depth or to the depth of exploitation

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%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 31%

forests and woodland: 28%

other: 33% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 290 sq km (1993 est.)

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 depleting natural resources; overfishing

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test
Ban, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sierra Leone People

Population: 5,426,618 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 44.73% (male 1,190,207; female 1,237,326)

15-64 years: 52.12% (male 1,351,455; female 1,477,155)

65 years and over: 3.15% (male 84,364; female 86,111) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.61% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 45.11 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 19.19 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 10.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

note: by the end of 1999 refugees from Sierra Leone are assumed to
be returning

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female

total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 146.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 45.6 years

male: 42.69 years

female: 48.61 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.01 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.99% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 68,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 8,200