Part 742

@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; civil war depleting natural resources; overfishing

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Environmental Modification

@Sierra Leone:People

Population: 4,891,546 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 45% (male 1,084,736; female 1,119,802) 15-64 years: 52% (male 1,216,111; female 1,320,847) 65 years and over: 3% (male 76,371; female 73,679) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.54% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 46.67 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 17.75 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 6.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female total population : 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 132.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 48.02 years male: 45.06 years female: 51.07 years (1997 est.)