Sierra Leone
Official name: |
Sierra Leone |
Capital City: |
Freetown |
Current Local Time: |
| International Dialing Code: |
232 |
Population: |
4,793,121 (July 1996 |
Currency: |
1 leone (Le) = 100 cents |
Spoken Languages: |
English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (the language of the re-settled ex-slave population of the Freetown area and is lingua franca) |
Holidays: |
Jan 1, Feb 15, 18, Apr 2, 24, 25, 27, May 1, Sep 10, Nov 18, Dec 25, 26 |
Major Exports: |
Commodities: rutile 51%, bauxite 20%, diamonds 16%, coffee 6%, cocoa 7%, fish (1989) |
Partners: US, UK, Belgium, Germany, other Western Europe Major Imports: |
Commodities: foodstuffs 38%, machinery and equipment 44%, fuels and lubricants 18% (1989) |
Partners: US, EU countries, Japan, China, Nigeria Total Export: |
$115 million (f.o.b., 1994) |
Total Import: |
$150 million (c.i.f., 1994) |
Gross Domestic Product: |
$4.4 billion (1994 est.) |
Per Capita Income: |
$960 (1994 est.) |
Literacy Rate: |
31.4% |
Population Growth Rate: |
4.14% (1996 est.) |
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