Sierra Leone - Country info

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Overview People Geography Economy Government Communications Transport Military Map Country Sierra Leone Flag Capital name: Freetown geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 13 15 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Population 6,440,053 (July 2009 est.) GMT GMT Location Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia see map Area total: 71,740 sq km land: 71,620 sq km water: 120 sq km 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%) Government type constitutional democracy National holiday Independence Day, 27 April (1961) Constitution 1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times Legal system based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction 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. Internet country code .sl

LAST UPDATED ON 27 MARCH 2009