IRC, ITU, Mano River Union, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador George CAREW; Chancery at 1701 19th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 939-9261; US—Ambassador Johnny YOUNG; Embassy at the corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Street, Freetown; telephone 26481
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
Economy
Overview: The economic and social
infrastructure is not well developed. Subsistence
agriculture dominates the economy,
generating about one-third of GDP and
employing about two-thirds of the working
population. Manufacturing accounts for
less than 10% of GDP, consisting mainly
of the processing of raw materials and of
light manufacturing for the domestic
market. Diamond mining provides an important
source of hard currency. The economy
suffers from high unemployment,
rising inflation, large trade deficits, and a
growing dependency on foreign assistance.
GDP: $965 million, per capita $250; real growth rate 1.8% (FY87)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 42% (September 1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $86 million; expenditures $128 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90 est.)
Exports: $106 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—rutile 50%, bauxite 17%, cocoa 11%, diamonds 3%, coffee 3%; partners—US, UK, Belgium, FRG, other Western Europe
Imports: $167 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities—capital goods 40%, food 32%, petroleum 12%, consumer goods 7%, light industrial goods; partners—US, EC, Japan, China, Nigeria
External debt: $805 million (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate -19% (FY88 est.)
Electricity: 83,000 kW capacity; 180 million kWh produced, 45 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: mining (diamonds, bauxite, rutile), small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear), petroleum refinery
Agriculture: accounts for over 30% of GDP and two-thirds of the labor force; largely subsistence farming; cash crops—coffee, cocoa, palm kernels; harvests of food staple rice meets 80% of domestic needs; annual fish catch averages 53,000 metric tons
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $149 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $698 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $18 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $101 million
Currency: leone (plural—leones); 1 leone (Le) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: leones per US$1—87.7193 (January 1990), 58.1395 (1989), 31.2500 (1988), 30.7692 (1987), 8.3963 (1986), 4.7304 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 Jul -30 June
Communications
Railroads: 84 km 1.067-meter narrow-gauge
mineral line is used on a limited
basis because the mine at Marampa is
closed
Highways: 7,400 km total; 1,150 km bituminous, 490 km laterite (some gravel), remainder improved earth
Inland waterways: 800 km; 600 km navigable year round
Ports: Freetown, Pepel
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 12 total, 8 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: marginal telephone and telegraph service; national microwave radio relay system unserviceable at present; 23,650 telephones; stations—1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy
Military manpower: males 15-49, 918,078; 433,350 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures: 1% of GDP (1986)
Singapore
_Singapore.jpg)
See regional map IX
Geography
Total area: 632.6 km²; land area: 622.6
km²
Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 193 km
Maritime claims:
- Exclusive fishing zone: not specific
- Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy; no pronounced rainy or dry seasons; thunderstorms occur on 40% of all days (67% of days in April)
Terrain: lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve
Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports
Land use: 4% arable land; 7% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 5% forest and woodland; 84% other
Environment: mostly urban and industrialized
Note: focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
People
Population: 2,720,915 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Singaporean(s), adjective—Singapore
Ethnic divisions: 76.4% Chinese, 14.9% Malay, 6.4% Indian, 2.3% other
