Outline of Sierra Leone
Encyclopedia
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. Sierra Leone is bordered by Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
in the northeast, Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
in the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
in the southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of 71,740 km² (27,699 sq mi) and has a population of 5,900,000. The country has a tropical climate
Tropical climate
A tropical climate is a climate of the tropics. In the Köppen climate classification it is a non-arid climate in which all twelve months have mean temperatures above...
, with a diverse environment ranging from savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
to rainforests. Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
is the capital, seat of government, and largest city. Other major cities in the country with a population over 100,000 are Bo
Bo, Sierra Leone
Bo is the second largest city in Sierra Leone and the largest city in the Southern Province. It lies about 164 miles south-east of Freetown and had a population 149,957 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate is 231,494 . The city serve as the capital and administrative center of Bo District...
, Kenema
Kenema
Kenema is the third largest city in Sierra Leone and the largest city in the Eastern Province with a population of 128,402 in the 2004 census and a more recent estimate of 169,937...
, Koidu Town and Makeni
Makeni
Makeni is the largest city in the Nortern Province of Sierra Leone and the fifth largest city in Sierra Leone. The city is the capital of Bombali District and had a population of 80,840 in the 2004 census and a current estimate of 105,900...
. Although English is the official language spoken at schools and government administration, Krio
Krio language
Sierra Leone Krio is the lingua franca and the de facto national language spoken throughout the West African nation of Sierra Leone. Krio is spoken by 97% of Sierra Leone's population and unites the different ethnic groups in the country, especially in their trade and social interaction with each...
(language derived from English and several West African languages and is native to the Sierra Leone Krio people) is the lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
spoken throughout the country. The Krio language unites all the different ethnic groups, especially in their trade and interaction with each other.
Early inhabitants of Sierra Leone included the Sherbro
Sherbro people
The Sherbro people are a native people of Sierra Leone, who speak the Sherbro language; they make up 3% of Sierra Leone's population or about 201,000. They are also known as the Bullom people...
, Temne and Limba
Limba people (Sierra Leone)
The Limba people is a major ethnic group in the Republic of Sierra Leone. They form the third largest ethnic group in the country, about 8.5% of Sierra Leone's total population ....
peoples, and later the Mende
Mende people
The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...
, who knew the country as Romarong, and the Kono who settled in the East of the country. In 1462, it was visited by the Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
explorer Pedro da Cintra, who gave it its name Serra de Leão, meaning 'Lion Mountains'. Sierra Leone became an important centre of the transatlantic slave trade, until 1787 when Freetown was founded by the Sierra Leone Company
Sierra Leone Company
The Sierra Leone Company was the corporate body involved in founding the second British colony in Africa in 1792 through the resettlement of black American ex-slaves who had initially been settled in Nova Scotia after the American Revolutionary War...
as a home for formerly enslaved
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
African and West Indians. In 1808, Freetown became a British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
Crown Colony
Crown colony
A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....
, and in 1896, the interior of the country became a British Protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
; in 1961, the two combined and gained independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
. Over two decades of government neglect of the interior followed by the spilling over of the Liberian conflict into its borders eventually led to the Sierra Leone Civil War
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...
, which began in 1991 and was resolved in 2000 after the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
led by Nigeria defeated the rebel forces and restored the civilian government elected in 1998 to Freetown. Since then, almost 72,500 former combatants have been disarmed and the country has reestablished a functioning democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. The Special Court for Sierra Leone
Special Court for Sierra Leone
The Special Court for Sierra Leone is an independent judicial body set up to "try those who bear greatest responsibility" for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996 during the Sierra Leone Civil War...
was set up in 2002 to deal with war crimes and crimes against humanity committed since 1996.
Sierra Leone is the lowest ranked country on the Human Development Index
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index is a composite statistic used to rank countries by level of "human development" and separate "very high human development", "high human development", "medium human development", and "low human development" countries...
and seventh lowest on the Human Poverty Index
Human Poverty Index
The Human Poverty Index is an indication of the standard of living in a country, developed by the United Nations . For highly developed countries, the UN considers that it can better reflect the extent of deprivation compared to the Human Development Index....
, suffering from endemic corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
and suppression of the press.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Sierra Leone:
General reference
- PronunciationInternational Phonetic AlphabetThe International Phonetic Alphabet "The acronym 'IPA' strictly refers [...] to the 'International Phonetic Association'. But it is now such a common practice to use the acronym also to refer to the alphabet itself that resistance seems pedantic...
: - Common English country name: Sierra LeoneSierra LeoneSierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
- Official English country name: The Republic of Sierra Leone
- Common endonym(s):
- Official endonym(s):
- Adjectival(s): Sierra Leonean
- Demonym(s):
- EtymologyEtymologyEtymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
: Name of Sierra Leone - ISO country codes: SL, SLE, 694
- ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:SLISO 3166-2:SLISO 3166-2:SL is the entry for Sierra Leone in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for Sierra Leone, ISO 3166-2...
- InternetInternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
country code top-level domainCountry code top-level domainA country code top-level domain is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country, a sovereign state, or a dependent territory....
: .sl.sl.sl is the Internet country code top-level domain for Sierra Leone..sl is also commonly used for any web site dealing with the virtual world of Second Life.- Second-level Domains :* .sl - General...
Geography of Sierra Leone
- Sierra Leone is: a country
- Population of Sierra Leone: 6,294,774 (July 2008 est.)
- Area of Sierra Leone:71,740 km²
- land: 71,620 km²
- water: 120 km²
- Atlas of Sierra Leone
Location
- Sierra Leone is situated within the following regions:
- Northern HemisphereNorthern HemisphereThe Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
and Western HemisphereWestern HemisphereThe Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions... - AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
- West AfricaWest AfricaWest Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
- West Africa
- Northern Hemisphere
- Time zoneTime zoneA time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
: Coordinated Universal TimeCoordinated Universal TimeCoordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
UTC+00 - Extreme points of Sierra Leone
- High: Mount BintumaniMount BintumaniMount Bintumani is the highest peak in Sierra Leone, at . It lies in the Loma Mountains and its lower slopes are covered in rainforests, home to a wide variety of animals. These include Pygmy Hippopotamuses, dwarf crocodiles, Rufous Fishing-owls and numerous primates....
1948 m (6,391 ft) - Low: North Atlantic Ocean 0 m
- High: Mount Bintumani
- Land boundaries: 958 km
Environment of Sierra Leone
- Climate of Sierra Leone
- Environmental issues in Sierra Leone
- Upper Guinean Rainforest EcoregionsUpper Guinean forestsThe Upper Guinean forests is a tropical moist forest region of West Africa. The Upper Guinean forests extend from Guinea and Sierra Leone in the west through Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana to Togo in the east, and a few hundred kilometers inland from the Atlantic coast. A few enclaves of montane...
- Renewable energy in Sierra Leone
- Geology of Sierra Leone
- Protected areas of Sierra Leone
- Biosphere reserves in Sierra Leone
- Wildlife of Sierra LeoneWildlife of Sierra LeoneThe wildlife of Sierra Leone is very diverse due to the variety of different habitats within the country. Sierra Leone is home to approximately 2090 known higher plant species, 147 known species of mammals, 172 known breeding bird species, 67 known reptile species, 35 known amphibian species and 99...
- Flora of Sierra Leone
- Fauna of Sierra Leone
- Birds of Sierra Leone
- Mammals of Sierra Leone
Natural geographic features of Sierra Leone
- Glaciers in Sierra Leone: none
- Islands of Sierra Leone
- Lakes of Sierra Leone
- Mountains of Sierra Leone
- Volcanoes in Sierra Leone
- Rivers of Sierra Leone
- Waterfalls of Sierra Leone
- Valleys of Sierra Leone
- World Heritage Sites in Sierra Leone: None
Ecoregions of Sierra Leone
Administrative divisions of Sierra Leone
- Provinces of Sierra LeoneProvinces of Sierra Leone||Sierra Leone is divided into 3 provinces and one Western Area; the provinces are further divided into 12 districts, and the districts are further divided into chiefdoms.*Eastern Province*Northern Province*Southern Province*Western Area-See also:...
- Districts of Sierra LeoneDistricts of Sierra Leone||The provinces of Sierra Leone are divided into 14 districts. One traditional leader from each district occupies a seat in Sierra Leone's parliament...
- Chiefdoms of Sierra Leone of Sierra Leone
- Districts of Sierra Leone
Government and politics of Sierra Leone
- Main article: Government of Sierra Leone and Politics of Sierra LeonePolitics of Sierra LeoneGovernment of Sierra Leone is the governing authority of the Republic of Sierra Leone, as established by the Sierra Leone Constitution. The Sierra Leone government is divided into three branches: the Executive Legislative and the Judiciary...
- Form of governmentForm of governmentA form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include "regime type" and "system of government".-Empirical and conceptual problems:...
: presidentialPresidential systemA presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not responsible and which cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss it....
representative democraticRepresentative democracyRepresentative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
republicRepublicA republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of... - Capital of Sierra Leone: FreetownFreetownFreetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
- Elections in Sierra LeoneElections in Sierra LeoneElections in Sierra Leone gives information on election and election results in Sierra Leone.Sierra Leone elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a five year term by the people...
- (specific elections)
- Political parties in Sierra Leone
- Political scandals of Sierra Leone
- Taxation in Sierra Leone
Executive branch of the government of Sierra Leone
- Head of stateHead of StateA head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and Head of governmentHead of governmentHead of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
: President of Sierra LeonePresident of Sierra LeoneThe President of the Republic of Sierra Leone is the head of state and the head of government of Sierra Leone, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces...
, Ernest Bai KoromaErnest Bai KoromaErnest Bai Koroma is the fourth and current President of Sierra Leone. He was sworn in as President on 17 September 2007 at the State House in the capital Freetown, shortly after being declared the winner of a tense run-off in the 2007 Sierra Leone presidential election with 54.6% of the vote over... - Cabinet of Sierra LeoneCabinet of Sierra LeoneThe Cabinet of Sierra Leone is the chief executive body of the Republic of Sierra Leone.-Cabinet of Sierra Leone :The Cabinet of Sierra Leone is part of the executive branch of the government of Sierra Leone...
Legislative branch of the government of Sierra Leone
- Parliament of Sierra LeoneParliament of Sierra LeoneThe unicameral Parliament of Sierra Leone is the country's legislative body. It is sometimes known as the House of Representatives.The current Parliament, formed following elections held on 14 May 2002, has a total of 124 members. 112 members are directly elected in multi-member constituencies...
(unicameral, also known as the House of Representatives)
Judicial branch of the government of Sierra Leone
- Supreme Court of Sierra LeoneSupreme Court of Sierra LeoneThe Supreme Court of Sierra Leone is the highest court in Sierra Leone. It has final jurisdiction in all civil and criminal matters within Sierra Leone and its decisions cannot be appealed...
Foreign relations of Sierra Leone
- Diplomatic missions in Sierra Leone
- Diplomatic missions of Sierra LeoneDiplomatic missions of Sierra LeoneThis is a list of diplomatic missions of Sierra Leone, excluding honorary consulates. Sierra Leone is a small West African country.-Europe:** Brussels ** Berlin ** Moscow ** London -North America:...
International organization membership
The Republic of Sierra Leone is a member of:- African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP)
- African Development Bank Group (AfDB)
- African UnionAfrican UnionThe African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
(AU) - Commonwealth of NationsCommonwealth of NationsThe Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
- Economic Community of West African StatesEconomic Community of West African StatesThe Economic Community of West African States is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region....
(ECOWAS) - Food and Agriculture OrganizationFood and Agriculture OrganizationThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
(FAO) - Group of 77Group of 77The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of developing nations, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. There were 77 founding members of the organization, but the organization has...
(G77) - International Atomic Energy AgencyInternational Atomic Energy AgencyThe International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...
(IAEA) - International Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentInternational Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentThe International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is one of five institutions that compose the World Bank Group. The IBRD is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by World War II. Now, its mission has expanded to fight...
(IBRD) - International Civil Aviation OrganizationInternational Civil Aviation OrganizationThe International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
(ICAO) - International Criminal CourtInternational Criminal CourtThe International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
(ICCt) - International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
- International Development AssociationInternational Development AssociationThe International Development Association , is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries. It complements the World Bank's other lending arm — the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development — which serves middle-income countries with capital investment and...
(IDA) - International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesInternational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesThe International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a humanitarian institution that is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement along with the ICRC and 186 distinct National Societies...
(IFRCS) - International Finance CorporationInternational Finance CorporationThe International Finance Corporation promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries.IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States....
(IFC) - International Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentInternational Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentThe International Fund for Agricultural Development , a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries...
(IFAD) - International Labour OrganizationInternational Labour OrganizationThe International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
(ILO) - International Maritime OrganizationInternational Maritime OrganizationThe International Maritime Organization , formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization , was established in Geneva in 1948, and came into force ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959...
(IMO) - International Monetary FundInternational Monetary FundThe International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
(IMF) - International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic CommitteeThe International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) - International Organization for MigrationInternational Organization for MigrationThe International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization. It was initially established in 1951 as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration to help resettle people displaced by World War II....
(IOM) - International Red Cross and Red Crescent MovementInternational Red Cross and Red Crescent MovementThe International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
(ICRM)
- International Telecommunication UnionInternational Telecommunication UnionThe International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
(ITU) - International Trade Union ConfederationInternational Trade Union ConfederationThe International Trade Union Confederation is the world's largest trade union federation. It was formed on November 1, 2006 out of the merger of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the World Confederation of Labour...
(ITUC) - Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
- Islamic Development BankIslamic Development BankThe Islamic Development Bank is a multilateral development financing institution located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was founded by the first conference of Finance Ministers of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference , convened 23 Dhu'l Qa'dah 1393 AH.The bank officially began its activities on...
(IDB) - Multilateral Investment Guarantee AgencyMultilateral Investment Guarantee AgencyThe Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency is a member organization of the World Bank Group that offers political risk insurance. It was established to promote foreign direct investment into developing countries. MIGA was founded in 1988 with a capital base of $1 billion and is headquartered in...
(MIGA) - Nonaligned Movement (NAM)
- Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
- Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
- United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(UN) - United Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmentUnited Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmentThe United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues....
(UNCTAD) - United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- United Nations Industrial Development OrganizationUnited Nations Industrial Development OrganizationThe United Nations Industrial Development Organization , French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system, headquartered in Vienna, Austria...
(UNIDO) - United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-LesteUnited Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-LesteThe United Nations Integrated Mission in East Timor was established on August 25, 2006 by UN Security Council Resolution 1704. Its objectives are "to support the Government in consolidating stability, enhancing a culture of democratic governance, and facilitating political dialogue among Timorese...
(UNMIT) - Universal Postal UnionUniversal Postal UnionThe Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration , the Postal Operations Council and the...
(UPU) - World Confederation of LabourWorld Confederation of LabourThe World Confederation of Labour was an international labour organization founded in 1920 and based in Europe. Totalitarian governments of the 1930s repressed the federation and imprisoned many of its leaders, limiting operations until the end of World War II...
(WCL) - World Customs OrganizationWorld Customs OrganizationThe World Customs Organization is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. With its worldwide membership, the WCO is recognized as the voice of the global customs community...
(WCO) - World Federation of Trade UnionsWorld Federation of Trade UnionsThe World Federation of Trade Unions was established in 1945 to replace the International Federation of Trade Unions. Its mission was to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international organization, much like the United Nations...
(WFTU) - World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO) - World Intellectual Property OrganizationWorld Intellectual Property OrganizationThe World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world"....
(WIPO) - World Meteorological OrganizationWorld Meteorological OrganizationThe World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
(WMO) - World Tourism OrganizationWorld Tourism OrganizationThe World Tourism Organization , based in Madrid, Spain, is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. It compiles the World Tourism rankings. The World Tourism Organization is a significant global body, concerned with the collection and collation of statistical information...
(UNWTO) - World Trade OrganizationWorld Trade OrganizationThe World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
(WTO)
Law and order in Sierra Leone
- Capital punishment in Sierra Leone
- Constitution of Sierra Leone
- Crime in Sierra Leone
- Human rights in Sierra Leone
- LGBT rights in Sierra LeoneLGBT rights in Sierra LeoneLesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in Sierra Leone face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Male same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Sierra Leone.-Law regarding same-sex sexual activity:...
- Freedom of religion in Sierra Leone
- LGBT rights in Sierra Leone
- Law enforcement in Sierra Leone
Military of Sierra Leone
- Command
- Commander-in-chiefCommander-in-ChiefA commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
:- Ministry of Defence of Sierra Leone
- Commander-in-chief
- Forces
- Army of Sierra Leone
- Navy of Sierra Leone
- Air Force of Sierra Leone
- Special forces of Sierra Leone
- Military history of Sierra Leone
- Military ranks of Sierra Leone
History of Sierra Leone
- Main article: History of Sierra LeoneHistory of Sierra LeoneThe history of Sierra Leone began when the lands became inhabited at least 2,500 years ago. Sierra Leone played a significant part in modern African political liberty and nationalism, and became an independent nation in 1961...
, Timeline of the history of Sierra Leone, and Current events of Sierra Leone
- Economic history of Sierra Leone
- Military history of Sierra Leone
Culture of Sierra Leone
- Architecture of Sierra Leone
- Cuisine of Sierra LeoneCuisine of Sierra LeoneThe cuisine of Sierra Leone refers to the cuisine and eating styles found in the Republic of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. Sierra Leonean cuisine includes cassava bread, fried fish, and okra soup.-Stew:...
- Ethnic minorities in Sierra Leone
- Festivals in Sierra Leone
- Humor in Sierra Leone
- Languages of Sierra Leone
- Media in Sierra LeoneMedia in Sierra LeoneMedia in Sierra Leone began with the introduction of the first modern printing press in Africa at the start of the nineteenth century. In the 1860s the country became a journalist hub for Africa with professional travelling to the country from across the continent...
- National symbols of Sierra Leone
- Coat of arms of Sierra LeoneCoat of arms of Sierra LeoneThe coat of arms of Sierra Leone , were developed by the College of Arms and granted in 1960. The shield on the arms depicts a lion beneath a zigzag border, representing the Lion Mountains, after which the country was named. It also shows three torches which are meant to symbolize peace and...
- Flag of Sierra LeoneFlag of Sierra LeoneThe national flag of Sierra Leone was officially hoisted on April 27, 1961. According to the national constitution, the flag is a tricolour of green, white and blue and measures six units by nine units. The green stands for the agriculture, mountains and natural resources. The blue stands for the...
- National anthem of Sierra Leone
- Coat of arms of Sierra Leone
- People of Sierra Leone
- Prostitution in Sierra Leone
- Public holidays in Sierra Leone
- Records of Sierra Leone
- Religion in Sierra Leone
- Christianity in Sierra Leone
- Islam in Sierra LeoneIslam in Sierra LeoneSierra Leone last conducted a census in 2008 and estimates there are 4,059,000 Muslims in Sierra Leone . This suggests 71% of the country's total population is muslim. There are 18 ethnic groups in the country, the two largest being the Temne and Mende. The Temnes are the main tribe in the north...
- Judaism in Sierra Leone
- World Heritage Sites in Sierra Leone: None
Art in Sierra Leone
- Art in Sierra Leone
- Cinema of Sierra Leone
- Literature of Sierra Leone
- Music of Sierra LeoneMusic of Sierra LeoneSierra Leone's music is a mixture of native and French, British, and [Pidgin Krio] influences. Palm wine is representative, and is played by an acoustic guitar with percussion in countries throughout coastal West Africa...
- Television in Sierra Leone
- Theatre in Sierra Leone
Sports in Sierra Leone
- Football in Sierra LeoneFootball in Sierra LeoneFootball is by far the most popular sport in Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone national football team, governed by the Sierra Leone Football Association, is popularly known as the Leone Stars and represents the country in international football competitions...
- Sierra Leone at the OlympicsSierra Leone at the OlympicsSierra Leone has sent athletes to every Summer Olympic Games held since 1968 with the exception of 1972 and 1976, although the nation has never won an Olympic medal. No athletes from Sierra Leone have competed in any Winter Olympic Games.-References:...
Economy and infrastructure of Sierra Leone
- Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007): 158th (one hundred and fifty eighth)
- Agriculture in Sierra LeoneAgriculture in Sierra LeoneAgriculture in Sierra Leone is a significant part of the economy of Sierra Leone with it accounting for 58 percent national Gross Domestic Product in 2007. Two-thirds of the population of Sierra Leone are involved in subsistence agriculture. The agricultural sector grew by about 14 percent in...
- Banking in Sierra LeoneBanking in Sierra LeoneBanking in Sierra Leone consists of a central bank, the Bank of Sierra Leone, seven commercial banks, and six community banks. The Civil War destroyed many of the branches of the countries commercial banks and as of 2005 there were 34 commercial bank branches the majority in the major towns...
- Bank of Sierra LeoneBank of Sierra LeoneThe Bank of Sierra Leone is the central bank of Sierra Leone. It issues the country's currency, known as the Leone. The bank formulates and implements monetary policy, including foreign exchange....
- Bank of Sierra Leone
- Communications in Sierra LeoneCommunications in Sierra LeoneTelephones - main lines in use: 25,000 , 17,000 Telephones - mobile cellular: 420,000 Telephone system: marginal but improving telephone and telegraph servicedomestic:...
- Internet in Sierra Leone
- Companies of Sierra Leone
- Currency of Sierra LeoneCurrencyIn economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
: LeoneSierra Leonean leone-Banknotes:In 1964, the Bank of Sierra Leone introduced notes in denominations of 1, 2 and 5 leones. 50 cents notes were added in 1979, followed by 10 leones in 1980 and 20 leones in 1982...
- ISO 4217ISO 4217ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Standards Organization, which delineates currency designators, country codes , and references to minor units in three tables:* Table A.1 – Current currency & funds code list...
: SLL
- ISO 4217
- Economic history of Sierra Leone
- Energy in Sierra Leone
- Energy policy of Sierra Leone
- Oil industry in Sierra Leone
- Health care in Sierra Leone
- Mining in Sierra LeoneMining in Sierra LeoneThe mining industry of Sierra Leone accounted for 4.5 percent of the country's GDP in 2007 and minerals made up 79 percent of total export revenue with diamonds accounting for 46 percent of export revenue in 2008...
- Sierra Leone Stock Exchange
- Tourism in Sierra LeoneTourism in Sierra LeoneTourism in Sierra Leone is an important growing national service industry. According to the International Labour Organisation, approximately 8,000 Sierra Leoneans are employed in the tourism industry, with a growing number of jobs expected to be created in the future. The main entrance point is...
- Transport in Sierra LeoneTransport in Sierra LeoneThere are a number of systems of transport in Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa, which possess road, rail, air and water infrastructure, including a network of highways and several airports.- Railways :...
- Airports in Sierra Leone
- Rail transport in Sierra LeoneRail transport in Sierra LeoneThere are 84 kilometres of railway in Sierra Leone, all of which is private and of a narrow gauge, . Sierra Leone no longer has any common carrier railroads, as the gauge Sierra Leone Government Railway from Freetown through Bo to Kenema and Daru with a branch to Makeni closed in 1974...
- Roads in Sierra Leone
- Water supply and sanitation in Sierra Leone
See also
- Index of Sierra Leone-related articles
- List of international rankings
- List of Sierra Leone-related topics
- Member state of the Commonwealth of Nations
- Member state of the United Nations
- Outline of AfricaOutline of AfricaThe following outline provides an overview of and topical guide to the continent Africa:Africa – world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia.-Geography of Africa:* Atlas of Africa* List of cities in Africa...
- Outline of geographyOutline of geographyThe following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to geography:Geography – science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth.- Geography is :...
External links
Government and Diplomacy- The Republic of Sierra Leone official government site
- Sierra Leone High Commission in London
- Diplomatic Representations of Sierra Leone
- British High Commission in Sierra Leone
- US Embassy in Sierra Leone
Tourism and Travel
- Aisha's Eye on Sierra Leone a photo documentary
- National Tourist Board of Sierra Leone official site
- Visit Sierra Leone Travel and Tourism information
- US Department of State travel information
Economy and Business
- Index of Economic Freedom - Sierra Leone is 48.4% free
- Sierra Leone Business Directory
- Fadugu Sending Money to Sierra Leone
- (pdf) Doing Business in Sierra Leone - A Commercial Guide for US Companies
- World Bank Data & Statistics on Sierra Leone
News Media and Discussion
- allAfrica.com - Sierra Leone News Aggregator
- Awareness Times Newspaper
- The New People The New People Newspaper
- IRIN Sierra Leone humanitarian news and analysis
- ENCISS civil society and governance
- Sierra Eye Sierra Leone News Portal
Other Resources