Sierra Leone became independent from Great Britain in 1962. A civil war kept Sierra Leone from advancing democratic principles until its end in 2002. Several elections have been held since. The majority of its residence survive through subsistence agriculture, although mining efforts have increased in recent years.

• Country Profile
  • Land Mass/Major Cities – The capital city of Sierra Leone is Freetown, and it sits between Guinea and Liberia next to the North Atlantic Ocean.
  • Languages – English (official), Mende, Temne, and Krio
• Business Activity
  • Agriculture – Cashews, cattle, coffee, cocoa, fish, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts, pigs, poultry, rice, and sheep
  • Industries – Bauxite mining, diamond mining, iron ore mining, rutile mining, and small-scale manufacturing
  • Natural Resources – Bauxite, chromite, diamonds, gold, iron ore, and titanium ore
  • Exports – Cocoa, coffee, fish, diamonds, iron ore, and rutile
  • Imports – Chemicals, foodstuffs, fuels and lubricants, and machinery and equipment
  • Major Trading Partners – Belgium, China, India, Netherlands, Romania, and the United States

Source: CIA. (2017). The World Factbook: Sierra Leone. CIA. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sl.html