Long-form name: Republic of Sierra Leone

Type: republic under presidential regime since April 1971

Capital: Freetown

Administrative divisions: 4 provinces; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western

Independence: 27 April 1961 (from UK)

Constitution: 14 June 1978

Legal system: based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; highest court of appeal is the Sierra Leone Court of Appeals; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Republic Day, 27 April (1961)

Branches: executive--president; legislative--unicameral parliament consists of 104 authorized seats, 85 of which are filled by elected representatives of constituencies, 12 by paramount chiefs elected by fellow paramount chiefs in each district, and president authorized to appoint up to seven members; judicial--independent

Leaders: Gen. Joseph MOMOH, President (since 28 November 1985); Abu Bakar KAMARA, First Vice President (since 4 April 1987); Salia JUSU-SHERIFF, Second Vice President (since 4 April 1987)

Suffrage: universal over age 21

Elections: members of parliament elected to five-year terms in 1986

Political party and leader: All People's Congress (APC), Gen. Joseph Momoh (Constitution provides for one-party rule)

Communists: no party, although there are a few Communists and a slightly larger number of sympathizers

Member of: AfDB, AIOEC, CCC, Commonwealth, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, 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 Cynthia S. PERRY; 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

NOTE: The information regarding Sierra Leone on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Sierra Leone Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Sierra Leone Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.