14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Religions
Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%
Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
Languages
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%)
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Exports
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
External Debt
$102,300,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.56 (2008 est.), 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
7.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
1
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Area
71,740 km sq
20,770 km sq
Coastline
402 km
273 km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
