Conventional Long Form Name of country: Republic of Sierra Leone
Capital City(ies): Freetown
Type of Government: constitutional democracy
Date of Independence: 27 April 1961 (from the UK)
National Holiday(s): Independence Day, 27 April (1961)
Chief of State:
President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007)
Head of Government:
President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007)
Description of Executive Branch/Powers:
Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president
Description of Legislative Branch/Powers:
unicameral Parliament (124 seats; 112 members elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members to serve five-year terms)
Description of Judicial Branch/Powers:
highest court(s): Superior Court of Judicature (consists of the Supreme Court - at the apex - with the chief justice and 4 other judges, the Court of Appeal with the chief justice and
7 other judges, and the High Court of Justice with the chief justice and 9 other
judges; note – the Judicature has jurisdiction in all civil, criminal, and constitutional matters
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice and other judges of the Judicature appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (a 7-member independent body of judges, presidential appointees, and the Commission chairman) and subject to the approval of Parliament; all Judicature judges
appointed until retirement at age 65
subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; District Appeals Court; local courts
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Their Ambassador to the U.S.:
Ambassador Bockari Kortu STEVENS (since 28 March 2008)
Location of their embassy in the U.S.:
1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Location(s) of their consulate(s) in the U.S.: N/A
Name of U.S. Ambassador to them:
Ambassador Michael S. OWEN (since 16 August 2010)
Location of U.S. embassy there:
Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown
Location(s) of U.S. consulate(s) there: N/A
Name of their representative to UN:
Vandi Chidi MINAH
Description of the Symbolism of flag:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and blue; green symbolizes agriculture, mountains, and natural resources, white represents unity and justice, and blue the sea and the natural harbor in Freetown
National Symbol(s): lion
Descriptions of International Disputes:
as domestic fighting among disparate ethnic groups, rebel groups, warlords, and
youth gangs in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone gradually
abates, the number of refugees in border areas has begun to slowly dwindle;
Sierra Leone considers excessive Guinea's definition of the flood plain limits
to define the left bank boundary of the Makona and Moa rivers and protests
Guinea's continued occupation of these lands including the hamlet of Yenga
occupied since 1998
Quantity of refugees inside country and country(ies) of origin of refugees: N/A
Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons: N/A
Quantity of Stateless Persons: N/A
Description of current human trafficking issues related to this country: N/A
Description of Illicit Drug trafficking/use: N/A
Capital City(ies): Freetown
Type of Government: constitutional democracy
Date of Independence: 27 April 1961 (from the UK)
National Holiday(s): Independence Day, 27 April (1961)
Chief of State:
President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007)
Head of Government:
President Ernest Bai KOROMA (since 17 September 2007)
Description of Executive Branch/Powers:
Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president
Description of Legislative Branch/Powers:
unicameral Parliament (124 seats; 112 members elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members to serve five-year terms)
Description of Judicial Branch/Powers:
highest court(s): Superior Court of Judicature (consists of the Supreme Court - at the apex - with the chief justice and 4 other judges, the Court of Appeal with the chief justice and
7 other judges, and the High Court of Justice with the chief justice and 9 other
judges; note – the Judicature has jurisdiction in all civil, criminal, and constitutional matters
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice and other judges of the Judicature appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (a 7-member independent body of judges, presidential appointees, and the Commission chairman) and subject to the approval of Parliament; all Judicature judges
appointed until retirement at age 65
subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; District Appeals Court; local courts
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Their Ambassador to the U.S.:
Ambassador Bockari Kortu STEVENS (since 28 March 2008)
Location of their embassy in the U.S.:
1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Location(s) of their consulate(s) in the U.S.: N/A
Name of U.S. Ambassador to them:
Ambassador Michael S. OWEN (since 16 August 2010)
Location of U.S. embassy there:
Southridge-Hill Station, Freetown
Location(s) of U.S. consulate(s) there: N/A
Name of their representative to UN:
Vandi Chidi MINAH
Description of the Symbolism of flag:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and blue; green symbolizes agriculture, mountains, and natural resources, white represents unity and justice, and blue the sea and the natural harbor in Freetown
National Symbol(s): lion
Descriptions of International Disputes:
as domestic fighting among disparate ethnic groups, rebel groups, warlords, and
youth gangs in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone gradually
abates, the number of refugees in border areas has begun to slowly dwindle;
Sierra Leone considers excessive Guinea's definition of the flood plain limits
to define the left bank boundary of the Makona and Moa rivers and protests
Guinea's continued occupation of these lands including the hamlet of Yenga
occupied since 1998
Quantity of refugees inside country and country(ies) of origin of refugees: N/A
Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons: N/A
Quantity of Stateless Persons: N/A
Description of current human trafficking issues related to this country: N/A
Description of Illicit Drug trafficking/use: N/A