• Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa, bordered by Liberia and Guinea.
• Land area: 73,252 km²; population: 8,460,512 (2023).
• Capital city: Freetown; climate varies from savannahs to rainforests.

• Presidential republic with a unicameral parliament and a secular state.
• Separation of religion and state, with high religious tolerance.

• Established as a British colony in 1808 for resettling Africans post-slave trade.
• Gained independence in 1961; transitioned to a presidential republic in 1971.
• Multi-party system reintroduced in 1991 after a civil war lasting 11 years, ended in 2002.

• Home to 18 ethnic groups; predominant groups are Temne and Mende.
• Official language: English; Krio spoken widely.
• Rich in natural resources like diamonds and gold; high poverty rates: 59.2% multidimensional poverty.

List of newspapers published in Sierra Leone.