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World > Africa > Sierra Leone
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Sierra Leone |
Introduction:
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The government is slowly reestablishing its authority 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 one-third of the population). The last UN peacekeepers withdrew in December 2005 leaving full responsibility for security with domestic forces. A new civilian UN mission - the UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) - was established to support the government's efforts to consolidate peace. The most pressing long-term threat to stability in Sierra Leone is the potential for political insecurity surrounding elections in July 2007.
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| Official name: |
Republic of Sierra Leone |
| Capital: |
name: Freetown
geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 13 15 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Government type: |
constitutional democracy |
| Population: |
6,144,562 (July 2007 est.) |
| Languages: |
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 Free |
| Official Currency: |
Sierra Leone Leone (SLL) |
| Currency code: |
SLL |
| Area: |
total: 71,740 sq km
land: 71,620 sq km
water: 120 sq km |
| Climate: |
tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April) |
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Map of Sierra Leone
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