pended following 19 April 1992 coup

Legal system: based on English law and customary laws indigenous to
local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: Chairman of the Supreme Council
of State Capt. Valentine E. M. STRASSER (since 29 April 1992)
cabinet: Council of Secretaries; responsible to the Supreme Council of
State (SCS)

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (suspended
after coup of 29 April 1992); Chairman STRASSER promises multi-party
elections sometime in 1995

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (suspended after coup of 29 April 1992)

Political parties and leaders: status of existing political parties is
unknown following 29 April 1992 coup

Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, 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, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas Kahota KARGBO
chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lauralee M. PETERS
embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [232] (22) 226481 trough 226485
FAX: [232] (22) 225471

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

@Sierra Leone:Economy

Overview: Sierra Leone has substantial mineral, agricultural, and
fishery resources, but the economic and social infrastructure is not
well developed. Agriculture generates about 40% of GDP and employs
about two-thirds of the working population, with subsistence
agriculture dominating the sector. Manufacturing, which accounts for
roughly 10% of GDP, consists mainly of the processing of raw materials
and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Diamond mining
provides an important source of hard currency. Since 1990, the
government has been able to meet its IMF- and World Bank-mandated
stabilization targets, holding down fiscal deficits, increasing
foreign exchange reserves, and retiring much of its domestic debt -
but at a steep cost in terms of capital investments and social
spending. Moreover, the economic infrast