English is the official language of Sierra Leone, though Krio is spoken by 97% of the population and unites the various ethnic groups. Sierra Leone has a multi-party political system with a directly elected president and unicameral legislature. The majority religion is Islam at 71.3% of the population, with the two largest ethnic groups being the Temne and Mende. Sierra Leone is located on the west coast of Africa and has a tropical climate with rainy and dry seasons. The economy relies heavily on mining, especially diamonds and rutile.

1. “ SIERRA LEONE”

2. English is the official language. Krio is the most widely spoken language in virtually all parts of Sierra Leone. The Krio language is spoken by 97% of the country's population and unites all the different ethnic groups. In December 2002, Sierra Leone’s President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah named Bengali as an "official language" in recognition of the work of Bangladesh in the peace-keeping force. SIERRA LEONE LANGUAGE

3. SIERRA LEONE POLITICS Sierra Leone is a constitutional republic with a directly elected president and a unicameral legislature. The president is the head of state, the head of government and the commander-in-chief of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces and the Sierra Leone Police. Sierra Leone has a multi-party system.

4. SIERRA LEONE RELIGION Muslims in Sierra Leone representing around 71.3% of the country's total population. There are 18 ethnic groups in the country, the two largest being the Temne and Mende . Hindus in Sierra Leone are mainly traders.

5. SIERRA LEONE GEOGRAPHY Sierra Leone is located on the west coast of Africa, lying mostly between latitudes 7° and 10°N and longitudes 10° and 14°W. The centre of the country is a region of lowland plains. The climate is tropical, with two seasons determining the agricultural cycle: the rainy season and a dry season. Freetown is the capital of Sierra Leone.

6. SIERRA LEONE ECONOMY Rich in minerals, Sierra Leone has relied on mining, especially diamonds, for its economic base. Sierra Leone is perhaps best known for its blood diamonds. Sierra Leone has one of the world's largest deposits of rutile, a titanium ore used as paint pigment and welding rod coatings.

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