French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)
Exports
crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001)
External Debt
$2,726,000,000 $
Exchange Rate
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar 441.72 (2008 est.), 481.83 (2007), 522.89 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
Area
267,667 km sq
71,740 km sq
Coastline
885 km
402 km
Climate
tropical; always hot, humid
tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
