Overview
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone lies on the Atlantic coast of West Africa, bordered by Guinea to the north and east and Liberia to the south. It covers about 72,300 km² and has approximately 8.8 million people. A belt of coastal swamps gives way to interior plains and, in the eastern half of the country, a plateau and mountains rising to 1,948 m at Mount Bintumani. Freetown, the capital, stands on a mountainous peninsula beside one of the world’s largest natural harbours. The city was founded in 1792 as a settlement for formerly enslaved Africans, many of whom arrived from Nova Scotia, and became the centre of a British crown colony in 1808. Independence followed in 1961. A civil war from 1991 to 2002 was fuelled in part by the illicit diamond trade. Sierra Leone is a presidential republic. English is the official language, and Krio, an English-based creole, serves as the lingua franca. Islam is the predominant religion, alongside Christianity.
Sierra Leone is a low-income country in which mining accounts for most export earnings. Iron ore is the largest export, and the country is among the world’s leading producers of natural rutile; diamonds, bauxite, and gold are also mined. Agriculture employs about 44% of the workforce. In 2025, Sierra Leone’s GDP per capita was approximately US$846, and real GDP grew by 4.6%.
Source: World Bank. (2026). World Development Indicators, from https://data.worldbank.org/country/sierra-leone
Institutions
Institutions with at least one Faculty Member Registered with Ivey Publishing
- American International School of Freetown
- Annie Walsh Memorial School - Old Girls Association
- Institute of Advanced Management and Technology
- LICCSAL Business College
- Njala University
- University of Sierra Leone
Source: Ivey Publishing. 39C Accounts by Country. Provided by Adrianna Gleam-Fossaceca, Ivey Publishing, August 11, 2026.
Cases
Ivey-Copyrighted Cases in or involving Sierra Leone
Ivey Publishing and the 39 Country Initiative welcome additional case submissions that deepen understanding of Sierra Leone’s businesses, institutions, industries, and broader economic and social context.
| Case | Authors | Published / Revised | Product Number | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Mining Plc: The Offer from Blackrock World Mining Trust | Walid Busaba, Ken Mark | Jul 19, 2019 | 9B19N014_P | 13 |
| Where Have You Been? An Exercise to Assess Your Exposure to the Rest of the World’s Peoples | Paul W. Beamish | Nov 27, 2025 | W48085 | 11 |
Source: Ivey Publishing. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://www.iveypublishing.ca/s/
Workshops
Workshops Provided to Institutions in Sierra Leone
No case-teaching workshops have been held in Sierra Leone to date. Opportunities remain to extend the 39 Country Initiative’s outreach to institutions in Sierra Leone through its online case-teaching activities.