Sierra Leone: Quick Facts

Area: 72,325 sq km

Population: 5.1m (UN 2005)

Capital City: Freetown (1.2m)

People and languages: There are 16 tribes in Sierra Leone across the four main provinces. The predominant tribes in the four provinces can be broken down as follows:

Northern province: Limbas, Temnes, Susu, Karanko, Fullah, Madingo, Loko and Yalunka
Southern Province: Mendes Sherbros, Krim Vai and Bullom
Eastern Province: Mendes, Kissis and Konos
Western Area: Krios

Religions: Islam, Christianity and other indigenous beliefs

Currency: Leone (L). 1 leone = 100 cent

Major Political Parties: There are currently eight registered parties for the upcoming elections in August 2007. The three main ones are the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), the All Peoples Congress (APC), and the People’s movement for Demcratic Change(PMDC).

Head of State: His Excellency President Ernest Bai Koroma

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.

GDP at market prices: 1,330M US$ (2006 est)

Real GDP Growth: 7.2% (2006 est)

Inflation: 9.5% (2006 est)
(Sources: IMF, World Bank, UNDP)

Major Trading Partners: Germany, United states, United Kingdom.