Sierra Leone
Type of Government: Constitutional Democracy
Independence: 1961 from the UK
Head of State: President Ernest Bai Koroma (since September 17, 2007)
2007/2008 UN Development Index ranking (out of 177 countries): 177
2007 TI Corruption Perception Index (out of 179): 150
Political Development: The government is slowly reestablishing its authority after the civil war from 1991 to 2002 that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about one-third of the population). The last UN peacekeepers withdrew in December 2005 leaving full responsibility for security with domestic forces. A new civilian UN mission - the UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) - was established to support the government’s efforts to consolidate peace and a recent free and fair election brings hope for the future.
Adult HIV Rate: 7%
Life Expectancy: 40.58
GDP: $1.236 billion
Inflation: 1%
Poverty: 70.2%
Petroleum: 4 bpd
Leading Export Partner: Belgium (52.1%)
Economic Note: Sierra Leone is an extremely poor nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. While it possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, its economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development. Nearly half of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Alluvial diamond mining remains the major source of hard currency earnings accounting for nearly half of Sierra Leone’s exports. The fate of the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad, which is essential to offset the severe trade imbalance and supplement government revenues. A recent increase in political stability has led to a revival of economic activity such as the rehabilitation of bauxite and rutile mining.
