Country Profile: Sierra Leone

Last reviewed: 3 June 2008

Country information

Map of Sierra Leone

Area: 72,325 sq km
Population: 5.1m (UN estimate 2005)
Capital City: Freetown (1.2m)
People and languages: Several ethnic groups make up Sierra Leone, including the Temne, the Mende and the Limbas. About 2% of the population are Creoles, descendants of freed slaves returned from the UK and USA. English and Krio are national languages. Indigenous languages are widely spoken.
Religions: Islam, Christianity and indigenous beliefs.
Currency: Leone (L). 1 leone = 100 cent
Major Political Parties: Eight registered parties contested the 2007 elections. The main ones are: SLPP - Sierra Leone Peoples Party; APC - All Peoples Congress; PMDC - People’s movement for Democratic Change
Head of State: President Ernest Bai Koroma
Foreign Minister: Zainab Bangura
Membership of international groups/organisations: United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), Commonwealth, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Development Bank (AFDB), Mano River Union.