Sierra Leone
Freetown · West Africa
Sierra Leone is a country in Africa. Its capital city is Freetown, the official currency is the Leone, and the main language is English.
With a population of roughly 8.8 million people spread over 71,740 km², Sierra Leone is the 100th most populous country in the world and the 117th largest by area. That works out at about 123 people per square kilometre.
Sierra Leone shares land borders with Guinea and Liberia — 2 neighbours in all. Its largest urban centres are Freetown, Bo and Kenema. The highest point in the country is Mount Bintumani, at 1,945 metres.
For scale, it covers almost exactly the same area as Ireland, while its population is closest to that of Switzerland.
- Capital
- Freetown
- Region
- West Africa
- Population
- 8,800,000
- Area
- 71,740 km²
- Currency
- Leone
- Main language
- English
- Highest point
- Mount Bintumani
1,945 m - Land borders
- 2
Sierra Leone: things worth knowing
- Freetown was founded in 1787 as a settlement for freed slaves from Britain, Nova Scotia and Jamaica.
- Its natural harbour is among the largest in the world.
- Sierra Leone's diamond fields funded the civil war of the 1990s, giving rise to the term blood diamonds.
Sierra Leone in context
Africa has 54 sovereign countries in total. Sierra Leone ranks 34th among them by population.
See the full list of Africa countries, or browse all 195 countries.