The Sierra Leone estuary became a focal point for trade and interaction between Africans and Europeans because of its exceptional harbor, starting in the mid-15th century. European ships were unable to land along much of the West African coast due to lack of safe anchorage. By contrast, the Sierra Leone estuary offers ideal anchorage for trading ships (the estuary is the largest natural harbor on the continent). Around 1672, the English established and fortified themselves at Bunce Island. By the mid-18th century, Sierra Leone had become a major trading participant with Europe and the Americas. Part of Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown appears as the greyish area in the lower left corner. This satellite image covers an area of 32 x 45 km (20 x 28 mi). Photo courtesy of NASA.
Country Flag
Country Map
Download Country Documents
Locator Map

Introduction

Background

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.

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.

Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Geography

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia

Geographic coordinates

8 30 N, 11 30 W

Area

total: 71,740 sq km

land: 71,620 sq km

water: 120 sq km

country comparison to the world: 119

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries

total: 1,093 km

border countries (2): Guinea 794 km, Liberia 299 km

Coastline

402 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)

Terrain

coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east

Elevation

highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation: 279 m

Natural resources

diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite

Land use

agricultural land: 56.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 23.4% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 30.5% (2018 est.)

forest: 37.5% (2018 est.)

other: 6.3% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

300 sq km (2012)

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km)

Population distribution

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

dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms

Geography - note

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

Nationality

noun: Sierra Leonean(s)

adjective: Sierra Leonean

Ethnic groups

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

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

Muslim 77.1%, Christian 22.9% (2019 est.)

Demographic profile

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.

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.

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.

Age structure

0-14 years: 41.38% (male 1,369,942/female 1,371,537)

15-24 years: 18.83% (male 610,396/female 636,880)

25-54 years: 32.21% (male 1,020,741/female 1,112,946)

55-64 years: 3.89% (male 121,733/female 135,664)

65 years and over: 3.7% (male 100,712/female 144,382) (2020 est.)

This is the population pyramid for Sierra Leone. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. <br/><br/>For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 76.3

youth dependency ratio: 71.1

elderly dependency ratio: 5.2

potential support ratio: 19.4 (2020 est.)

Median age

total: 19.1 years

male: 18.5 years

female: 19.7 years (2020 est.)

country comparison to the world: 206

Birth rate

35.04 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

country comparison to the world: 18

Death rate

9.7 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

country comparison to the world: 41

Net migration rate

-0.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

country comparison to the world: 142

Population distribution

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: 43.4% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 3.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.236 million FREETOWN (capital) (2021)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.6 years (2019 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 20-49

Maternal mortality ratio

1,120 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 3

Infant mortality rate

total: 65.34 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 73.97 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 56.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 60.19 years

male: 57.48 years

female: 62.97 years (2021 est.)

country comparison to the world: 218

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 89.5% of population

rural: 55.7% of population

total: 69.8% of population

unimproved: urban: 10.5% of population

rural: 44.3% of population

total: 30.2% of population (2017 est.)

Physicians density

0.03 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 74.3% of population

rural: 31.9% of population

total: 49.6% of population

unimproved: urban: 25.7% of population

rural: 68.1% of population

total: 50.4% of population (2017 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases: Lassa fever

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic

total population: 43.2%

male: 51.6%

female: 39.8% (2018)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 9.4%

male: 14.8%

female: 6.1% (2014 est.)

Environment

Environment - current issues

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: 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: Environmental Modification

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 20.63 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 1.09 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 3.16 megatons (2020 est.)

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)

Land use

agricultural land: 56.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 23.4% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 30.5% (2018 est.)

forest: 37.5% (2018 est.)

other: 6.3% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 43.4% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 3.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

country comparison to the world: 165

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases: Lassa fever

Food insecurity

severe localized food insecurity: due to high food prices - about 1.76 million people are estimated to be severely food insecure during the June−August 2021 period on account of high food prices and low purchasing power, resulting in acute constraints on households’ 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: 610,222 tons (2004 est.)

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 111 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 55.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 45.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources

160 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Government

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone

conventional short form: Sierra Leone

local long form: Republic of Sierra Leone

local short form: Sierra Leone

etymology: 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

presidential republic

Capital

name: Freetown

geographic coordinates: 8 29 N, 13 14 W

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: 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

4 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, North Western, Southern, Western*

Independence

27 April 1961 (from the UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 April (1961)

Constitution

history: several previous; latest effective 1 October 1991

amendments: 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

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent or grandparent must be a citizen of Sierra Leone

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: 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 

head of government: President Julius Maada BIO (since 4 April 2018); Vice President Mohamed Juldeh JALLOH (since 4 April 2018)

cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president, approved by Parliament; the cabinet is responsible to the president 

elections/appointments: 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 (next to be in 2023)

election results: 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: 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: last held on 7 March 2018 (next to be held in March 2023)

election results: 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: 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 – the Judicature has jurisdiction in all civil, criminal, and constitutional matters

judge selection and term of office: 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: magistrates' courts; District Appeals Court; local courts

Political parties and leaders

All People's Congress or APC [Ernest Bai KOROMA]
Coalition for Change or C4C [Tamba R. SANDY]
National Grand Coalition or NGC [Dr. Dennis BRIGHT]
Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Dr. Prince HARDING]
numerous other parties

International organization participation

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, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Sidique Abou-Bakarr WAI (since 8 April 2019)

chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009-1605

telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261

FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793

email address and website:
info@embassyofsierraleone.net

https://embassyofsierraleone.net/

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador David REIMER (since 24 March 2021)

embassy: Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown

mailing address: 2160 Freetown Place, Washington DC  20521-2160

telephone: [232] 99 105 000

email address and website:
consularfreetown@state.gov

https://sl.usembassy.gov/

Flag description

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)

lion; national colors: green, white, blue

National anthem

name: High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free

lyrics/music: Clifford Nelson FYLE/John Joseph AKA

note: adopted 1961

Economy

Economic overview

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.

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.

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.

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$13.15 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

$13.44 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

$12.72 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars

country comparison to the world: 157

Real GDP growth rate

3.7% (2017 est.)

6.3% (2016 est.)

-20.5% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 80

Real GDP per capita

$1,600 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

$1,700 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

$1,700 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 218

GDP (official exchange rate)

$4.132 billion (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

14.8% (2019 est.)

16% (2018 est.)

18.2% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 215

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 60.7% (2017 est.)

industry: 6.5% (2017 est.)

services: 32.9% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 97.9% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 12.1% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 18.1% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 0.4% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 26.8% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -55.3% (2017 est.)

Agricultural products

cassava, rice, vegetables, oil palm fruit, sweet potatoes, milk, citrus fruit, groundnuts, fruit, pulses nes

Industries

diamond mining; iron ore, rutile and bauxite mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, footwear)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 61.1%

industry: 5.5%

services: 33.4% (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.6%

highest 10%: 33.6% (2003)

Budget

revenues: 562 million (2017 est.)

expenditures: 846.4 million (2017 est.)

Public debt

63.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

54.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 64

Fiscal year

calendar year

Current account balance

-$407 million (2017 est.)

-$88 million (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 117

Exports

$740 million note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$720 million note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

country comparison to the world: 185

Exports - partners

Belgium 26%, China 25%, Romania 9%, United Arab Emirates 6%, Germany 5%, Netherlands 5% (2019)

Exports - commodities

titanium, lumber, diamonds, aluminum, cocoa beans (2019)

Imports

$1.82 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$2.072 billion (2018 est.)

$1.59 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

country comparison to the world: 177

Imports - partners

China 27%, India 11%, United States 6%, Ghana 5%, Turkey 5% (2019)

Imports - commodities

rice, plastics, packaged medicines, sauces/seasonings, cars (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$478 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$497.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 152

Debt - external

$1.615 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.503 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 159

Exchange rates

leones (SLL) per US dollar -

7,396.3 (2017 est.)

6,289.9 (2016 est.)

6,289.9 (2015 est.)

5,080.8 (2014 est.)

4,524.2 (2013 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 9.4%

male: 14.8%

female: 6.1% (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 143

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 26% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 52% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 6% (2019)

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 189 (2020)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0 (2020 est.)

country comparison to the world: 219

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 6,884,201 (2020)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 86.3 (2020 est.)

country comparison to the world: 107

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: 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: fixed-line less than 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular 86 per 100 (2019)

international: 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: 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

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 

(2019)

Internet users

total: 2.39 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 9% (2019 est.)

country comparison to the world: 124

Transportation

National air transport system

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 50,193 (2015)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1

over 3,047 m: 1 (2019)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 7

914 to 1,523 m: 7

Heliports

2 (2013)

Roadways

total: 11,700 km (2015)

paved: 1,051 km (2015)

unpaved: 10,650 km (2015)

urban: 3,000 km (2015)

non-urban: 8,700 km (2015)

country comparison to the world: 134

Waterways

800 km (600 km navigable year-round) (2011)

country comparison to the world: 72

Merchant marine

total: 591

by type: bulk carrier 30, container ship 9, general cargo 319, oil tanker 108, other 125 (2021)

country comparison to the world: 39

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands

Military and Security

Military and security forces

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

0.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

0.7% of GDP (2019)

0.7% of GDP (2018)

0.4% of GDP (2017)

0.3% of GDP (2016)

country comparison to the world: 159

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) have approximately 9,000 personnel, mostly ground forces (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

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 (2020)

Military service age and obligation

18-29 for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve; no conscription (2019)

Military - note

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

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs: 5,500 (displacement caused by post-electoral violence in 2018 and clashes in the Pujehun region in 2019) (2020)