Sierra Leone Travel Guide

Sierra Leone

Country: Sierra Leone

Population: 6,144,562

Capital: Freetown

Time Zone: UTC+0

Currency Name: leone (SLL)

Government Type: constitutional democracy

Languages: English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)

Ethnic Breakdown: 20 African ethnic groups 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century), refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians

Religion: Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%

Major Cities: Freetown

Phone Country Code: 232

Health Concerns: very high risk of food, waterborne, vectorborne, water contact and soil contact disases (diarrhea, Hepatitis A, typhoid fever, malaria, yellow fever, schistosomiasis, Lassa fever)

Official Tourism Website: http://www.visitsierraleone.org/

High Travel Season: no peak season

Voltage: 230 V - 50 Hz

Electrical Plug Type: d, g

Major Holidays: January 1 (New Year's Day), Birth of the Prophet, Easter, April 27 (Independence Day), Ramadan, December 25 (Christmas Day), December 26 (Boxing Day)

Misc Fact / Good to Know: Sierra Leone means Lion Mountains in Portuguese.