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SIERRA LEONE

Introduction

Current issues: On 25 May 1997, the democratically-elected government
of President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH was overthrown by disgruntled army
personnel under the command of Major Johnny Paul KOROMA; President
KABBAH fled to exile in Guinea. The Economic Community of West African
States Cease-Fire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) forces, led by a strong
Nigerian contingent, undertook the suppression of the rebellion. They
were initially unsuccessful, but, by October 1997, they forced the
rebels to agree to a cease-fire and to a plan to return the government
to democratic control by 22 April 1998. However, the agreed
demobilization of the combatants was not carried out by the rebel
junta. On 5 February 1998, hostilities broke out in the outskirts of
Freetown and ECOMOG mounted a major offensive, completely routing the
rebels. President KABBAH returned to office on 10 March to face the
task of restoring order to a demoralized population and a disorganized
and severely damaged economy.

@Sierra Leone:Geography

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
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: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m 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
(November to May); 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; civi