Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2004) - Sierra Leone (2003)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2004) z Sierra Leone (2003)

	British Indian Ocean Territory (2004)	Sierra Leone (2003)

Administrative divisions	-	3 provinces and 1 area; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western
Age structure	-	0-14 years: 44.8% (male 1,259,421; female 1,310,516) 15-64 years: 52% (male 1,420,900; female 1,557,597) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 89,078; female 95,169) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Airports	1 (2003 est.)	10 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 2 (2002)
Area	total: 60 sq km land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago	total: 71,740 sq km land: 71,620 sq km water: 120 sq km
Area - comparative	about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC	slightly smaller than South Carolina
Background	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.	Since 1991, civil war between the government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (well over one-third of the population), many of whom are now refugees in neighboring countries. After several setbacks, the end to the 11-year conflict in Sierra Leone may finally be near at hand. With the support of the UN peacekeeping force and contributions from the World Bank and international community, demobilization and disarmament of the RUF and Civil Defense Forces (CDF) combatants has been completed. National elections were held in May 2002 and the government continues to slowly reestablish its authority.
Birth rate	-	43.89 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $96 million expenditures: $351 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital	-	Freetown
Climate	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds	tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
Coastline	698 km	402 km
Constitution	-	1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times
Country name	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT	conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone conventional short form: Sierra Leone
Currency	-	leone (SLL)
Death rate	-	20.66 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	-	$1.5 billion (2002 est.)
Dependency status	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London	-
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (overseas territory of the UK)	chief of mission: Ambassador Peter Russell CHAVEAS embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [232] (22) 226481 through 226485 FAX: [232] (22) 225471
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (overseas territory of the UK)	chief of mission: Ambassador Ibrahim M. KAMARA chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263 FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793
Disputes - international	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricted access to the largest island in the chain	large UN peacekeeping presence ended civil war but rebel gang fighting, ethnic rivalries, illegal diamond trading, corruption, and refugees spill over into neighboring states beset with their own civil disorder, refugees, and violence
Economic aid - recipient	-	$103 million (2001 est.)
Economy - overview	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.	Sierra Leone is an extremely poor African nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. It does have substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources. However, the economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development, following a 11-year civil war. About two-thirds of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Plans continue to reopen bauxite and rutile mines shut down during the conflict. The major source of hard currency consists of the mining of diamonds. The fate of the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad, which is essential to offset the severe trade imbalance and to supplement government revenues.
Electricity - consumption	NA kWh	232.6 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military	250.1 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
Environment - current issues	NA	rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil exhaustion; civil war depleting natural resources; overfishing
Environment - international agreements	-	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups	-	20 native African tribes 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
Exchange rates	-	leones per US dollar - 2,099.03 (2002), 1,986.15 (2001), 2,092.12 (2000), 1,804.19 (1999), 1,563.62 (1998)
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Charles A. HAMILTON (since 2002); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch	chief of state: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007); note - president's tenure of office is limited to two five-year terms election results: Ahmad Tejan KABBAH reelected president; percent of vote - Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (SLPP) 70.6%, Ernest KOROMA (APC) 22.4%
Exports	-	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	-	diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish (1999)
Exports - partners	-	Belgium 41.9%, Germany 28.1%, UK 3.6% (2002)
Fiscal year	-	calendar year
Flag description	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag	three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $2.826 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: 49% industry: 31% services: 21% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $500 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	6.6% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	6 00 S, 71 30 E	8 30 N, 11 30 W
Geography - note	archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility	rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa
Heliports	-	2 (2002)
Highways	total: NA km paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km	total: 11,330 km paved: 895 km unpaved: 10,435 km (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: 0.5% highest 10%: 43.6% (1989)
Imports	-	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	-	foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals (1995)
Imports - partners	-	Germany 25%, UK 10.9%, Netherlands 7.5%, US 5.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.9%, Italy 4.3% (2002)
Independence	-	27 April 1961 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	-	NA%
Industries	-	mining (diamonds); small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining
Infant mortality rate	-	total: 146.86 deaths/1,000 live births male: 164.23 deaths/1,000 live births female: 128.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	1% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	-	ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	1 (2001)
Irrigated land	0 sq km (1998 est.)	290 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	-	Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court
Labor force	-	1.369 million (1981 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 958 km border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)	arable land: 6.76% permanent crops: 0.78% other: 92.46% (1998 est.)
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%)
Legal system	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply	based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	-	unicameral Parliament (124 seats - 112 elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - SLPP 70.06%, APC 22.35%, PLP 3%, others 4.59%; seats by party - SLPP 83, APC 27, PLP 2
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: 42.84 years male: 40.33 years female: 45.42 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic total population: 31.4% male: 45.4% female: 18.2% (1995 est.)
Location	archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia	Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
Map references	Political Map of the World	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm	contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	-	total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,435 GRT/8,750 DWT ships by type: cargo 2
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016	-
Military branches	-	Army (RSLAF)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$10.26 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	1.5% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 1,228,664 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 596,617 (2003 est.)
National holiday	-	Independence Day, 27 April (1961)
Nationality	-	noun: Sierra Leonean(s) adjective: Sierra Leonean
Natural hazards	NA	dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms
Natural resources	coconuts, fish, sugarcane	diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Net migration rate	-	6.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2003 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	All People's Congress or APC [Alhaji Sat KOROMA, interim chairman]; Citizens United for Peace and Progress or CUPP [Alfred Musa CONTEH, interim chairman]; Coalition for Progress Party or CPP [Jeridine WILLIAM-SARHO, interim leader]; Democratic Center Party or DCP [Adu Aiah KOROMA]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [George E. L. PALMER]; Democratic Party or DP [Henry BALO, acting chairman]; National Alliance Democratic Party or NADP [Mohamed Yahya SILLAH, chairman]; National Democratic Alliance or NDA [Amadu M. B. JALLOH]; National People's Party or NPP [Andrew TURAY]; National Republican Party or NRP [Stephen Sahr MAMBU]; National Unity Movement or NUM [Sam LEIGH, interim chairman]; National Unity Party or NUP [John BENJAMINE, interim leader]; Peace and Liberation Party or PLP [Darlington MORRISON, interim chairman]; People's Democratic Alliance or PDA [Cpl. (Ret.) Abdul Rahman KAMARA, interim chairman]; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Osman KAMARA]; People's National Convention or PNC [Edward John KARGBO]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Abass Chernok BUNDU, chairman]; Revolutionary United Front Party or RUFP [Foday Saybana SANKOH, chairman]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Andrew Victor LUNGAY]; Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Ahmad Tejan KABBAH, chairman]; United National People's Party or UNPP [John KAREFA-SMART in exile, Raymond KAMARA, acting leader]; Young People's Party or YPP [Cornelius DEVEAUS, interim chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	Trade Unions and Student Unions
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2004 est.)	5,732,681 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	68% (1989 est.)
Population growth rate	-	2.94% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Diego Garcia	Bonthe, Freetown, Pepel
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 1, FM 9, shortwave 1 (1999)
Railways	-	total: 84 km narrow gauge: 84 km 1.067-m gauge note: Sierra Leone has no common carrier railroads; the existing railroad is private and used on a limited basis while the mine at Marampa is closed (2001)
Religions	-	Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%
Sex ratio	-	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage	-	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)	general assessment: marginal telephone and telegraph service domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects Freetown to Bo and Kenema international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	NA	25,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	30,000 (2001)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	2 (1999)
Terrain	flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)	coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east
Total fertility rate	-	5.86 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	NA%
Waterways	-	800 km (of which 600 km is navigable year round)

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