Sub Saharan Africa

Sierra Leone
Last reviewed: 18 November 2011

Country information

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Map of Sierra Leone

Area: 72,325 sq km
Population: 5.7m (2009 World Bank estimate)
Capital city: Freetown (875,000, 2009 estimate)
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: Sierra Leonean Leone (SLL). 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: Joseph Bandabla Dauda
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.