ierra Leone is a country in western Africa, south and west of Guinea, west of Liberia, and east of the Atlantic Ocean. The total area is 27,699 sq mi. Freetown is the capital and largest city.

The population of Sierra Leone is 4,891,546 (1997 estimate); it  is composed predominantly of black Africans belonging to nearly 20 different ethnic groups. The largest groups are the Mende in the south and the Temne in the north. Some 63 percent of the people live in rural settlements. Most people reporting a religion profess traditional beliefs, although many others practice Islam. English is the official language, and Mende and Temne are the most widely spoken African languages. Only 31 percent of the adult population is literate.

The economy of Sierra Leone depends on agriculture and mining. Some 67 percent of the population is engaged in farming, fishing, or forestry. Much of the farming is of a subsistence nature, primarily growing rice. Minerals are the country's principal export. The unit of currency is the leone.

In 1991 Sierra Leone approved a new constitution providing for human rights guarantees and a multiparty system. However, Sierra Leone's basic unit of local government is the chiefdom, controlled by a paramount chief and a council of elders.