Geography
Sierra Leone
Area
land
71,620 sq km
water
120 sq km
total
71,740 sq km
Climate
tropical; characterized by heat and humidity; summer rainy period (May to December); dry winter period (December to April)
Terrain
mangrove swamp coastal regions, hilly wooded areas, elevated plateaus, and mountains in the eastern region
Land use
other
11% (2023 est.)
forest
34.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
54.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 21.9% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 2.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 30.5% (2023 est.)
Location
Located in Western Africa, adjacent to the North Atlantic Ocean, situated between Guinea and Liberia
Coastline
402 km
Elevation
lowest point
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point
Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
mean elevation
279 m
Irrigated land
300 sq km (2012)
Map references
Africa
Land boundaries
total
1,093 km
border countries
Guinea 794 km; Liberia 299 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone
24 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
200 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
dry and dusty harmattan winds originating from the Sahara occur from December to February; occurrences of sandstorms and dust storms
Geography - note
coastal rainfall can attain up to 495 cm (195 in) annually, ranking it among the wettest regions in coastal western Africa
Natural resources
diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, and chromite
Area - comparative
marginally smaller than the state of South Carolina
Geographic coordinates
8 30 N, 11 30 W
Population distribution
population is concentrated in the lower altitudes of the southern and western areas; the northern third of the nation is less densely populated, as illustrated in this population distribution map
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage
Niger (2,261,741 sq km)