$NA
Agriculture - products:
coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas; poultry; tuna
Industries:
fishing, tourism, processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages
Industrial production growth rate:
2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Electricity - production:
250 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 172
Electricity - consumption:
232.5 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 173
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 136
Oil - consumption:
7,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 157
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Oil - imports:
7,653 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 135
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 138
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 121
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 136
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
Current account balance:
-$430 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102 -$274.8 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$495 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 162 $391.7 million (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports)
Exports - partners:
UK 21.1%, France 19.1%, Mauritius 10.1%, Japan 7.9%, Italy 7.8%,
Netherlands 6% (2008)
Imports:
$1.018 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 171 $804 million (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 17.5%, Singapore 12.4%, France 10.3%, Spain 8.1%,
Germany 7%, India 5.4%, South Africa 4.7% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$64 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 151 $40.8 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.422 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 145 $1.059 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Seychelles rupees (SCR) per US dollar - 8 (2008 est.), 6.5 (2007), 5.5 (2006), 5.5 (2005), 5.5 (2004)
Communications ::Seychelles
Telephones - main lines in use:
23,200 (2008) country comparison to the world: 188
Telephones - mobile cellular:
85,300 (2008) country comparison to the world: 184
Telephone system:
general assessment: effective system
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is 130 telephones per 100 persons; radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago
international: country code - 248; direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 2 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997)
Internet country code:
.sc
Internet hosts:
324 (2009) country comparison to the world: 179
Internet users:
32,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 179
Transportation ::Seychelles
Airports:
14 (2009) country comparison to the world: 149
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 5 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 458 km country comparison to the world: 193 paved: 440 km
unpaved: 18 km (2003)
Merchant marine:
total: 8 country comparison to the world: 121 by type: cargo 1, carrier 1, chemical tanker 6
foreign-owned: 3 (Hong Kong 1, Nigeria 1, South Africa 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Victoria
Military ::Seychelles
Military branches:
Seychelles Defense Force: Army, Coast Guard (includes Naval Wing,
Air Wing), National Guard (2005)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent); no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 23,598
females age 16-49: 24,424 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 19,702
females age 16-49: 19,780 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 714
female: 685 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
Transnational Issues ::Seychelles
Disputes - international:
together with Mauritius, Seychelles claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Sierra Leone (Africa)
Introduction ::Sierra Leone
Background:
Democracy is slowly being reestablished 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 military, which took over full responsibility for security following the departure of UN peacekeepers at the end of 2005, is increasingly developing as a guarantor of the country's stability. The armed forces remained on the sideline during the 2007 presidential election, but still look to the UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) - a civilian UN mission - to support efforts to consolidate peace. The new government's priorities include furthering development, creating jobs, and stamping out endemic corruption.
Geography ::Sierra Leone
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
Geographic coordinates:
8 30 N, 11 30 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 71,740 sq km country comparison to the world: 118 land: 71,620 sq km
water: 120 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
total: 958 km
border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 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 extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
Natural resources:
diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Land use:
arable land: 7.95%
permanent crops: 1.05%
other: 91% (2005)
Irrigated land:
300 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
160 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.38 cu km/yr (5%/3%/92%)
per capita: 69 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms
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 and soil exhaustion; civil war depleted natural resources; overfishing
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea,
Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
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 ::Sierra Leone
Population:
6,440,053 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 103
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.5% (male 1,407,226/female 1,460,366)
15-64 years: 52.2% (male 1,613,554/female 1,750,250)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 95,533/female 113,124) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.5 years
male: 17.2 years
female: 17.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.282% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Birth rate:
44.73 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
Death rate:
21.91 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 80 note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 38% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 154.43 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 2 male: 171.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 136.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 41.24 years country comparison to the world: 219 male: 38.92 years
female: 43.64 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.88 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.7% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
55,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
3,300 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective: Sierra Leonean
Ethnic groups:
20 African ethnic groups 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century), refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians
Religions:
Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%
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%)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
total population: 35.1%
male: 46.9%
female: 24.4% (2004 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 7 years
male: 8 years
female: 6 years (2001)
Education expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 116
Government ::Sierra Leone
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
Government type:
constitutional democracy
Capital:
name: Freetown
geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 13 15 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*
Independence:
27 April 1961 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 April (1961)
Constitution:
1 October 1991; amended several times
Legal system:
based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007)
cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 11 August 2007 and 8 September 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: second round results; percent of vote - Ernest Bai KOROMA 54.6%, Solomon BEREWA 45.4%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (124 seats; 112 members elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 11 August 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 59, SLPP 43, PMDC 10
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court
Political parties and leaders:
All People's Congress or APC [Ernest Bai KOROMA]; Peace and
Liberation Party or PLP [Darlington MORRISON]; People's Movement for
Democratic Change or PMDC [Charles MARGAI]; Sierra Leone People's
Party or SLPP [Solomon BEREWA]; numerous others
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: student unions; trade unions
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIT,
UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bockari Kortu STEVENS
chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263
FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador June Carter PERRY
embassy: Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [232] (22) 515 000 or (76) 515 000
FAX: [232] (22) 515 355
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
Economy ::Sierra Leone
Economy - overview:
Sierra Leone is an extremely poor nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. While it possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, its physical and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development. Nearly half of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Alluvial diamond mining remains the major source of hard currency earnings accounting for nearly half of Sierra Leone's exports. The fate of the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad, which is essential to offset the severe trade imbalance and supplement government revenues. The IMF has completed a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility program that helped stabilize economic growth and reduce inflation. A recent increase in political stability has led to a revival of economic activity such as the rehabilitation of bauxite and rutile mining.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$4.388 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 163 $4.159 billion (2007 est.)
$3.909 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.953 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 75 6.4% (2007 est.)
7.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$900 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 217 $800 (2007 est.)
$800 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 49%
industry: 31%
services: 21% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
2.207 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
70.2% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 33.6% (2003)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
62.9 (1989) country comparison to the world: 5
Budget:
revenues: $96 million
expenditures: $351 million (2000 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.7% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Central bank discount rate:
NA% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
24.5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 12 25% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$184.6 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$177.7 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$162.9 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares: