a republic in W Africa, on the Atlantic: became a British colony in 1808 and gained independence (within the Commonwealth) in 1961; declared a republic in 1971; became a one-party state in 1978; multiparty democracy restored in 1991 but military rule was imposed following a coup in 1992 which led to a civil war that lasted until 2002 in which two million people were displaced; consists of coastal swamps rising to a plateau in the east. Official language: English. Religion: Muslim majority. Currency: leone. Capital: Freetown. Pop: 7 557 212 (2017 est). Area: 71 740 sq km (27 699 sq miles)