88), 5.6000 (1987), 6.1768 (1986), 7.1343 (1985)

Fiscal year: calendar year

- Communications
Highways: 260 km total; 160 km bituminous, 100 km crushed stone or earth

Ports: Victoria

Merchant marine: 1 refrigerated cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
1,827 GRT/2,170 DWT

Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft

Airports: 14 total, 14 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: direct radio communications with adjacent islands and
African coastal countries; 13,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV;
1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station; USAF tracking station

- Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Militia

Military manpower: males 15-49, 17,073; 8,776 fit for military service

Defense expenditures: 6% of GDP, or $12 million (1990 est.)
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Sierra Leone
- Geography
Total area: 71,740 km2; land area: 71,620 km2

Comparative area: slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries: 958 km total; Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km

Coastline: 402 km

Maritime claims:

Territorial sea: 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

Natural resources: diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold,
chromite

Land use: 25% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 31% meadows and pastures;
29% forest and woodland; 13% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Environment: extensive mangrove swamps hinder access to sea;
deforestation; soil degradation

- People
Population: 4,165,953 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)

Birth rate: 47 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 21 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 154 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 42 years male, 47 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Sierra Leonean(s); adjective--Sierra Leonean

Ethnic divisions: 99% native African (30% Temne, 30% Mende); 1% Creole,
European, Lebanese, and Asian; 13 tribes

Religion: 30% Muslim, 30% indigenous beliefs, 10% Christian, 30% other or
none

Language: English (official); regular use limited to literate