History
Sierra Leone, a former British colony had a colourful past. As a major slave trading point during the colonial period, Sierra Leone developed positively between 1964 and 1992, despite political unrest with some coup d'états. In 1992 a severe civil war began, not last because of the large diamond fields. With help of international forces the war ended in 2002. Since than Sierra Leone is developing fast as a free democracy under the motto "Back to Business".

Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
Size: 71,740 sq km
Coastal length: 402 km
Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
Landscape: Hills on the Peninsula, flatlands inland rising towards the East
Highest peak: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
Natural resources: Diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Use of land: Arable land: 7.95%; permanent crops: 1.05%; irrigated land: 300 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards: dry, sand-laden Harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms
Note: Rainfall along the coast can reach 5,000 mm, making Freetown the wettest capital in the world

People
Population: 6.44 million (2008)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 44.5%; 15-64 years: 52.2%; above 65 years: 3.2%
Population growth rate: 2.28%
Birth rate: 45.08 births per 1000 population
Death rate: 22.26 deaths per 1000 population
Sex ration: At birth: 1.03 male/female; under 15 years 0.96 m/f; 15-64 years 0.82 m/f; 65 and above 0.84 m/f
Infant mortality rate: 154.43 deaths per 1,000 live births
Life expectancy: Women 43.6 years, men 38.9 years
HIV/AIDS: 1.7%
Nationality: Sierra Leonean(s)
Ethnical groups: Temne: 30%; Mende: 30%; Krio 10%; some Lebanese, Indians and Chinese 
Religions: Muslims: 60%; Christian: 10%; traditional beliefs: 30% 
Languages: English (official; only used by very few people); Krio (Lingua Franca); Mende; Temne
Literacy rate: 35.1% of the total population above 15 years

Politics & Government
Official name: Republic of Sierra Leone  
Government: Constitutional democracy as part of the Commonwealth of Nations
Capital: Freetown; approx. 1 million inhabitants
Administrative divisions: 3 provinces (East, South, North) and 1 area (West)
Independence: 27 April 1961 from the UK 
Constitution: 1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times
Executive: Head of state: President Ernest Bai Koroma (APC, since 17 September 2007); Head of Government: Ernest Bai Koroma (APC, since 17 September 2007); Cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president; president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last elections: 8 September 2007, Koroma 54.6%
Legislative: Unicameral parliament with 124 seats (112 elected by popular vote; 12 filled by separately elected Paramount Chiefs); five year term; last elections: 11 August 2007
Judicial: Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court
Political parties: All People's Congress (APC); Peace and Liberation Party (PLP); People's Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC); Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP); numerous others

Economy
Sierra Leone is an extremely poor nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. While it possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, its physical 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. The IMF has completed a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility program that helped stabilize economic growth and reduce inflation. A recent increase in political stability has led to a revival of economic activity such as the rehabilitation of bauxite and rutile mining.

GDP: Absolute: 4.31 bn US$ (PPP); growth: 6% per year; per capita: 700 US$ (PPP)
Composition: Agriculture 49%, industry 31%, services 21% (2001)
Inflation rate: 11.7% (2007)
Unemployment rate: 5-50%
Industries: Diamond, rutile, gold and bauxite mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining, small commercial ship repair  
Agricultural products: Rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Exports: 216 million US$ (2006); mainly diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish fish to Belgium, USA, Netherlands and Canada 
Imports: 560 million US$ (2006); mainly  foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals from Côte d'Ivoire, China, USA, Netherlands, UK, India
Currency: Leones (SLL, Le) = 100 cents (c)

Infrastructure
Telephones: 24,000 landlines connections (2002); 780,000 mobile subscribers (2007); marginal telephone service
Radio: 1 AM and 9 FM stations; 1 short wave (2001)
Television: 2 channels; international satellite network accessible
Internet: used only in Freetown to a minimum extend; country code: .sl; 13,000 subscribers (2007)
Transport: Roads: 11,300 km, incl. 900 km tarred roads; ports:  Freetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands; airports: 10, including 1 with tarred runway (2008)

Main source: CIA The World Factbook, 2008 & 2009 (Link)