| Abstract |
The Republic of Sierra Leone is a small coastal West African country bordered by Guinea and Liberia. Sierra Leone has an area of 71,620 square kilometers (about 28,000 square miles). The country is divided into four major Administrative Areas namely, The Western Area, Northern Province, Southern Province and Eastern Province.
The Provinces are divided into twelve districts and the districts are divided into one hundred and forty nine chiefdoms. Western Area is divided into (Western Urban) Freetown and Western Rural Areas. Freetown is divided into wards.
There are five Physical Regions in Sierra Leone: (i) The Central Plains, (ii) The Northern Woodlands Savannah, (iii) The South Western Upland, (iv) The Western Coastal Swamps and (v) the Western Peninsula Upland Region.
The country is mountainous; about 50% of the terrain is covered by mountains including the Capital, Freetown. Agriculture is the main occupation for the people of Sierra Leone; especially rice farming in which about 60% of the people are engaged through the practice of shifting cultivation.
Sierra Leone has a tropical climate with two very different seasons - the Dry Season, traditionally from November to April and the Rainy Season from May to October with July and August being the wettest months of the year. In 2004, the census was taken in December.
This is the final report of the 1985 National Population and Housing Census. It is an analytical report and provides a detailed picture of the demographic, socio-economic and household-housing situation in the country. The entire exercise was carried out by local analysts. Finally whereas the total population counted was 3,515,812, some characteristics like education, economic activity, fertility etc. are tabulated and therefore analysed for a total population of 3,222,901.
A number of volumes have preceded this final report. These volumes have presented data on various aspects of the country's population and the general housing conditions. These include data on the demographic, social and economic characteristics of the population; the analysis of age and sex structure; fertility and mortality; migration and housing. Furthermore, detailed and small-area statistics will be available on request at the Central Statistics Office.
The ultimate objective of the census was to enhance national capacity in planning by providing estimates of total population and its growth rates, fertility, mortality, and other related socio-economic indicators. Data collection was completed within the first two weeks of December 1985 and the provisional results submitted and accepted by Government in January 1986. Thereafter, machine processing of the data was carried out until April 1990 when the final statistical tables were produced. The results were finally endorsed by the Government of Sierra Leone in May, 1992 and a National Seminar for dissemination of the results was held in that same month.
A national undertaking of this magnitude depends for its accomplishment on a great number of factors. Adequate financial resources, technical know-how, national and unflinching public co-operation are among the most important ingredients for success.
In presenting this final report, the Central Statistics Office would again like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the valuable contributions made to the success of the project by various national and international organizations, government agencies and institutions and the general public. Financial assistance, material and human resources for the census project were provided by the Sierra Leone Government, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Federal Republic of Germany and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
Special mention must be made of the authors who worked on areas of speciality and who inspite of all the odds continued to support every stage of the census up to its final conclusion. The final editing of this report was jointly concluded by the Census Analyst, Professor H.B.S. Kandeh and UNFPA/Country Support Team (CST) Regional Adviser Dr. K. V. Ramachandran of the Economic Commission for Africa, whose dedication is greatly appreciated.
Finally, the resourcefulness and dedication demonstrated by Dr. Peter L. Tucker, Census Commissioner, staff of the National Population Secretariat and the Central Statistics Office have been acknowledged by all.
This publication marks the successful conclusion of the 1985 census and I now look forward to your continued support as the Government prepares for the 1996 National Population and Housing Census. |
