Capital: Freetown.
Area: 71 740 sq. km.
Population: 5 232 624 persons.
Admin. division: Republic is in structure of 3 provinces and Western area.
Language: Official language is English.
Currency: 1 leone (100 cents).
Time:
Large cities: Bo, Makeni.
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- Geographical position:
The most part of territory of the country is the wavy plain, which is gradually going down to a southwest. Plain is cut by the numerous deep rivers Kaba, Rokelle, Seva and others. The ocean coast is low, sandy, in the north is cut strongly by mouthes of rivers, which serve as convenient natural harbours (especially a mouth of the river Rokelle where the harbour of Freetown - the best in the Western Africa is located). All northeast is occupied by Leono-Liberian height (the maximum point is mountain Bintimani, 1948 m) and spurs of mountain Fouta Djallon. The combination of mountains, plains, rivers and sandy coasts gives a unique originality to nature of Sierra Leone.
- State system:
Head of the state is the president (he is elected by universal suffrage on 5-years term). Legislature is one-chamber House of Representatives (80 places - 68 deputies are elected by universal suffrage, 12 deputies, being chiefs are elected separately, all deputies are elected on 5-years term).
- Climate:
Climate of the country is subequatorial. Monthly average temperatures at coast change from 24 ?C (August) up to 27 ?C (April), in internal areas they are more cool (20-21 ?C). Precipitations drop out mainly in the summer (since May till September): up to 4500 mm at coast and 2000-2500 mm in internal areas. The country is considered to be one of the most rainy in the Western Africa.
- Miscellaneous:
Sierra Leone in translation from Portuguese means ' lion's mountains ' and is named so because of a roar of falls reminding a lion's roar on the rivers flowing down from mountains. Before declaration of independence in 1961 the country was possession of the Great Britain. Now it is the presidential republic, included in British Commonwealth. Indigenous population of the country 17 nationalities(national characters) and tribes make, most numerous of them are mende and temne, engaged in agriculture. More than half of believers adheres to traditional beliefs, about 30% professes an islam, the others are christians. Traditional crafts, samples of oral (legends, fairy tales) and material culture (especially wooden ritual masks) of peoples of Sierra Leone are widely known all over the world. The capital of the country - Freetown, is one of the oldest cities of the Western Africa, based in 1792. The city centre is built up with two and three-tier houses in style of the English cities of XIX century. Here the university college, based in 1827 and the National museum are located.
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