Area: 71,740 sq km
Capital: Freetown
Principal cities: Bo, Kenema, Makeni, Koidu
Official language: English (official), Krio (an English-orientated creole), Mende, Temne and other local languages
Independence day: 27th April
Population: 5.8m (CIA World Factbook estimate, 2012)
Demographic growth: 2.2 annual%
Life expectancy: 47.39
Literacy rate: 48.10
Religion(s): Muslim 71%, Christian 29%
Human development index: 0.336 HDI
Currency: Leone (Le)=100 cents
GDP: $2.1 billion
GDP per capital: $300 (2011)
Growth rate: 5.1% (2011)
Rate of unemployment: 70% (2011)
Rate of inflation: 16.54% (2011 Bank of Sierra Leone)
Net budgetary position: -9.19
Balance of payment: US$ -229 deficit (Bank of Sierra Leone 2011)
Export partners: China, America and UK
Import partners: Brazil, India, Cuba, Venezuela and South Africa
Contribution of various sectors to GDP: Agriculture: 20.4%, Mining and Construction 35.2%, Services: 38.9% (Bank of Sierra 2011 est.)