Alliance or NDA [Amadu M. B. JALLOH]; National Alliance for Democracy
Party or NADP [Mohamed Yahya SILLAH]

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC,
ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John Ernest LEIGH
chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263
FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John L. HIRSCH
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

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of light green (top),
white, and light blue

@Sierra Leone:Economy

Economy-overview: Sierra Leone has 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. The seizure of power by the new Armed Forces
Revolutionary Council (AFRC) in May 1997 led to UN sanctions and a
sharp drop in GDP. 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. Bauxite and rutile mines have been shut down by civil
strife. The major source of hard currency is found in the mining of
diamonds, the large majority of which are smuggled out of the country.

GDP: purchasing power parity-$2.65 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate: -27% (1997 est.)

GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$540 (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 39%
industry: 27%
services: 34% (1995)

Inflation rate-consumer price index: 40% (1997 est.)

Labor force:
total: 1.369 million (1981 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry 19%, services 16% (1981 est.)
note: only about 65,000 wage earners (1985)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $96 million
expenditures: $150 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1996 est.)

Industries: mining (diamonds); small-scale manufacturing (beverages,
textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum r