ates:
leones per US dollar - 2,985.4 (2006), 2,889.6 (2005), 2,701.3
(2004), 2,347.9 (2003), 2,099 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Sierra Leone

Telephones - main lines in use:
24,000 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
113,200 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: marginal telephone and telegraph service
domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects
Freetown to Bo and Kenema
international: country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 9, shortwave 1 (1999)

Radios:
1.12 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (1999)

Televisions:
53,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.sl

Internet hosts:
20 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2001)

Internet users:
10,000 (2005)

Transportation Sierra Leone

Airports:
10 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Heliports:
2 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 11,300 km
paved: 904 km
unpaved: 10,396 km (2002)

Waterways:
800 km (600 km year round) (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 54 ships (1000 GRT or over) 185,037 GRT/249,996 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 36, chemical tanker 3, combination
ore/oil 3, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1,
passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2
foreign-owned: 14 (China 2, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Russia 1, Syria 1,
UAE 3, Ukraine 4, US 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands

Military Sierra Leone

Military branches:
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Air
Wing, Maritime Wing)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,086,091 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 539,697 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$14.25 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.7% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Sierra Leone

Disputes - international:
domestic fighting among disparate rebel groups, warlords, and youth
gangs in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone perpetuate
insurgencies, street violence, looting, arms tr