World Factbook
Sierra Leone
Republic of Sierra Leone
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Area
land
71,620 sq km
water
120 sq km
total
71,740 sq km
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
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
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, 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, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms
Geography - note
rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 in) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal western Africa
Natural resources
diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Geographic coordinates
8 30 N, 11 30 W
Population distribution
population clusters are found in the lower elevations of the south and west; the northern third of the country is less populated, as shown on this population distribution map
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage
Niger (2,261,741 sq km)