Sierra Leone

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 land: 71,620 sq km water: 120 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 continental shelf: 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: 7.95% permanent crops: 1.05% other: 91% (2005)
Irrigated land	300 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	160 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	total: 0.38 cu km/yr (5%/3%/92%) per capita: 69 cu m/yr (2000)
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 depleted natural resources; overfishing
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, 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