The capital of Sierra Leone is Freetown, Other major towns include Bo, in the South, Makeni in the North, and Kenema and Koidu in the East. A president is both head of state and head of government. The president is popularly elected to a five-year term and may serve no more than two consecutive terms. Legislative authority rests with the single-chamber House of Representatives, which has 68 members elected by popular vote and 12 paramount chiefs chosen by district tribal councils.
Representatives serve five-year terms.
The constitution was suspended from 1992 to 1996 and from mid-1997 to early 1998 following military coups. To the east the land rises from the coastal plain to a plateau in the north and to hilly terrain in the south. A savanna vegetation, comprising grasses and bushes, dominates northern Sierra Leone. Forests are densest in the southeast and contain varieties of palm and, to a lesser extent, mahogany and teak. Among the numerous small animals are bush pigs, chimpanzees, monkeys, and porcupines.