Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
President

(pronounced "ah-MAD TAY-jun KA-ba")

"My duty is to serve the entire population of Sierra Leone, which means that no one religious or tribal group, and no one section of our population can lay claim to preferential treatment from my administration."

The Republic of Sierra Leone is located on the coast of West Africa, bisected by the 8th degree of latitude. It is bordered by Guinea on the northwest and northeast, and by Liberia on the southeast. The country's total area of 71,740 sq km (27,699 sq mi) is characterized by dense rainforests in the south, coastal lowlands in the west, and a steep escarpment rising to a rugged and hilly interior in the east. The largest city is the capital and principal port of Freetown.

The total population was estimated at 5.6 million in 2002. The official language...