Sierra Leone

Overview
Flag | ![]() |
Anthem | High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free |
Capital | Freetown |
Largest city | Freetown |
Official language(s) | English |
Demonym |
Sierra Leonean |
Government | Constitutional republic |
Area | 71,740 km2, 27,699 sq mi |
Population | ~ 7 million |
Currency | Leone (SLL) |
Internet TLD | .sl |
Geography


Society and culture
Population
The 2009 estimate of Sierra Leone's population is 6.4 million. At the end of 2007, Sierra Leone had a population of 8,700 refugees . Nearly all of the refugees were Liberian. There are officially fourteen ethnic groups in the country. The two largest and most dominant groups are the Mende and Temne. Each group comprises 30% of the population. The life expectancy of Sierra Leoneans is 41 years.Languages
English is the official language. It is spoken in schools, government administration, and is used by the media. Three other languages are present: Mende, Temne and Krio. Mende is mostly spoken in the south, Temne in the north. Krio is the principal spoken language of about 10% of the population but is understood by 95%.Religion
The religious diversity of Sierra Leone has seldom led to conflict. Followers of Islam are estimated to make up 60% of the population. About 30% of the population are Christians. About 10% follow only African indigenous religion. Only small numbers of people have other faiths like Bahāʾī, Hinduism, and Judaism.Government and politics
Sierra Leone is a constitutional republic. It has a directly elected president and a unicameral legislature. The government comprises the Legislature (the Parliament), the Executive (the President and members of his cabinet) and the Judiciary . The president is the head of state and the head of government. He is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and the Police. The current president of Sierra Leone is Ernest Bai Koroma.Economy
Rich in minerals, Sierra Leone relies on mining, especially diamonds, for its economic base. The country is among the top 10 diamond producing nations in the world. Still, it has historically struggled to manage their export. About two-thirds of the population engages in agriculture. There is high unemployment, especially among the youth. By the 1990s economic activity was declining . Over the next decade much of the economy was destroyed in the country’s civil war. Since 2002, the economy of Sierra Leone has been recovering .Entnommen von und bearbeitet:
Definition entnommen von wiktionary.org
- en.wikipedia.org - Sierra Leone (11. Juli 2010)
- The World Factbook - Sierra Leone (11. Juli 2010)