Sierra Leone is an independent republic which lies on the on the bulge of Africa and forms part of the West African Region. The capital city is Freetown. Other major towns are Bo, Kenema and Makeni.
The official language is English but Krio is more widely spoken. The local currency is the Leone. (US$ / L - current exchange rate).
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The international time zone for Sierra Leone is GMT and the international dialling code is +232. The principal airlines that fly to Sierra Leone are British Airways, KLM and Sabena as well as a number of regional airlines. The country's international airport is at Lungi, 2 hours away from Freetown. There is a helicopter service between the airport and the capital. All nationals except those of the ECOWAS countries require visas in order to visit Sierra Leone.
Due to the state of health, the immunisation status, location and the local disease situation cholera, hepatitis A, malaria, schistosomiasis, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, and yellow fever (regional) can occur in the Ivory Coast. A personal risk assessment is recommended prior to arrival in the country and medical insurance should be arranged.
Sierra Leone is emerging from a protracted civil war and is showing signs of a successful transition. Investor and consumer confidence continue to rise, adding impetus to the country’s economic recovery. In addition to this there is greater freedom of movement and the successful rehabilitation and resettlement of residential areas. In 2001 Sierra Leone attracted US$4 million in foreign direct investment. The country has also enjoyed an improvement in the terms of trade as a result of the lower of international petroleum prices.
The country’s main economic sectors include mining, agriculture and fisheries. The mining of diamonds, bauxite and rutile provides the major source of hard currency. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the country’s 5.2 million strong population with most involved in subsistence agriculture. The sector accounted for 51% of the country’s GDP. Sierra Leone’s manufacturing sector continues to develop and consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. In 2002 the country’s GDP was US$789.4 million.
Despite its successes and development, the Sierra Leone economy still faces some significant challenges. There is a high rate of unemployment particularly among the youth and ex-combatants. Authorities have been slow to implement reforms in the civil service and the pace of the privatisation programme is also slacking and donors have urged its advancement.
