Location Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia

Geographic coordinates 8 30 N, 11 30 W

Map references Africa

Area
total: 71,740 sq km
water: 120 sq km
land: 71,620 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries
total: 958 km
border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km

Coastline 402 km

Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 NM
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)

Terrain coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m

Natural resources diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite

Land use
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 92% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 290 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms

Environment - current issues rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil exhaustion; civil war depleting natural resources; overfishing

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa

NOTE: The information regarding Sierra Leone on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Sierra Leone Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Sierra Leone Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.