Africa > Sierra Leone > Geography

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Area > Comparative slightly smaller than South Carolina
Area > Comparative to US places slightly smaller than South Carolina
Area > Land	71,620 sq km		[117th of 238]
Area > Land (per capita)	11.378 sq km per 1,000 people		[122nd of 227]
Area > Total	71,740 sq km		[123rd of 250]
Area > Total (per capita)	11.397 sq km per 1,000 people		[126th of 231]
Area > Water	120 sq km		[135th of 239]
Area > Water (per capita)	19.063 sq km per million people		[134th of 225]
Capital city with population	Freetown - 1,300,000
Climate tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
Coastline	402 km		[127th of 271]
Elevation extremes > Highest point Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
Elevation extremes > Lowest point	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Forested Land	14.7%		[132nd of 193]
Geographic coordinates	8 30 N, 11 30 W
Geography > Note rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa
Irrigated land	300 sq km		[119th of 196]
Irrigated land (per capita)	58.603 sq km per million people		[120th of 167]
Land area > sq. km	71,620 km²		[117th of 206]
Land area > sq. km (per capita)	12.962 km² per 1,000 people		[104th of 206]
land border lengths > P-S > Number of neighbours	2		[19th of 26]
land border lengths > P-S > Total Borders	958 km		[21st of 27]
Land boundaries > Border countries Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
Land boundaries > Total	958 km		[121st of 166]
Land boundaries > Total (per capita)	152.19 km per million people		[100th of 164]
Land use > Arable land	7.95%		[127th of 258]
Land use > Other	91%		[104th of 258]
Land use > Permanent crops	1.05%		[114th of 258]
Largest city	Freetown
Largest city population	699,000		[102nd of 174]
Largest city population (per capita)	0.119 per capita		[103rd of 174]
Largest city with population	Freetown - 1,300,000
Location Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
Map references Africa
Maritime claims > Contiguous zone	24 nautical mile		[10th of 83]
Maritime claims > Continental shelf	200 nm
Maritime claims > Exclusive economic zone	200 nautical mile		[16th of 123]
Maritime claims > Territorial sea	12 nautical mile		[101st of 191]
Natural hazards dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms
Natural resources diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Population density	73.95 people per sqkm		[117th of 256]
Population density > people per sq. km	77.15 people/m²		[102nd of 204]
Precipitation	2,946 mm		[3rd of 95]
Rural population density > rural population per sq. km of arable land	545.87 people/km² of arable lan		[47th of 188]
Surface area > sq. km	71,740 km²		[117th of 206]
Surface area > sq. km (per capita)	12.983 km² per 1,000 people		[104th of 207]
tallest mountains > Mountain Loma Mansa (Bintimani)
Terrain coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east

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