARDING]<br>numerous other parties"
    },
    "International organization participation": {
      "text": "ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
    },
    "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
      "chief of mission": {
        "text": "Ambassador Sidique Abou-Bakarr WAI (since 8 April 2019)"
      },
      "chancery": {
        "text": "1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009-1605"
      },
      "telephone": {
        "text": "[1] (202) 939-9261"
      },
      "FAX": {
        "text": "[1] (202) 483-1793"
      },
      "email address and website": {
        "text": "<br>info@embassyofsierraleone.net<br><br>https://embassyofsierraleone.net/"
      }
    },
    "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
      "chief of mission": {
        "text": "Ambassador David REIMER (since 24 March 2021)"
      },
      "embassy": {
        "text": "Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown"
      },
      "mailing address": {
        "text": "2160 Freetown Place, Washington DC&nbsp; 20521-2160"
      },
      "telephone": {
        "text": "[232] 99 105 000"
      },
      "email address and website": {
        "text": "<br>consularfreetown@state.gov<br><br>https://sl.usembassy.gov/"
      }
    },
    "Flag description": {
      "text": "three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue; green symbolizes agriculture, mountains, and natural resources, white represents unity and justice, and blue the sea and the natural harbor in Freetown"
    },
    "National symbol(s)": {
      "text": "lion; national colors: green, white, blue"
    },
    "National anthem": {
      "name": {
        "text": "High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free"
      },
      "lyrics/music": {
        "text": "Clifford Nelson FYLE/John Joseph AKA"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> adopted 1961"
    }
  },
  "Economy": {
    "Economic overview": {
      "text": "<p>Sierra Leone is extremely poor and nearly half of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. The country possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, but it is still recovering from a civil war that destroyed most institutions before ending in the early 2000s.</p><p></p><p>In recent years, economic growth has been driven by mining - particularly iron ore. The country’s principal exports are iron ore, diamonds, and rutile, and the economy is vulnerable to fluctuations in international prices. Until 2014, the government had relied on external assistance to support its budget, but it was gradually becoming more independent. The Ebola outbreak of 2014 and 2015, combined with falling global commodities prices, caused a significant contraction of economic activity in all areas. While the World Health Organization declared an end to the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone in November 2015, low commodity prices in 2015-2016 contributed to the country’s biggest fiscal shortfall since 2001. In 2017, increased iron ore exports, together with the end of the Ebola epidemic, supported a resumption of economic growth.</p><p></p><p>Continued economic growth will depend on rising commodities prices and increased efforts to diversify the sources of growth. Non-mining activities will remain constrained by inadequate infrastructure, such as power and roads, even though power sector projects may provide some additional electricity capacity in the near term. Pervasive corruption and undeveloped human capital will continue to deter foreign investors. Sustained international donor support in the near future will partially offset these fiscal constraints.</p>"
    },
    "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": {
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020": {
        "text": "$13.15 billion (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": {
        "text": "$13.44 billion (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018": {
        "text": "$12.72 billion (2018 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> data are in 2017 dollars"
    },
    "Real GDP growth rate": {
      "Real GDP growth rate 2017": {
        "text": "3.7% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP growth rate 2016": {
        "text": "6.3% (2016 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP growth rate 2015": {
        "text": "-20.5% (2015 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Real GDP per capita": {
      "Real GDP per capita 2020": {
        "text": "$1,600 (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP per capita 2019": {
        "text": "$1,700 (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP per capita 2018": {
        "text": "$1,700 (2018 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> data are in 2017 dollars"
    },
    "GDP (official exchange rate)": {
      "text": "$4.132 billion (2020 est.)"
    },
    "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": {
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": {
        "text": "14.8% (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018": {
        "text": "16% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": {
        "text": "18.2% (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": {
      "agriculture": {
        "text": "60.7% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "industry": {
        "text": "6.5% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "services": {
        "text": "32.9% (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "GDP - composition, by end use": {
      "household consumption": {
        "text": "97.9% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "government consumption": {
        "text": "12.1% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "investment in fixed capital": {
        "text": "18.1% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "investment in inventories": {
        "text": "0.4% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "exports of goods and services": {
        "text": "26.8% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "imports of goods and services": {
        "text": "-55.3% (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Agricultural products": {
      "text": "cassava, rice, vegetables, oil palm fruit, sweet potatoes, milk, citrus fruit, groundnuts, fruit, pulses nes"
    },
    "Industries": {
      "text": "diamond mining; iron ore, rutile and bauxite mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, footwear)"
    },
    "Industrial production growth rate": {
      "text": "15.5% (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Labor force": {
      "text": "132,000 (2013 est.)"
    },
    "Labor force - by occupation": {
      "agriculture": {
        "text": "61.1%"
      },
      "industry": {
        "text": "5.5%"
      },
      "services": {
        "text": "33.4% (2014 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Unemployment rate": {
      "Unemployment rate 2017": {
        "text": "15% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Unemployment rate 2016": {
        "text": "17.2% (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Unemployment, youth ages 15-24": {
      "total": {
        "text": "9.4%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "14.8%"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "6.1% (2014 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Population below poverty line": {
      "text": "56.8% (2018 est.)"
    },
    "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": {
      "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018": {
        "text": "35.7 (2018 est.)"
      },
      "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 1989": {
        "text": "62.9 (1989)"
      }
    },
    "Household income or consumption by percentage share": {
      "lowest 10%": {
        "text": "2.6%"
      },
      "highest 10%": {
        "text": "33.6% (2003)"
      }
    },
    "Budget": {
      "revenues": {
        "text": "562 million (2017 est.)"
      },
      "expenditures": {
        "text": "846.4 million (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": {
      "text": "-7.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Public debt": {
      "Public debt 2017": {
        "text": "63.9% of GDP (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Public debt 2016": {
        "text": "54.9% of GDP (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Taxes and other revenues": {
      "text": "15.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Fiscal year": {
      "text": "calendar year"
    },
    "Current account balance": {
      "Current account balance 2017": {
        "text": "-$407 million (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Current account balance 2016": {
        "text": "-$88 million (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Exports": {
      "Exports 2019": {
        "text": "$740 million note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Exports 2018": {
        "text": "$720 million note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Exports - partners": {
      "text": "Belgium 26%, China 25%, Romania 9%, United Arab Emirates 6%, Germany 5%, Netherlands 5% (2019)"
    },
    "Exports - commodities": {
      "text": "titanium, lumber, diamonds, aluminum, cocoa beans (2019)"
    },
    "Imports": {
      "Imports 2019": {
        "text": "$1.82 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Imports 2018": {
        "text": "$1.59 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Imports - partners": {
      "text": "China 27%, India 11%, United States 6%, Ghana 5%, Turkey 5% (2019)"
    },
    "Imports - commodities": {
      "text": "rice, plastics, packaged medicines, sauces/seasonings, cars (2019)"
    },
    "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": {
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": {
        "text": "$478 million (31 December 2017 est.)"
      },
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016": {
        "text": "$497.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Debt - external": {
      "Debt - external 31 December 2017": {
        "text": "$1.615 billion (31 December 2017 est.)"
      },
      "Debt - external 31 December 2016": {
        "text": "$1.503 billion (31 December 2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Exchange rates": {
      "currency": {
        "text": "leones (SLL) per US dollar -"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2017": {
        "text": "7,396.3 (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2016": {
        "text": "6,289.9 (2016 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2015": {
        "text": "6,289.9 (2015 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2014": {
        "text": "5,080.8 (2014 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2013": {
        "text": "4,524.2 (2013 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Energy": {
    "Electricity access": {
      "electrification - total population": {
        "text": "26% (2019)"
      },
      "electrification - urban areas": {
        "text": "52% (2019)"
      },
      "electrification - rural areas": {
        "text": "6% (2019)"
      }
    },
    "Electricity - production": {
      "text": "300 million kWh (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - consumption": {
      "text": "279 million kWh (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - exports": {
      "text": "0 kWh (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - imports": {
      "text": "0 kWh (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - installed generating capacity": {
      "text": "113,300 kW (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from fossil fuels": {
      "text": "23% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from nuclear fuels": {
      "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from hydroelectric plants": {
      "text": "51% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from other renewable sources": {
      "text": "26% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - production": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2018 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - exports": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - imports": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - proved reserves": {
      "text": "0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - production": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - consumption": {
      "text": "6,500 bbl/day (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - exports": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - imports": {
      "text": "6,439 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - production": {
      "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - consumption": {
      "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - exports": {
      "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - imports": {
      "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - proved reserves": {
      "text": "0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)"
    }
  },
  "Communications": {
    "Telephones - fixed lines": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "189 (2020)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "0 (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telephones - mobile cellular": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "6,884,201 (2020)"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "86.3 (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telecommunication systems": {
      "general assessment": {
        "text": "telecom sector is recovering from the decades of war, yet still constrained by inadequate power and pervasive corruption; recently installed terrestrial fiber backbone infrastructure; telephone service improving with the rapid growth of mobile sector; operators increased investment to provide national coverage; LTE available in some parts of the country; construction of 600 km ECOWAS Wide Area Network completed; fiber link to Guinea completed; importer of broadcasting equipment from China (2020)"
      },
      "domestic": {
        "text": "fixed-line 0 per 100 and mobile-cellular just over 86 per 100 (2020)"
      },
      "international": {
        "text": "country code - 232; landing point for the ACE submarine cable linking to South Africa, over 20 western African countries and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments"
    },
    "Broadcast media": {
      "text": "<p>1 government-owned TV station; 3 private TV stations; a pay-TV service began operations in late 2007; 1 government-owned national radio station; about two-dozen private radio stations primarily clustered in major cities; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available </p> (2019)"
    },
    "Internet country code": {
      "text": ".sl"
    },
    "Internet users": {
      "total": {
        "text": "2.39 million (2021 est.)"
      },
      "percent of population": {
        "text": "9% (2019 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Transportation": {
    "National air transport system": {
      "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": {
        "text": "50,193 (2015)"
      },
      "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": {
        "text": "0 mt-km (2015)"
      }
    },
    "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": {
      "text": "9L"
    },
    "Airports": {
      "total": {
        "text": "8 (2021)"
      }
    },
    "Airports - with paved runways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "1"
      },
      "over 3,047 m": {
        "text": "1 (2021)"
      }
    },
    "Airports - with unpaved runways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "7"
      },
      "914 to 1,523 m": {
        "text": "7 (2021)"
      }
    },
    "Heliports": {
      "text": "2 (2021)"
    },
    "Roadways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "11,700 km (2015)"
      },
      "paved": {
        "text": "1,051 km (2015)"
      },
      "unpaved": {
        "text": "10,650 km (2015)"
      },
      "urban": {
        "text": "3,000 km (2015)"
      },
      "non-urban": {
        "text": "8,700 km (2015)"
      }
    },
    "Waterways": {
      "text": "800 km (600 km navigable year-round) (2011)"
    },
    "Merchant marine": {
      "total": {
        "text": "591"
      },
      "by type": {
        "text": "bulk carrier 30, container ship 9, general cargo 319, oil tanker 108, other 125 (2021)"
      }
    },
    "Ports and terminals": {
      "major seaport(s)": {
        "text": "Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands"
      }
    }
  },
  "Military and Security": {
    "Military and security forces": {
      "text": "Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): operates under a Joint Force Command with Land Forces, Maritime Forces, and an Air Wing (2021)"
    },
    "Military expenditures": {
      "Military Expenditures 2020": {
        "text": "0.3% of GDP (2020 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2019": {
        "text": "0.3% of GDP (approximately $35 million) (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2018": {
        "text": "0.3% of GDP (approximately $45 million) (2018 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2017": {
        "text": "0.3% of GDP (approximately $40 million) (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2016": {
        "text": "0.4% of GDP (approximately $45 million) (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Military and security service personnel strengths": {
      "text": "the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) have approximately 9,000 personnel, mostly ground forces (2021)"
    },
    "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
      "text": "the RSLAF's small inventory includes a mix of Soviet-origin and other older foreign-supplied equipment; since 2010, it has received limited quantities of material (mostly donations of second-hand equipment) from China and South Africa (2021)"
    },
    "Military service age and obligation": {
      "text": "18-29 for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve; no conscription (2021)"
    },
    "Military - note": {
      "text": "<p>after the end of the civil war in 2002, the military was reduced in size and restructured with British military assistance; the RSLAF’s origins lie in the Sierra Leone Battalion of the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF), a multi-regiment force formed by the British colonial office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Gold Coast (Ghana), Nigeria (Lagos and the protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria), Sierra Leone, and Gambia; the RWAFF fought in both World Wars</p>"
    }
  },
  "Transnational Issues": {
    "Disputes - international": {
      "text": "<p>Sierra Leone opposes Guinean troops' continued occupation of Yenga, a small village on the Makona River that serves as a border with Guinea; Guinea's forces came to Yenga in the mid-1990s to help the Sierra Leonean military to suppress rebels and to secure their common border but have remained there even after both countries signed a 2005 agreement acknowledging that Yenga belonged to Sierra Leone; in 2012, the two sides signed a declaration to demilitarize the area</p>"
    },
    "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
      "IDPs": {
        "text": "5,500 (displacement caused by post-electoral violence in 2018 and clashes in the Pujehun region in 2019) (2020)"
      }
    }
  }
}