me claims: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 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% other: 92% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 290 sq km (1998 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, Law of the Sea,
Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Geography - note:
rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making
it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa

People Sierra Leone

Population: 5,614,743 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 44.7% (male 1,230,530; female 1,280,084)
15-64 years: 52.1% (male 1,397,070; female 1,528,986) 65 years and over:
3.2% (male 87,256; female 90,817) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.21% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 44.58 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 18.83 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 6.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: by the end
of 1999 refugees from Sierra Leone are assumed to be returning (2002 est.)

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:
0.96 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 144.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 49.01 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 5.94 children born/woman (2002 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 (1999 est.)