Republic of Sierra Leone
Estimated population 6.5million
Population density (people per square mile) 205
Population doubling rate 30 years
GDP per capita US$ 679
Benchmark approximations
Population doubling time in years:
USA 79. Canada 81. Germany declining. UK 248. Russia declining. China 110. Philippines 41.
Population density (people per square mile)
USA 85. Canada 9. Germany 593. UK 660. Russia 21. China 368. Philippines 795.
GDP per capita in US$:
USA 53,000. Canada 52,000. Germany 46,200. UK 41,800. Russia 14,600. China 6,800. Philippines 2,770
RECENT HISTORY
Formerly a British colonial protectorate until independence in 1961
Following disputed elections and military coups, internal conflict crippled the country from the late 1980s onward, culminating in a state of economic emergency and an 11 year brutal civil war that took place from 1991 to 2002. Since the end of the war, the government of Sierra Leone has undergone the arduous task of rebuilding the country's physical and social infrastructure while fostering reconciliation.
EDUCATION
Education in Sierra Leone is offered in private and government-sponsored schools; it is not compulsory. There are primary schools for children from age 5 to 12, and secondary schools that offer a seven-year program (in year 2000 only 25% of secondary school age children were enrolled), technical institutes, and several vocational schools, trade centres, and teacher-training colleges. Sierra Leone's literacy rate is lower than the average in western Africa and is among the lowest in the world.