Difference between revisions of "Sierra Leone" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Infobox Country
{{Infobox Country or territory
+
|native_name = Sierra Leone
|native_name = Republic of Sierra Leone
+
|conventional_long_name =Republic of Sierra Leone
|conventional_long_name =
 
 
|common_name = Sierra Leone
 
|common_name = Sierra Leone
 
|image_flag = Flag of Sierra Leone.svg
 
|image_flag = Flag of Sierra Leone.svg
Line 9: Line 8:
 
|symbol_type = Coat of Arms
 
|symbol_type = Coat of Arms
 
|image_map = LocationSierraLeone.svg
 
|image_map = LocationSierraLeone.svg
|national_motto = "Unity - Freedom - Justice"
+
|map_caption =
 +
|national_motto = "Unity, Freedom, Justice"
 
|national_anthem = ''[[High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free]]''
 
|national_anthem = ''[[High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free]]''
 
|official_languages = [[English language|English]]
 
|official_languages = [[English language|English]]
 +
|languages_type =
 +
|languages =
 
|capital = [[Freetown]]
 
|capital = [[Freetown]]
|latd= 8|latm=31 |latNS=N |longd=13 |longm=15 |longEW=W
+
|latd= 8|latm=29.067 |latNS=N |longd=13 |longm=14.067 |longEW=W
|largest_city = Freetown
+
|largest_city = capital
|government_type = [[Republic]]
+
|government_type = [[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[Presidential system|presidential]] [[Constitutional republic|Constitutional]] [[republic]]
|leader_title1 = [[List of Presidents of Sierra Leone|President]]
+
|leader_title1 = [[President of Sierra Leone|President]]
|leader_name1 = [[Ahmad Tejan Kabbah]]
+
|leader_name1 = [[Ernest Bai Koroma]] ([[All People's Congress|APC]])
|area_rank = 119th
+
|leader_title2 =[[Vice President of Sierra Leone|Vice President]]
 +
|leader_name2 = [[Samuel Sam-Sumana|Alhaji Samuel Sam-Sumana]] ([[All People's Congress|APC]])
 +
|leader_title3= [[Speaker of Parliament]]
 +
|leader_name3= [[Abel Nathaniel Bankole Stronge]] ([[All People's Congress|APC]])
 +
|leader_title4= [[Chief Justice]]
 +
|leader_name4= [[Umu Hawa Tejan-Jalloh|Haja Umu Hawa Tejan-Jalloh]]
 +
|legislature              = [[Parliament of Sierra Leone|House of Parliament of Sierra Leone]]
 +
|area_rank = 119th  
 
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
 
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
|area = 71,740
+
|area_km2 = 71,740
|areami² = 27,699
+
|area_sq_mi = 27,699
|percent_water = 1.0
+
|percent_water = 1.1
|population_estimate = 6,144,562
+
|population_estimate = between 5.4 and 6.4 million <ref name=fco>{{cite web|url=http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/country-profile/sub-saharan-africa/sierra-leone|title="Country Profile:Sierra Leone"|Publisher="Foreign & Common Wealth Office, UK"|accessdate=October 28, 2011}}</ref> <ref name=rbsl>{{cite web|url=http://live.rebuildsierraleone.org/index.php?/about-sierra-leone.htm|title="Rebuild Sierra-leone"|accessdate=October 28, 2011}}</ref><ref name="CIA">{{cite web |title=Sierra Leone |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sl.html |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|accessdate=October 28, 2011}}</ref>
|population_estimate_rank = 103th<sup>1</sup>
+
|population_estimate_rank = 113th<ref name="CIA"/>
|population_estimate_year = July 2007
+
|population_estimate_year = July 2011
|population_census = 5,426,618
+
|population_census         =
|population_census_year = 2000
+
|population_census_year   =
|population_density = 83
+
|population_density_km2    = 79.4
|population_densitymi² = 199
+
|population_density_sq_mi  = 205.6
|population_density_rank = 114th<sup>1</sup>
+
|population_density_rank   = 114th<sup>1</sup>
|GDP_PPP = $4.921 billion <!--IMF—>
+
|GDP_PPP = $4.585&nbsp;billion<ref name=imf2>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007&ey=2010&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=724&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=81&pr.y=10 |title=Sierra Leone|publisher=International Monetary Fund|accessdate=October 28, 2011}}</ref>
|GDP_PPP_rank = 151st
+
|GDP_PPP_rank =
|GDP_PPP_year = 2005
+
|GDP_PPP_year = 2009
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $903
+
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $759<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 172nd
+
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =
|sovereignty_type = [[Republic]]
+
|GDP_nominal            = $1.877&nbsp;billion<ref name=imf2/>
 +
|GDP_nominal_year        = 2009
 +
|GDP_nominal_per_capita  = $311<ref name=imf2/>
 +
|sovereignty_type = [[Independence]]
 
|established_event1 = from the [[United Kingdom]]
 
|established_event1 = from the [[United Kingdom]]
|established_date1 = [[April 27]] [[1961]]
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|established_event2 = [[Republic]] declared
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.335
+
|established_date1 = 27 April 1961
|HDI_rank = 176th
+
|established_date2 = 19 April 1971
|HDI_year = 2004
+
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.365
|HDI_category = <font color="#e0584e">low</font>
+
|HDI_rank = 158th
|currency = [[Leone]]
+
|HDI_year = 2007
 +
|HDI_category = <span style="color:#f00;"> low</span>
 +
|Gini                    = 62.9
 +
|Gini_year                = 2003
 +
|Gini_category            = <span style="color:red;">high</span>
 +
|FSI                      = 93.4 {{decrease}} 3.2
 +
|FSI_year                = 2007
 +
|FSI_rank                = 23rd
 +
|FSI_category            = <span style="color:#f00;">Alert</span>
 +
|currency = [[Sierra Leonean leone|Leone]]
 
|currency_code = SLL
 
|currency_code = SLL
 
|country_code =
 
|country_code =
Line 50: Line 71:
 
|time_zone_DST =
 
|time_zone_DST =
 
|utc_offset_DST =
 
|utc_offset_DST =
 +
|drives_on                    = right
 
|cctld = [[.sl]]
 
|cctld = [[.sl]]
 
|calling_code = 232
 
|calling_code = 232
 +
|demonym = Sierra Leonean
 
|footnotes = <sup>1</sup> Rank based on 2007 figures.
 
|footnotes = <sup>1</sup> Rank based on 2007 figures.
 
}}
 
}}
'''Sierra Leone''', officially the '''Republic of Sierra Leone''', is a country in [[West Africa]]. It is bordered by [[Guinea]] on the north and [[Liberia]] on the south, with the [[Atlantic Ocean]] on the west. The name Sierra Leone was adapted from the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] name for the country: ''Serra Leoa''. The literal meaning is  "Lion Mountain Range". During the 1700s Sierra Leone was an important centre of the transatlantic trade in [[African slaves|enslaved Africans]]. The capital [[Freetown]] was founded in 1787 (received its charter in 1792) by the [[Sierra Leone Company]] as a home for [[slavery|enslaved]] Africans who had fought for the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] in the [[American War of Independence]]. In 1808, Freetown became a [[British Empire|British]] [[Crown Colony]], and in 1896, the interior of the country became a British [[Protectorate]]. The Crown Colony and Protectorate joined and gained [[independence]] in 1961. From 1991 to 2002, the country suffered greatly under the devastating effects of [[Sierra Leone Civil War|rebel incursions]]. To end rebel activities, [[United Nations|UN]] and [[United Kingdom|British]] forces disarmed 17,000 militia and rebels, in the largest UN [[peacekeeping]] act of the decade. The average life expectancy at birth of a Sierra Leonean is 38 years for males and 43 years for females. <ref name="WorldFactBook">{{cite web |title=Sierra Leone |work=[[The World Factbook]] |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sl.html#People |publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] |date=[[15 May]], [[2007]] |accessdate=2007-05-17}}</ref>
 
  
==History of Sierra Leone==
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'''Sierra Leone,''' officially the '''Republic of Sierra Leone,''' is a country in [[West Africa]]. The name ''Sierra Leone'' was adapted from the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] name for the country: ''Serra Leoa.'' The literal meaning is "Lioness Mountains." During the 1700s Sierra Leone was an important center of the transatlantic [[slave trade]]. The capital Freetown was founded in 1787 as a home for enslaved Africans who had fought for the [[United Kingdom|British]] in the [[American War of Independence]].
{{main|History of Sierra Leone}}
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{{toc}}
 +
From 1991 to 2002, the country suffered greatly under the devastating effects of rebel incursions. To end rebel activities, [[United Nations|UN]] and British forces disarmed 17,000 militia and rebels in the largest UN peacekeeping act of the decade. While the fighting has ended, Sierra Leone remains impoverished. Though it is rich in [[mineral]] resources, there are wide disparities in wealth distribution.
  
==Early history==
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==Geography==
[[Archaeological]] findings show that Sierra Leone has been inhabited for thousands of years. Traditional [[historiography]] has customarily presented it as peopled by successive waves of invaders; but the language pattern suggests that the coastal Bulom ([[Sherbro]]), [[Temne]], and [[Limba]] have been in continuous settled occupation for a long time, with subsequent sporadic immigration from inland by [[Mande]]-speaking peoples, including [[Vai]], [[Loko]], and [[Mende]]. They organized themselves in small political units—independent kingdoms or chiefdoms — whose rulers' powers were checked by councils. Secret societies, notably the Poro secret society, also exercised political power as well as instructing initiates in the customs of the country.  
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{{MapLibrary|Sierra_Leone_sat.png|Sierra Leone}}
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Sierra Leone is located on the west coast of [[Africa]], north of the [[equator]]. With a land area of 27,699 sq. mi (71,740 sq km), Sierra Leone is bordered by [[Guinea]] to the north and northeast, [[Liberia]] to the south and southeast, and the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the west.
  
[[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] voyagers gave the name Serra Lyoa (Lion Mountains), later changed to Sierra Leone by the [[United Kingdom|British]]. From the 15th century onward, European traders congregated near the site of present-day Freetown, under the protection of African rulers, who welcomed them for the commercial opportunities they provided, exchanging imported manufactured goods for ivory and slaves to be employed across the Atlantic.
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There are a wide variety of [[ecology|ecological]] and [[agriculture|agricultural]] zones to which people have adapted. Starting in the west, Sierra Leone has some 250 miles (400 km) of coastline, giving it both bountiful marine resources and attractive tourist potential. This is followed by low-lying dense mangrove [[swamp]]s, [[rainforest]]ed plains and farmland, and finally a [[mountain]]ous plateau in the east, where Mount Bintumani rises to 6,390 feet (1,948 m).
  
After the [[Treaty of Utrecht]] (1713) ended the [[War of the Spanish Succession]] (1701 - 1714), Spain ceded Gibraltar, Minorca and Nova Scotia to the British; and Spain agreed to give Britain the [[Asiento]], a valuable exclusive contract for the sea-transport of enslaved Africans to North America and the Caribbean Islands. [[Anne of Great Britain|Queens Anne's]] government (1702 – 1714) sold the exclusive rights to the [[South Sea Company]] for £7 million (now worth approx. £7 billion){{Fact|date=June 2007}} to cover the costs of its participation in the Spanish Succession War, and to compensate the forces of [[John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough|John Churchill of Marlborough]].
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==Climate==
 +
The [[climate]] is tropical—hot and humid—with two seasons determining the [[agriculture|agricultural]] cycle: the rainy season from May to November, followed by the dry season from December to May, which includes harmattan, when cool, dry winds blow in off the [[Sahara Desert]]. The national capital Freetown sits on a coastal peninsula, situated next to Sierra Leone Harbor, the world's third largest natural harbor. This prime location historically made Sierra Leone the center of [[trade]] and colonial administration in the region.
  
[[Image:Sl-map.gif|thumb|240px|Map of Sierra Leone showing the capital Freetown]]
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==History==
During the [[American Revolutionary]] War (1775–83) enslaved Africans were promised freedom if they sided with the British and many did. A group of freed slaves arrived in Sierra Leone from [[England]] in [[1787]] to form a settlement. The ones who finished the voyage and arrived at the Sierra Leone Peninsula bought land from local [[Temne people|Temne]] leaders and established the Province of Freedom near present-day [[Freetown]]. Many of the settlers died of disease in the first year. A renewed attempt at settlement was made in [[1792]], when about 1,100 freed slaves under the leadership of the [[abolitionist]] [[Thomas Clarkson]] landed on the Sierra Leone peninsula and founded Freetown. They were joined by about 500 free blacks from  [[Jamaica]] in 1800. These settlers were English-speaking, and many were [[literate]] and [[Christian]]. The new colony was controlled by the Sierra Leone Company, which forcefully held off the Temne while the settlers supported themselves by farming.
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 +
===Early history===
 +
[[Archaeology|Archaeological]] findings show that Sierra Leone has been inhabited for thousands of years. Traditional [[historiography]] has customarily presented it as peopled by successive waves of invaders; but the language pattern suggests that the coastal Bulom (Sherbro), Temne, and Limba have been in continuous settled occupation for a long time, with subsequent sporadic immigration from inland by Mande-speaking peoples, including Vai, Loko, and Mende. They organized themselves in small political units—independent kingdoms or chiefdoms—whose rulers' powers were checked by councils. Secret societies, notably the Poro secret society, also exercised political power as well as affected the customs of the country.
 +
 
 +
[[Portugal|Portuguese]] explorer Pedro de Cintra, who visited in 1460, gave the name Serra Lyoa (Lioness Mountains), later changed to Sierra Leone by the [[United Kingdom|British]]. From the fifteenth century onward, [[Europe|European]] traders congregated near the site of present-day Freetown, under the protection of African rulers, who welcomed them for the commercial opportunities they provided, exchanging imported manufactured goods for [[ivory]] and [[slave trade|slaves]] to be employed across the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]].
  
Muslim traders brought [[Islam]], which became firmly established in the [[northern Province]] and subsequently spread throughout the rest of the country.
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After the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) ended the [[War of the Spanish Succession]] (1701–1714), [[Spain]] ceded Gibraltar, Minorca, and Nova Scotia to the British and agreed to give Britain the Asiento, a valuable exclusive contract for the sea-transport of enslaved Africans to [[North America]] and the [[Caribbean]] islands. [[Anne of Great Britain|Queen Anne]]'s government (1702–1714) sold the exclusive rights to the South Sea Company to cover the costs of its participation in the [[war]].
  
In [[1807]], Great Britain outlawed the trade of enslaved Africans, and in early 1808 the British government took over Freetown from the financially troubled company, using it as a naval base for fighting the traffic in slaves. The British government, which had profited most from the [[Atlantic slave trade|transatlantic trade]] in captured Africans, now undertook a key role in the suppression of the trade.
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During the [[American Revolutionary War]] (1775–1783) enslaved Africans were promised freedom if they sided with the British and many did. A group of freed slaves arrived in Sierra Leone in 1787 to form a settlement. They bought land from local Temne leaders and established the Province of Freedom near present-day Freetown. Many of the settlers died of [[disease]] in the first year. A renewed attempt at settlement was made in 1792, when about 1,100 freed slaves landed on the Sierra Leone peninsula and founded Freetown. They were joined by about 500 free blacks from [[Jamaica]] in 1800. These settlers were [[English language|English]]-speaking, and many were [[literacy|literate]] and [[Christian]]. The new colony was controlled by the Sierra Leone Company, which forcefully held off the Temne while the settlers supported themselves by [[farming]].
  
Between 1808 and 1864 approximately 50,000 liberated Africans settled at [[Freetown]]. Protestant missionaries were active there, and in 1827 they founded [[Fourah Bay College]], where Sierra Leoneans were educated and became active as [[missionaries]], [[traders]], and [[civil servants]] along the Sierra Leone coast and on [[Sherbro Island]] as well as in other regions in West Africa, especially among the [[Yoruba people]].
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Muslim traders brought [[Islam]], which became firmly established in the Northern Province and subsequently spread throughout the country.
  
==The Colonial Era==
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In 1807, Great Britain outlawed the trade of enslaved Africans, and in early 1808 the British government took over Freetown from the financially troubled company, using it as a naval base for fighting the traffic in slaves. The British government, which had profited most from the [[slave trade|transatlantic trade]] in captured Africans, now undertook a key role in the suppression of the trade.
During the periods 1821 to 1827, 1843 to 1850, and 1866 to 1874, British holdings on the [[Gold Coast]] (now [[Ghana]]) were placed under the governor of Sierra Leone. In 1863 an advisory legislative council was established in Sierra Leone. The British were reluctant to assume added responsibility by increasing the size of the colony, but in 1896 the interior was proclaimed a British protectorate, mainly in order to forestall [[France|French]] ambitions in the region, and the Colony and Protectorate of Sierra Leone was established.
 
[[Image:Bai Bureh.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Bai Bureh]]
 
The protectorate was ruled “indirectly” (i.e., through the rulers of the numerous small states, rather than by creating an entirely new administrative structure) and a hut tax was imposed in 1898 to pay for administrative costs. The Africans protested the tax in 1898 and fought the British in a war later became known as the [[Hut Tax War of 1898]]. The uprisings, led in the north by [[Bai Bureh]] and in the south by [[Kai Londo]], started on [[27 April]] [[1896]] and lasted over two years. The Sandé and Poro secret societies played a great role in mobilizing resistance to the British.
 
  
Under the British, little economic development was undertaken in the protectorate until the 1950s, although a railroad was built and the production for export of palm products and peanuts was encouraged.
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Between 1808 and 1864, approximately 50,000 liberated Africans settled at Freetown. [[Protestant]] [[missionary|missionaries]] were active there, and in 1827 they founded Fourah Bay College, where Sierra Leoneans were educated and became active as missionaries, traders, and civil servants along the Sierra Leone coast and on Sherbro Island, as well as in other regions in West Africa, especially among the [[Yoruba people]].
  
After [[World War II]], Africans were given more political responsibility, and educational opportunities were enlarged. In the economic sphere, mining (especially of [[diamonds]] and iron ore) increased greatly. The Creoles of the colony, who had been largely excluded from higher government posts in favor of the British, sought a larger voice in the affairs of Sierra Leone. A constitution adopted in 1951 gave additional power to Africans. However, the Creoles were a small minority in the combined colony and protectorate, and in the elections of 1951 the protectorate-based [[Sierra Leone People's Party]](SLPP), led by [[Milton Margai|Sir Milton Augustus Margai]] (a [[Mende people|Mende]]), emerged victorious.
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===Colonial era===
 +
During the periods of 1821 to 1827, 1843 to 1850, and 1866 to 1874, British holdings on the Gold Coast (now [[Ghana]]) were placed under the governor of Sierra Leone. In 1863, an advisory legislative council was established in Sierra Leone. The British were reluctant to assume added responsibility by increasing the size of the colony, but in 1896, the interior was proclaimed a British protectorate, mainly in order to forestall [[France|French]] ambitions in the region, and the Colony and Protectorate of Sierra Leone was established.
 +
[[File:Bai Bureh (1898).jpg|thumb|left|250 px|Bai Bureh, when a prisoner at Sierra Leone in 1898.]]
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The protectorate was ruled “indirectly” (through the rulers of the numerous small states, rather than by creating an entirely new administrative structure) and a hut tax was imposed in 1898 to pay for administrative costs. The Africans protested the tax in 1898 and fought the British. The uprisings, led in the north by [[Bai Bureh]] and in the south by Kai Londo, started in 1896 and lasted over two years. Bai Bureh was finally captured on November 11, 1898 and sent into [[exile]] in the Gold Coast, while his comrades were hanged by the British.
  
==An Independent Nation==
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Under the British, little economic development was undertaken in the protectorate until the 1950s, although a [[railroad]] was built and the production for export of [[palm]] products and [[peanut]]s was encouraged.
[[Image:Milton Margai.png|thumb|right|Sir Milton Margai]]
 
On [[April 27]] [[1961]], [[Sir]] [[Milton Margai]] led Sierra Leone to independence from the [[United Kingdom]]; and became the nation's first [[Prime minister]]. He died three years later in 1964 and was succeeded by his brother, [[Sir]] [[Albert Margai]]. Albert Margai was highly criticized during his three year reign as prime minister; he was accused of [[Political corruption|corruption]] and of a policy of [[affirmative action]] in favor of the [[Mende tribe]]. In a closely contested general elections in March 1967, Sierra Leone Governor General [[Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston]] declared [[Siaka Stevens]], candidate of the [[All People's Congress]] (APC) and [[Mayor]] of Freetown as the new Prime Minister of Sierra Leone. However, a [[military coup]] led by [[Brigadier]] [[David Lansana]] ousted Stevens within a few hours after he took office. Lansana insisted the determination of office should await the election of the tribal representatives to the house.
 
  
On [[March 23]], [[1968]], a group of senior military officers, lead by [[Brigadier]] [[Andrew Juxon-Smith]] overrode this action by seizing control of the government, arresting Bragadier Lansana, and suspended the constitution. The group constituted itself as the [[National Reformation Council]] (NRC) with brigadier Andrew Juxon Smith as its chairman.  
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After [[World War II]], Africans were given more [[politics|political]] responsibility, and [[education]]al opportunities were enlarged. In the economic sphere, [[mining]] (especially of [[diamonds]] and [[iron]] ore) increased greatly. The Creoles of the colony, who had been largely excluded from higher government posts in favor of the British, sought a larger voice in the affairs of Sierra Leone. A constitution adopted in 1951 gave additional power to Africans. However, the Creoles were a small minority in the combined colony and protectorate, and in the elections of 1951 the protectorate-based Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), led by Sir Milton Augustus Margai (a Mende), emerged victorious.
  
On [[April]] [[1968]], the NRC was overthrown by a group of junior military officers who called themselves the Anti-Corruption Revolutionary Movement (ACRM), lead by [[Brigadier]] [[John Amadu Bangura]]. The ACRM  imprisoned NRC members, restored the constitution; returned the nation to parliamentary government;, and reinstated Siaka Stevens as prime minister. The following years were marked by considerable [[unrest]], caused by [[ethnic]] and [[army]] disaffection with the central government.
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===An independent nation===
[[Image:Siaka Stevens.png|thumb|right|[[Siaka  Stevens|Siaka Probyn Stevens]], First President of Sierra Leone]]
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[[Image:Sl-map.gif|thumb|240px|Map of Sierra Leone showing the capital Freetown]]
On [[April 19]], [[1971]] Parliament declared Sierra Leone to be a [[republic]]. Siaka Stevens, then prime minister, became the nation's first president. [[Guinean]] troops requested by Stevens to support his government were in the country from 1971 to 1973. Parliamentary elections were held in 1973; Stevens APC party won 74 seats and the opposition SLPP party won 15 seats in  parliament. An [[alleged]] plot to overthrow Stevens failed in July 1974. The leaders of the unsuccessful Coup were tried and [[executed]], and in March 1976, he was elected without opposition for a second five-year term as president. In 1978, a new constitution was adopted, creating a one-party state; The 1978 [[constitution]] made the APC the only legal [[political party]] in Sierra Leone.
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On April 27, 1961, Sir Milton Margai led Sierra Leone to independence from the [[United Kingdom]] and became the first prime minister. He died three years later and was succeeded by his brother, Sir Albert Margai, who was accused of favoring the Mende tribe. After an election in 1967, Siaka Stevens, candidate of the All People's Congress (APC) and mayor of Freetown, was declared the new prime minister. [[Coup d’état|Coup]]s and counter-coups ensued until Siaka Stevens was reinstated as prime minister. The following years were marked by considerable unrest, caused by ethnic and army disaffection with the central government.
  
Siaka Probyn Stevens, who had been President of Sierra Leone for eighteen years, retired from that position in November 1985, although he continued his role as chairman of the ruling APC party. In [[August]] [[1985]], the APC named commander of the Republic of Sierra Leone military forces, [[Major General]] [[Joseph Saidu Momoh]], Stevens' own choice, as the party candidate to succeed him. Momoh was elected President in a one-party [[referendum]] on [[October 1]], 1985. A formal [[inauguration]] was held in January 1986, and new parliamentary elections were held in May 1986. Following an [[alleged]] attempt to overthrow president Momoh in March 1987, over 60 senior government officials were arrested, including First [[Vice-President]] [[Francis Minah]], who was removed from office.
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On April 19, 1971, Parliament declared Sierra Leone to be a republic. Siaka Stevens, then prime minister, became the nation's first president. [[Guinea]]n troops requested by Stevens to support his government were in the country from 1971 to 1973. Parliamentary elections were held in 1973; Stevens' APC party won 74 seats and the opposition SLPP party won 15 seats in parliament. An alleged plot to overthrow Stevens failed in July 1974. The leaders of the unsuccessful coup were tried and executed, and in March 1976, he was elected without opposition for a second five-year term as president. In 1978, a new constitution was adopted, creating a one-party state; the 1978 constitution made the APC the only legal political party in Sierra Leone.
  
In October 1990, President Momoh set up a constitutional review commission to review the 1978 one-party constitution with a view to broadening the existing political process, guaranteeing fundamental [[human rights]] and the rule of law, and strengthening and consolidating the democratic foundation and structure of the nation. The commission, in its report presented January 1991, recommended re-establishment of a multi-party system of government. Based on that recommendation, a constitution was approved by Parliament in July 1991 and [[ratified]] in September; it became effective on [[October 1]], [[1991]].
+
Siaka Stevens, who had been president of Sierra Leone for 18 years, retired from that position in November 1985, although he continued his role as chairman of the ruling APC party. In August 1985, the APC named the commander of the military forces, Maj. Gen. Joseph Saidu Momoh, Stevens' own choice, as the party candidate to succeed him. Momoh was elected president in a one-party referendum on October 1, 1985. A formal inauguration was held in January 1986, and new parliamentary elections were held in May 1986. Following an alleged attempt to overthrow Momoh in March 1987, over 60 senior government officials were arrested, including First Vice-President Francis Minah, who was removed from office.
  
==Civil War==
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In October 1990, President Momoh set up a constitutional review commission to review the 1978 one-party constitution with a view to broadening the existing political process, guaranteeing fundamental [[human rights]] and the rule of law, and strengthening and consolidating the democratic foundation and structure of the nation. The commission, in its report presented January 1991, recommended reestablishment of a multiparty system of government. Based on that recommendation, a constitution was approved by Parliament in July 1991 and ratified in September; it became effective on October 1, 1991.
{{main| Sierra Leone Civil War}}
 
 
The outbreak of  [[political corruption|corruption]] within the government, and mismanagement of [[diamond]] and [[mineral resources]] are main reasons civil war broke out in Sierra Leone. With the breakdown of all state structures, complemented by the effective suppression of all civilian opposition, wide corridors of Sierra Leonean society were opened up to the trafficking of arms and ammunitions. Drugs also eroded national and regional security as well as facilitating [[crime]] within the country.[[Image:FodayS.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Foday Sankoh in [[2000]].]]
 
  
In addition to these internal tensions, the brutal civil war going on in neighbouring Liberia played an undeniable role in the actual outbreak of fighting in Sierra Leone. [[Charles Taylor]], the then leader of the [[National Patriotic Front of Liberia]] (NPFL) reportedly helped form the [[Revolutionary United Front]] (RUF) under  former Sierra Leone army [[corporal]], [[Foday Sankoh]]. Sankoh met Taylor in [[Libya]] in the 1980s, during guerrilla trainning, and the two men quickly established a relationship. In return for helping Sankoh, Taylor was rewarded with [[diamond]] from Sierra Leone.
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===Civil War===
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[[Corruption]] within the [[government]] and mismanagement of [[diamond]] and [[mineral]] resources were the main reasons [[civil war]] broke out in Sierra Leone. With the breakdown of all state structures, complemented by the effective suppression of all civilian opposition, wide corridors of Sierra Leonean society were opened up to the trafficking of arms and ammunitions. [[Drug]]s also eroded national and regional security as well as facilitated [[crime]].
  
On [[March 23]] [[1991]], The RUF, lead by Foday Sankoh and backed by Charles Taylor, cross from Liberia and attack villages near Sierra Leone's [[Eastern Province]] town of [[Kailahun]]. The Sierra Leone government was unable to put up significant resistance. Within a month, the RUF controlled much of the Eastern Province. The rebels were quick to demonstrate their brutality of civilian population; the forced recruit of [[child soldiers]] was also an early feature of the rebels.
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In addition to these internal tensions, the brutal civil war going on in neighboring [[Liberia]] played a role in the outbreak of fighting in Sierra Leone. Charles Taylor, the then-leader of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), reportedly helped form the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) under a former Sierra Leone army corporal, Foday Sankoh. Sankoh had met Taylor in [[Libya]] in the 1980s, during [[guerrilla]] training, and the two men quickly established a relationship. In return for helping Sankoh, Taylor was rewarded with diamonds from Sierra Leone.  
  
On [[April 29]], [[1992]], a group of young military officers led by a 25-year old [[Captain]], [[Valentine Strasser]], apparently frustrated by the government failure to deal with rebels, launched a [[military coup]], which sent president Momoh into [[exile]] in [[Guinea]] and established the [[National Provisional Ruling Council]] (NPRC) with  [[Colonel]] [[Yahya Kanu]], as  its chairman. Kanu was [[Assassinated]] by unknown gunmen, shortly after he took office. Valentine Strasser eventually took over as the chairman of the NPRC.  On [[May 2]], Valentine Strasser arrested two senior officers under the APC Administration, after they were accused of organizing a counter [[coup]] against him; [[Major]] [[K. M. S. Dumbuya]] and [[Bambay Kamara]], Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police Forces under the Mommoh Administration . They were held at the Pademba Road [[prison]] in Freetown, and the two were [[allegedly]] [[executed]] under the command of [[vice president]],  [[Sergeant]] [[Solomon Musa]].
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On March 23, 1991, the RUF, led by Sankoh and backed by Taylor, crossed from Liberia and attacked villages in the Eastern Province. The government was unable to put up significant resistance. Within a month, the RUF controlled much of the Eastern Province. The rebels were quick to demonstrate their brutality toward the civilian population; the forced recruitment of [[child soldier]]s was also an early feature of the rebellion.
  
The NPRC proved to be nearly as ineffectual as the Momoh government in repelling the RUF. More and more of the country fell to RUF fighters, so that by 1995 they held much of the countryside and were on the doorsteps of the national capital [[Freetown]]. To retrieve the situation, NPRC hired several hundred mercenaries from the private firm [[Executive Outcomes]]. Within a month they had driven RUF fighters back to enclaves along Sierra Leone’s borders. In January 1996, after nearly four years in power, President Strasser was ousted in a coup led by his [[minister of defence]], [[Brigadier]] [[Julius Maada Bio]].
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On April 29, 1992, a group of young military officers led by Capt. Valentine Strasser, apparently frustrated by the government's failure to deal with the rebels, launched a military [[coup d’état|coup]], which sent President Momoh into exile in [[Guinea]] and established the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) with Col. Yahya Kanu as its chairman. Kanu was [[assassination|assassinated]] by unknown gunmen shortly after he took office. Strasser eventually took over as chairman of the NPRC.
 +
 +
The NPRC proved to be nearly as ineffectual as the Momoh government in repelling the RUF. More and more of the country fell to RUF fighters, so that by 1995 they held much of the countryside and were on the doorsteps of the capital. The NPRC hired several hundred mercenaries. Within a month they had driven the RUF back to enclaves along Sierra Leone’s borders.
  
Promises of a return to civilian rule were fulfilled by Bio, who handed power over to [[Ahmad Tejan Kabbah]], of the Sierra Leone People's party, after the conclusion of presidential elections in early 1996. Kabbah's government reached a cease-fire in the war with former [[Corporal]] [[Foday Sankoh]]-lead, [[Revolutionary United Front]] (RUF), which had launched its first attacks in 1991; rebel terror attacks continued, however, apparently aided by [[Liberia]].
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In January 1996, after nearly four years in power, President Strasser was ousted in a coup led by his minister of defense, Brigadier Julius Maada Bio. Promises of a return to civilian rule were fulfilled by Bio, who handed power over to Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, of the Sierra Leone People's Party, after presidential elections in early 1996. Kabbah's government reached a [[cease-fire]] in the war with RUF; rebel terror attacks continued, however, apparently aided by [[Liberia]].
  
On [[May 25]], [[1997]], a group of military officers lead by [[Major General]] [[Johnny Paul Koroma]] overthrew president Kabbah. They established the [[Armed Forces Revolutionary Council]](AFRC) with Major General Johnny Paul Koroma as  its leader. Koroma suspended the [[constitution]]; banned [[demonstrations]]; abolished [[political parties]]; shut down all of the country's private radio stations; and invited the [[RUF]] to join the government.
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On May 25, 1997, a group of military officers led by Maj. Gen. Johnny Paul Koroma overthrew Kabbah. They established the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC). Koroma suspended the constitution; banned demonstrations; abolished political parties; shut down all the country's private [[radio]] stations; and invited the RUF to join the government.
  
The United Nations imposed [[International sanctions|sanctions]] against the military government in October 1997, and the [[Economic Community of West African States]] (ECOWAS) sent in it forces led by [[Nigeria]]. Clashes between the rebels and Ecowas troops followed in the capital, forcing 12,000 Freetown residents to flee the capital. In February, 1998 Ecowas troops drove the rebels out of Freetown, and president Kabbah was returned to office on [[March 10]], [[1998]]. However, rebel forces remained firmly in control of the [[Northern Province]], the Kono diamond field, and areas along the Liberian border.
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The [[United Nations]] imposed sanctions against the military government in October 1997, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sent in its forces, led by [[Nigeria]]. Clashes between the rebels and ECOWAS troops in the capital forced 12,000 Freetown residents to flee. In February 1998, ECOWAS troops drove the rebels out of Freetown, and President Kabbah was returned to office on March 10, 1998. However, rebel forces remained firmly in control of the Northern Province, the Kono diamond field, and areas along the Liberian border.
  
In January, 1999 Over 6,000 people were killed in fighting between Ecowas troops and the rebels in the Western Area. In March, Nigeria announced it would withdraw its forces by May. A peace accord was signed in July between President Kabbah and Foday Sankoh, leader of the RUF. The agreement granted the rebels seats in a new government and forces a general [[amnesty]] from [[prosecution]]. The government had largely ceased functioning effectively, however, and at least half of its territory remained under rebel control.
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In January 1999, over 6,000 people were killed in fighting between ECOWAS troops and the rebels in the Western Area. In March, Nigeria announced it would withdraw its forces by May. A peace accord was signed in July between President Kabbah and Foday Sankoh, leader of the RUF. The agreement granted the rebels seats in a new government and a general amnesty from prosecution. The government had largely ceased functioning effectively, however, and at least half of its territory remained under rebel control.
  
In October, the [[United Nations]] agreed to send peacekeepers to help restore order and disarm the rebels. The first of the 6,000-member force began arriving in December, and the Security Council voted in February, 2000, to increase the UN forces to 11,000 (and subsequently to 13,000). In May, when nearly all Nigerian forces had left and UN forces were attempting to disarm the RUF in the [[Eastern province]], Sankoh's forces clashed with the UN troops, and some 500 peacekeepers were taken hostage as the peace accord effectively collapsed.
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In October, the United Nations agreed to send peacekeepers to help restore order and disarm the rebels. The first of the 6,000-member force began arriving in December, and the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]] voted in February 2000, to increase the UN forces to 11,000 (and subsequently to 13,000). In May, when nearly all Nigerian forces had left and UN forces were attempting to disarm the RUF in the Eastern Province, Sankoh's forces clashed with the UN troops and some 500 peacekeepers were taken hostage as the peace accord effectively collapsed.
  
An 800-member British force entered the country to secure Western Freetown and evacuate [[Europeans]]; some also acted in support of the forces fighting the RUF, including Koroma's AFRC group. After Sankoh was captured in Freetown, the hostages were gradually released by the RUF, but clashes between the UN forces and the RUF continued, and in July the [[West Side Boys]] &mdash; part of the AFRC &mdash; clashed with the peacekeepers. In the same month the [[UN Security Council]] placed a ban on the sale of rough [[diamonds]] from Sierra Leone in an attempt to undermine the funding of the RUF. In late August, senior RUF [[commander]] [[Sam Bockarie]] became head of the RUF; also, British troops training the Sierra Leone army were taken hostage by the West Side Boys, but were freed by a British raid in September (described in "Operation Certain Death" by Damien Lewis).
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An 800-member British force entered the country to secure Western Freetown and evacuate [[Europe]]ans; some also acted in support of the forces fighting the RUF, including Koroma's AFRC group. After Sankoh was captured in Freetown, the hostages were gradually released by the RUF, but clashes between the UN forces and the RUF continued, and in July the West Side Boys&mdash;part of the AFRC&mdash;clashed with the peacekeepers. In the same month, the UN Security Council placed a ban on the sale of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone in an attempt to undermine the funding of the RUF. In late August, senior RUF commander Sam Bockarie became head of the RUF; also, British troops training the Sierra Leone army were taken hostage by the West Side Boys but were freed by a British raid in September.
  
General elections scheduled for early 2001 were postponed, due to the insecurity caused by the civil war. In May, 2001, sanctions were imposed on [[Liberia]] because of its support for the [[rebels]], and UN peacekeepers began to make headway in disarming the various factions. Although disarmament of rebel and progovernment militias proceeded slowly and fighting continued to occur.
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General elections scheduled for early 2001 were postponed, due to the insecurity caused by the civil war. In May 2001, sanctions were imposed on [[Liberia]] because of its support for the rebels, and UN peacekeepers began to make headway in disarming the various factions. Disarmament of rebel and pro-government militias proceeded slowly and fighting continued to occur.
  
 
===End of civil war===
 
===End of civil war===
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By January 2002, most of the estimated 45,000 fighters had surrendered their weapons. As [[disarmament]] progressed, the government began to reassert its authority in formerly rebel-held areas. In a ceremony on January 18, 2002, President Kabbah declared the civil war officially over. An estimated two hundred thousand people were killed; a further two million people were displaced in neighboring countries; and thousands of people had their arms or legs hacked off by rebels by the time the war ended.
  
In January, 2002, most of the estimated 45,000 fighters had surrendered their weapons. As [[disarmament]] progressed, the government began to re-assert its authority in formerly rebel-held areas. By early 2002, most of the ex-combatants were disarmed and demobilized, although many still awaited re-integration assistance. In a [[ceremony]] on 18 January 2002, President Kabbah declared the civil war officially over. An estimated 200,000 people were killed; a further  2 million people  were  displaced in neighbouring countries; and thousands of people had their arms or legs hacked off by rebels.
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===Post civil war===
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Presidential and parliamentary elections were finally held in May 2002. President Kabbah was reelected, gaining 70 percent of the vote, and his Sierra Leone People's Party won a majority of the parliamentary seats.  
  
===Post civil war===
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The Sierra Leone government asked the [[United Nations]] to help set up a Special Court for Sierra Leone, which would try “those who bear the greatest responsibility” for the commission of [[war crimes]] and [[crimes against humanity]] during the [[civil war]]. On January 16, 2002, the UN and the government of Sierra Leone signed an agreement establishing the court.
Presidential and parliamentary elections were finally held in May, 2002. President Kabbah was re-elected, gaining 70% of the vote, and his [[Sierra Leone People's Party]] won a majority of the parliamentary seats.  
 
  
The Sierra Leone government asked the [[United Nations]] to help set up a Special Court for Sierra Leone, which would try those who "bear the greatest responsibility for the commission of [[war crimes]], and [[crime against humanity]], during the civil war. On [[January 16]], [[2002]], the UN and the Government of Sierra Leone signed an agreement establishing the Court in the national capital, Freetown.
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In March 2003 the Special Court for Sierra Leone issued its first indictments. Foday Sankoh, already in custody, was indicted, along with notorious RUF field commander Sam "Mosquito" Bockarie, and Johnny Paul Koroma, leader of the AFRC, among several others. On May 5, 2003, Bockarie was killed in [[Liberia]], allegedly on orders from President Charles Taylor, who feared Bockarie’s testimony before the Special Court. Johnny Paul Koroma was also rumored to have been killed, though his death remains unconfirmed. Two of the accused died while incarcerated. On March 25, 2006, with the election of Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, then-[[Nigeria]]n President Olusegun Obasanjo permitted transfer of Charles Taylor, who had been living in [[exile]] in the Nigerian coastal town of Calobar, to Sierra Leone for prosecution. Two days later, Taylor attempted to flee Nigeria, but he was apprehended by Nigerian authorities and transferred to Freetown under UN guard. Taylor is now being held in The Hague, where he awaits trial before the Special Court on 11 indictments of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
  
In [[March 2003]] the Special Court for Sierra Leone issued its first [[indictments]]. Foday Sankoh, already in [[custody]], was indicted, along with notorious RUF field commander Sam "Mosquito" Bockarie, Johnny Paul Koroma, leader of the AFRC, and [[Samuel Hinga Norman]], the Minister of Interior and former head of the [[Civil Defense Forces]] (commonly known as the [[Kamajors]]), and  among several others. Norman was arrested when the indictments were announced, while Bockarie and Koroma remained in hiding. On May 5, 2003 Bockarie was killed in Liberia, allegedly on orders from President Charles Taylor, who feared Bockarie’s testimony before the Special Court. Johnny Paul Koroma was also rumored to have been killed, though his death remains unconfirmed. Two of the accused, Foday Sankoh and Hinga Norman, have died while [[incarcerated]]. On March 25, 2006, with the election of Liberian President [[Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf]], Nigerian President [[Olusegun Obasanjo]] permitted transfer of Charles Taylor, who had been living in [[exile]] in the Nigerian coastal town of Calobar, to Sierra Leone for [[prosecution]]. Two days later, Taylor attempted to flee Nigeria, but he was apprehended by Nigerian authorities and transferred to Freetown under UN guard. Taylor is now being held in The Hague, where he awaits trial before the Special Court on 11 indictments of war crimes and crimes against humanity. His trial is scheduled to begin in June 2007.
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In a dramatic upset, Kabbah's chosen successor as president, Vice President Solomon Berewa, lost both the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2007 to the opposition All People's Congress (APC). The APC's candidate, Ernest Bai Koroma, was sworn in as the new president after being declared the winner of the runoff election by 54.6 percent to Berewa's 45.4 percent. Koroma is seen by observers as having benefited from the government's failure to deliver social services.
  
==Government and Politics==
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==Government and politics==
{{main|Politics of Sierra Leone}}<!--Please add new information into relevant articles of the series—>
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Sierra Leone is a constitutional republic with a directly elected president and a unicameral legislature. The president is the head of state, the head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The president appoints and heads a cabinet of ministers, which must be approved by the parliament. The president is elected by popular vote to a maximum of two five-year terms. The president's power is checked by the House of Representatives.  
Sierra Leone is a [[constitutional republic]] with a [[Direct democracy|directly elected]] president and a [[unicameral legislature]]. The President is the [[head of state]], the [[head of government]] and [[commander-in-chief]] of the [[Military of Sierra Leone|Armed Forces of Sierra Leone]]. The president appoints and heads a cabinet of ministers, which must be approved by the [[Parliament of Sierra Leone|Sierra Leonean parliament]] . The president is elected by [[popular vote]] to a maximum of two five-year terms (most recently in May 2002). The president power is checked by the [[House of Representatives]], a [[unicameral]] body called the Sierra Leonean parliament. The current president of Sierra Leone is [[Ahmad Tejan Kabbah|Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1061561.stm BBC country profile]</ref> The next parliamentary and presidential elections will take place on August 11, 2007.
 
  
The [[Parliament of Sierra Leone|Sierra Leonean parliament]] is [[unicameral]], with 124 seats. 112 members are elected concurrently with the presidential elections; the other twelve seats are filled by Paramount Chiefs from each of the country's twelve [[Districts of Sierra Leone|administrative districts]]. All members serve five-year terms. The parliament is currently dominated by the ruling [[Sierra Leone People's Party]] (SLPP).
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The parliament is unicameral, with 124 seats, of which 112 are elected concurrently with the presidential elections; the other 12 seats are filled by paramount chiefs from each of the country's 12 administrative districts. All members serve five-year terms.  
  
The Sierra Leone judicial system consists of the [[Supreme Court]], [[Court of Appeals]], [[High Court of Justice]], and magistrate courts. The president appoints and parliament approves justices for the three courts.
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The Sierra Leone judicial system consists of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, High Court of Justice, and magistrate courts. The president appoints and parliament approves justices for the three courts.
  
Local Government elections were held in 2004 (for the first time since 1972), electing 456 councillors sitting in nineteen local councils.
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Local elections were held in 2004 (for the first time since 1972), electing 456 councilors sitting in 19 local councils.
  
 
==Administrative divisions==
 
==Administrative divisions==
{{main|Provinces of Sierra Leone|Districts of Sierra Leone}}
 
 
The Republic of Sierra Leone is composed of three provinces and one area; the provinces are further divided into twelve districts.
 
The Republic of Sierra Leone is composed of three provinces and one area; the provinces are further divided into twelve districts.
 
{{columns |width=120px
 
{{columns |width=120px
 
|col1 =
 
|col1 =
 
'''Northern Province'''
 
'''Northern Province'''
* [[Port Loko District|Port Loko]]
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* Port Loko
* [[Bombali District|Bombali]]
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* Bombali
* [[Koinadugu District|Koinadugu]]
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* Koinadugu
* [[Kambia District|Kambia]]
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* Kambia
* [[Tonkolili District|Tonkolili]]
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* Tonkolili
 
|col2 =
 
|col2 =
 
'''Southern Province'''
 
'''Southern Province'''
* [[Bo District|Bo]]
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* Bo
* [[Bonthe District|Bonthe]]
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* Bonthe
* [[Moyamba District|Moyamba]]
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* Moyamba
* [[Pujehun District|Pujehun]]
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* Pujehun
 
|col3 =
 
|col3 =
 
'''Eastern Province'''
 
'''Eastern Province'''
* [[Kenema District|Kenema]]
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* Kenema
* [[Kono District|Kono]]
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* Kono
* [[Kailahun District|Kailahun]]
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* Kailahun
 
|co14 =
 
|co14 =
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
'''Western Area'''
 
'''Western Area'''
* The national capital [[Freetown]] and its surrounding [[countryside]]
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* The national capital Freetown and its surrounding countryside
  
 
====Major cities====
 
====Major cities====
Line 178: Line 204:
 
!City!!Population
 
!City!!Population
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Freetown]] ||1,070,200
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| Freetown ||1,070,200
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Bo, Sierra Leone|Bo]] ||472,919
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| Bo ||472,919
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Kenema]] ||254,539
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| Kenema ||254,539
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Koidu]] ||111,800
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| Koidu ||111,800
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Makeni]] ||105,900
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| Makeni ||105,900
  
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
Other major cities in the country include [[Kabala]], [[Port Loko]], [[Magburaka]], [[Waterloo, Sierra Leone|Waterloo]], [[Kailahun]], [[Bonthe]] and [[Kambia]].
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Other major cities in the country include Kabala, Port Loko, Magburaka, Waterloo, Kailahun, Bonthe and Kambia.
  
 
==Foreign relations==
 
==Foreign relations==
{{main|Foreign relations of Sierra Leone}}
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Sierra Leone is a member of the [[Economic Community of West African States]] (ECOWAS); the [[United Nations]]; the [[African Union]] (AU); and the Organization of Islamic Conference.
Sierra Leone is a member of the [[Economic Community of West African States]] (ECOWAS); the [[United Nations]]; the [[African Union]] (AU); and the [[Organisation of Islamic Conference]].
 
 
 
Sierra Leone, along with [[Liberia]], and [[Guinea]] formed the Manor River Union (MRU). The Manor River Union is primarily designed to implement development project and promote regional economic integration between the three nations.
 
  
Sierra Leone has maintained cordial relations with the west, in particular with former rulers, the [[United Kingdom]]. Sierra Leone also maintains diplomatic relations with  [[People's Republic of China|China]], [[Libya]], [[Iran]], and [[Cuba]].
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Sierra Leone, along with [[Liberia]] and [[Guinea]], formed the Manor River Union (MRU). The Manor River Union is primarily designed to implement development projects and promote regional economic integration among the three nations.
  
==Geography and Climate==
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Sierra Leone has maintained cordial relations with the West, in particular with former rulers, the [[United Kingdom]]. Sierra Leone also maintains diplomatic relations with [[China]], [[Libya]], [[Iran]], and [[Cuba]].
{{main|Geography of Sierra Leone}}
 
{{MapLibrary|Sierra_Leone_sat.png|Sierra Leone}}
 
Sierra Leone is located on the west coast of Africa, north of the [[equator]]. With a land area of 71,740 square kilometers (27,699 square miles). Sierra Leone is bordered by [[Guinea]] to the north and northeast, [[Liberia]] to the south and southeast, and the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the west.
 
 
 
There are a wide variety of [[ecological]] and agricultural zones to which people have adapted. Starting in the [[west]], Sierra Leone has some 400 kilometers (250 miles) of [[coastline]], giving it both bountiful marine resources and attractive [[tourist]] potential. This is followed by low-lying mangrove swamps, rain-forested plains and farmland, and finally a mountainous plateau in the east, where Mount Bintumani rises to 1,948 meters (6,390 ft). The [[climate]] is [[tropical]], with two seasons determining the agricultural cycle: the [[rainy season]] from May to November, followed by the [[dry season]] from December to May, which includes [[harmattan]], when cool, dry winds blow in off the [[Sahara Desert]]. The national capital [[Freetown]] sits on a coastal [[peninsula]], situated next to the Sierra Leone Harbor, the world's third largest natural harbor. This prime location historically made Sierra Leone the center of trade and colonial administration in the region
 
  
 
==Economy==
 
==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Sierra Leone}}
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Sierra Leone is an extremely poor nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. While it possesses substantial [[mineral]], [[agriculture|agricultural]], and [[fishery]] resources, its economic and social [[infrastructure]] is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development. Nearly half of the working-age population engages in [[subsistence agriculture]]. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Alluvial (surface) [[diamond]] [[mining]] remains the major source of hard currency earnings, accounting for nearly half of Sierra Leone's exports.
  
Sierra Leone is emerging from a protracted civil war and is showing signs of a successful transition. Investor and consumer confidence continue to rise, adding impetus to the country’s economic recovery. In addition to this there is greater freedom of movement and the successful rehabilitation and resettlement of residential areas. In 2001, Sierra Leone attracted US$4 million in foreign direct investment. The country has also enjoyed an improvement in the terms of trade as a result of the lower of international [[petroleum]] prices.  
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The fate of the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad, which is essential to offset the severe [[trade]] imbalance and supplement government revenues. A recent increase in political stability has led to a revival of economic activity, such as the rehabilitation of [[bauxite]] and [[rutile]] mining. Sierra Leone has one of the world's largest deposits of rutile. (Rutile is a major source of [[titanium]], a metal used for high-tech alloys because of its light weight, high strength, and resistance to [[corrosion]].)
  
Rich in minerals, Sierra Leone has relied on the mining sector in general, and [[diamonds]] in particular, for its economic base. In the 1970s and early 1980s, economic growth rate slowed because of a decline in the mining sector and increasing corruption among government officials. By the 1990s economic activity was declining and economic infrastructure had become seriously degraded. Over the next decade much of Sierra Leone’s formal economy was destroyed in the country’s civil war. Since the cessation of hostilities in January 2002, massive infusions of outside assistance have helped Sierra Leone begin to recover. Much of Sierra Leone’s recovery will depend on the success of the Government of Sierra Leone efforts to limit official [[corruption]], which many feel was the chief culprit for the country’s descent into civil war. A key indicator of success will be the effectiveness of government management of its diamond sector.  
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Much of Sierra Leone’s formal economy was destroyed in the country’s [[civil war]]. Since the cessation of hostilities in 2002, massive infusions of outside assistance have helped it begin to recover. Much of the recovery will depend on the success of efforts to limit official [[corruption]], which many feel was the chief culprit for the country’s descent into civil war. A key indicator of success is the effectiveness of government management of its [[diamond]] sector.  
  
About two-thirds of the population engages in subsistence [[agriculture]], which accounts for 52.5% of national income. The government is trying to increase food and cash crop production and upgrade small farmer skills. Also, the government works with several foreign donors to operate integrated rural development and agricultural projects.  
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Agriculture accounts for 52.5 percent of national income. The government is trying to increase food and cash crop production and upgrade small farmer skills.
  
Mineral exports remain Sierra Leone's principal foreign exchange earner. Sierra Leone is a major producer of gem-quality diamonds. Though rich in this resource, the country has historically struggled to manage its exploitation and [[export]]. Annual production estimates range between $250-300 million. However, not all of that passes through formal export channels, although formal exports have dramatically improved since the days of civil war. The balance is [[Smuggling|smuggled]], where it is possibly used for money [[laundering]] or financing illicit activities. Efforts to improve the management of the export trade have met with some success. In [[October 2000]], a UN-approved export certification system for exporting diamonds from Sierra Leone was put into place that led to a dramatic increase in legal exports. In [[2001]], the Government of Sierra Leone created a mining community development fund, which returns a portion of diamond export taxes to diamond mining communities. The fund was created to raise local communities' stake in the legal diamond trade.  
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[[Mineral]] exports remain Sierra Leone's principal foreign exchange earner. Sierra Leone is a major producer of gem-quality diamonds. Though rich in this resource, the country has historically struggled to manage its exploitation and export. Annual production estimates range between $250-300 million. However, not all of that passes through formal export channels, although formal exports have dramatically improved since the days of civil war. The balance is [[Smuggling|smuggled]], where it is possibly used for money [[laundering]] or financing illicit activities. Efforts to improve the management of the export trade have met with some success. In October 2000, a [[United Nations|UN]]-approved export certification system for exporting diamonds from Sierra Leone was put into place that led to a dramatic increase in legal exports. In 2001, the government created a mining community development fund, which returns a portion of diamond export taxes to diamond mining communities, to raise local communities' stake in the legal diamond trade.  
  
Sierra Leone has one of the world's largest deposits of [[rutile]], a [[titanium]] ore used as paint pigment and welding rod coatings. Sierra Rutile Limited, owned by a consortium of [[United States]] and European investors, began commercial mining operations near the city of [[Bonthe]], in the Southern Province, in early [[1979]]. Sierra Rutile was then the largest nonpetroleum United States investment in West Africa. The export of 88,000 tons realized $75 million in export earnings in 1990. The company and the Government of Sierra Leone concluded a new agreement on the terms of the company's concession in Sierra Leone in 1990. Rutile and [[bauxite]]] mining operations were suspended when rebels invaded the mining sites in [[1995]], but exports resumed in [[2005]].  
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Despite its successes and development, the Sierra Leone economy still faces some significant challenges. There is a high rate of [[unemployment]], particularly among the youth and ex-combatants. Authorities have been slow to implement reforms in the civil service, and the pace of the privatization program is also slacking.
  
Despite its successes and development, the Sierra Leone economy still faces some significant challenges. There is a high rate of unemployment particularly among the youth and ex-combatants. Authorities have been slow to implement reforms in the civil service and the pace of the privatisation programme is also slacking and donors have urged its advancement.  
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With other foreign investors hesitant to move in, the [[China|Chinese]] have done so eagerly and now are operating in every sector of the economy. The Chinese government donated a fisheries patrol boat.
  
 
===Currency of Sierra Leone===
 
===Currency of Sierra Leone===
Sierra Leone’s [[currency]] is the [[Leone]](Le). The central bank of the country is the [[Bank of Sierra Leone]] which is located in the national capital, Freetown. The bank is run by the bank president and executives. this year's elected president was Tolu Semocle Pratt. The central Bank objectives include:
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Sierra Leone’s currency is the Leone (Le). The [[central bank]] of the country is the Bank of Sierra Leone, which is located in the capital, Freetown. The Bank of Sierra Leone is a 100 percent state-owned corporate body.
* promotion of monetary stability and sound financial structure
 
* maintenance of the internal and external values of the Leone
 
* promotion of credit and exchange conditions
 
* issuance and distribution of notes and currency in the country
 
* conducive to balanced economy growth
 
* formulation and implementation of monetary policy
 
* banker and advisor to the Government in financial and economic matters
 
* management of domestic and foreign debt
 
* acting as custodian of the country’s reserve approved foreign exchange
 
* acting as banker to the Commercial Banks
 
* supervision and regulation of activities of commercial banks and other financial institutions
 
* administration of the operations of structural adjustment programmes where the bank has specific responsibilities
 
* diamond certification
 
  
the Bank of Sierra Leone is a 100 percent state-owned corporate body.
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==Demographics==
 +
Sierra Leone has an estimated population of just over six million people, the majority being children and youth. Freetown, the national capital and largest city, is the commercial and [[education]]al center of the country. Other major cities in the country include Bo, Kenema, Koidu, and Makeni.
  
Sierra Leone operates a floating exchange rate system and foreign currencies can be exchanged at any of the commercial banks, recognised foreign exchange [[bureaux]] and most hotels.
+
Although [[English language|English]] is the official [[language]] spoken in schools and government administration, Krio (a language derived from English and several African languages and native to the Sierra Leone Krio people), is the de facto national language spoken throughout the country. It is widely spoken among all the [[tribe]]s in Sierra Leone.  
  
[[Credit Card]] use is limited in Sierra Leone, though they may be utilised at some hotels and restaurants, for which visitors should check in advance with local managements. Sierra Leone does not have internationally linked [[Automated teller machine|ATM]] machines.
+
===Ethnicity===
 
+
The population of Sierra Leone is comprised of about 16 [[ethnic group]]s; each with its own language and customs, the two largest of these being the Mende and Temne, about equal in numbers and representing 60 percent of the country's population. The Mende predominate in the Southern Province, the Temne in the Northern Province. The third largest ethnic group is the Limba, representing about 9.5 percent of the population. Like the Temne, the Limba are mostly found in the Northern Province. The Krios (descendants of freed slaves who came to Freetown from the [[West Indies]], [[North America]], and [[United Kingdom|Britain]]) make up 3 percent of the population, but their language is spoken throughout Sierra Leone. Most Krios live in the Western Area, particularly Freetown. Other minority ethnic groups in the country include the Sherbro, Kuranko, Mandinka, Kissi, Loko, Fula, Kono, Susu, Yalunka, and Vai. About 2 percent of Sierra Leoneans are of [[Nigeria]]n or Lebanese descent; the ancestors of the latter fled [[Lebanon]] in the late nineteenth century.
Travellers Cheques may be utilised at major hotels or cashed at banks and at a few limited shop outlets.
 
  
Currency Exchange: It is important that Sierra Leone exchange regulations be observed. For example, it is illegal to exchange money with unlicensed money dealers. All transactions may only made at banks or recognised foreign exchange bureaux.
+
===Life expectancy===
 +
The average life expectancy at birth of a Sierra Leonean is 38 years for males and 43 years for females. Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, nearly 200 times higher than in developed countries, according to the [[United Nations]] children’s agency [[UNICEF]]. The country, which is still recovering from [[war]], ranks second to the last on the UN Human Development Index, just above [[Niger]]—a [[desert]] country with far fewer resources than [[diamond]]- and [[gold]]-rich Sierra Leone.  
  
==Demographics==
+
Furthermore, one in six babies dies at birth. "These figures are driven by a fatal mix of poverty, ignorance, and poor health provision," said Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF; known in English as [[Doctors Without Borders]]) in its report released in 2007.
{{main|Demographics of Sierra Leone}}
 
 
 
Sierra Leone has an estimated population of  just  over six million people, the majority being children and [[youth]]. Freetown, the national capital and largest city, is the commercial and educational center of the country. Other major cities in the country include Bo, Kenema, Koidu and Makeni.
 
 
 
Although [[English language|English]] is the official language spoken in schools and government administration, [[Krio]] (language derived from English and several African languages and is native to the [[Sierra Leone Krio people]]), is the [[de facto]] [[national language]] spoken throughout the country.  The Krio language is widely spoken among all the tribes in Sierra Leone.
 
 
 
===Ethnicity===
 
The population of Sierra Leone comprises about  sixteen [[ethnic groups]]; each with its own language and customs, the two largest of these being the [[Mende people|Mende]] and [[Temne people|Temne]], about equal in numbers representing 60% of the country's population.<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/14/show_country.asp?name=Sierra+Leone Languages]</ref> The Mende predominates in the [[Southern Province, Sierra Leone|Southern Province]], the Temne likewise to the [[Northern Province, Sierra Leone|Northern Province]]. The third largest ethnic group is the [[Limba people (Sierra Leone)|Limba]], representing about 9.5% of the population. Like the Temne, the Limba are mostly found in the Northern Province. The [[Sierra Leone Krio people|Krio]]s (Descendants of freed slaves who came to Freetown from the [[West Indies]], [[North America]] and [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Britain]]) make up 3% of the population, but their language is the national [[Lingua Franca]] spoken throughout Sierra Leone. Most Krios live in the [[Western Area]], particularly the national capital, Freetown. Other minority ethnic groups in the country include the [[Sherbro people|Sherbro]],  [[Kuranko people|Kuranko]], [[Mandinka people|Mandinka]], [[Kissi]], [[Loko people|Loko]], [[Fula]], [[Kono]], [[Susu people|Susu]], [[Yalunka people|Yalunka]], and [[Vai (ethnic group)|Vai]]. About 2% of Sierra Leoneans are of [[Nigerian]], or [[Lebanese]] descent, whose [[ancestors]] fled Lebanon in the late [[nineteenth century]].
 
  
 
==Education==
 
==Education==
Sierra Leone has an education system with six years of [[primary school]] (grade 1-6), and six years of [[secondary school]] (grade 7-12); secondary schools are further divided into Junior secondary school (grade 7-9) and Senior secondary school (grade 10-12). Education in Sierra Leone is offered in [[private schools]] and government-sponsored [[public schools]]. Primary schools usually start from ages 6 to 12, and secondary schools usually start from 13 years and above.  
+
Sierra Leone has an [[education]] system with six years of primary school (grades 1–6), and six years of secondary school (grades 7–12); secondary schools are further divided into junior secondary school (grades 7–9) and senior secondary school (grades 10–12). Education in Sierra Leone is offered in [[private school]]s and government-sponsored public schools. Primary schools usually start from ages 6 to 12, and secondary schools usually start from 13 years and above.  
  
The country's two main Universities are the [[Fourah Bay College]] in Freetown, founded in [[1827]], and [[Njala University college|Njala University]] in [[Njala]], and Bo, founded in [[1963]]. Technical institutes, several vocational schools, and trade centres, are available throughout the country.
+
The country's two main [[university|universities]] are Fourah Bay College in Freetown, founded in 1827, and Njala University, founded in 1963. Fourah Bay, established to train missionaries and teachers, is the oldest university in sub-Saharan Africa. Technical institutes and vocational schools are available throughout the country.
  
 
==Religion==
 
==Religion==
[[Approximately]] 60% of Sierra Leoneans are [[Muslim]]; 30% are [[Christian]]; 10% adhere to their ethno-cultural [[religions]] and faiths.<ref name="WorldFactBook"/>
+
The majority of Sierra Leoneans are [[Muslim]]. According to the International Religious Freedom Report 2007, pproximately 60 percent are Muslim; 20 to 30 percent are [[Christian]], and 5 to 10 percent practice indigenous and other religious beliefs. There are small numbers of [[Baha'i]]s, [[Hindu]]s, and [[Jew]]s.<ref>[http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2007/90119.htm Sierra Leone; International Religious Freedom Report 2007] U.S. Department of State. Retrieved October 22, 2013.</ref>
  
The Sierra Leone constitution provides [[freedom of religion]] and the government generally protects this right, and does not tolerate its abuse.
+
The Sierra Leone constitution provides [[freedom of religion]] and the government generally protects this right and does not tolerate its abuse.
  
 
Unlike many other countries, the religious and tribal mix of Sierra Leone rarely causes religious or tribal conflict.
 
Unlike many other countries, the religious and tribal mix of Sierra Leone rarely causes religious or tribal conflict.
  
 
==Environment==
 
==Environment==
Logging, mining, and [[slash and burn]], [[deforestation]] for alternative land use - such as cattle grazing - have produced a dramatic decrease of forested land in Sierra Leone since the 1980s.
+
[[Logging]], [[mining]], and [[slash and burn]], [[deforestation]] for alternative land use—such as [[cattle]] grazing—have produced a dramatic decrease of [[forest]]ed land in Sierra Leone since the 1980s.
  
Until 2002, Sierra Leone lacked a forest management system due to a brutal civil war that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. On paper, 55 protected areas covered 4.5 percent of Sierra Leone as of 2003. The country has 2,090 known [[species]] of higher plants, 147 [[mammals]], 626 birds, 67 [[reptiles]], 35 [[amphibians]], and 99 fish species.
+
Until 2002, Sierra Leone lacked a forest management system due to a brutal [[civil war]] that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. On paper, 55 protected areas covered 4.5 percent of Sierra Leone as of 2003. The country has 2,090 known [[species]] of higher [[plant]]s, 147 [[mammal]]s, 626 [[bird]]s, 67 [[reptile]]s, 35 [[amphibian]]s, and 99 [[fish]] species.
  
In June 2005, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Bird-life International agreed to support a conservation-sustainable development project in the Gola Forest in southeastern Sierra Leone, the most important surviving fragment of rainforest in Sierra Leone.
+
In June 2005, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Bird-life International agreed to support a [[conservation]]-sustainable development project in the Gola Forest in southeastern Sierra Leone, the most important surviving fragment of [[rainforest]] in Sierra Leone.
  
 
Deforestation rates have increased 7.3 percent since the end of the civil war.
 
Deforestation rates have increased 7.3 percent since the end of the civil war.
  
 
==Media==
 
==Media==
{{main|Media in Sierra Leone}}
+
The Sierra Leone constitution guarantees [[freedom of speech]], and [[freedom of the press]]; however, the government at times restricts these rights in practice. Dozens of [[newspaper]]s are published in the country; most of them are privately run and are often critical of the government. Under legislation enacted in 1980, all newspapers must register with the Ministry of Information and pay a sizable registration fee.
  
The Sierra Leone constitution guarantees [[freedom of speech]], and [[freedom of the press]]; however, the government at times restricts these rights in practice. Dozens of [[newspapers]] are published in the country, most of them are privately run and are often critical of the government.
+
All major cities in the country run their own [[radio]] stations. Inaugurated in 1963, The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service is the government-run station in charge of [[television]] and radio broadcasting in the country. The UN Mission in Sierra Leone operates radio services, broadcasting news of UN activities and [[human rights]] information, as well as [[music]] and [[news]]. Radio Sierra Leone, the oldest broadcasting service in [[English language|English]]-speaking [[West Africa]], broadcasts mainly in English, with regular news and discussion programs on several topics.
  
Under legislation enacted in 1980, all newspapers must register with the Ministry of Information and pay a sizable registration fees.
+
===Sports===
 +
[[Soccer]] is by far the most popular [[sport]] in Sierra Leone. [[Cricket]], [[basketball]], [[table tennis]], [[volleyball]], [[tennis]], [[boxing]], and [[track and field]] are also popular in the country.
  
All major cities in the country run their own [[radio stations]]. Inaugurated in 1963, The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service(SLBS) is the government-run station in charge of television and radio broadcasting in the country. The UN Mission in Sierra Leone (Unomsil) operates radio services, broadcasting news of [[UN]] activities and human rights information, as well as music and news. FM relays of [[BBC World Service]] and [[Radio France Internationale]] are on the air in [[Freetown]]. Radio Sierra Leone, the oldest broadcasting service in English-speaking West Africa, broadcasts mainly in English, with regular news and discussion programs on several topics.
+
==Sierra Leone in literature==
 +
Several [[Hollywood]] [[film]]s have been produced that relate to Sierra Leone. [[Steven Spielberg]]’s film ''Amistad'' (1997) is about an 1839 [[mutiny]] aboard a [[slave]] ship that was traveling toward the northeast coast of America. Edward Zwick’s film ''Blood Diamond'' (2006) is about [[diamond]]s mined in Sierra Leone, [[Angola]], and [[Congo]], and sold in major diamond cutting centers to finance (and prolong) armed conflicts in Africa. The film is centered in Sierra Leone and portrays many of the atrocities, including the practice of cutting off people's limbs to spread fear and insecurity in the countryside and to gain control over the diamond, [[gold]], [[bauxite]], and [[rutile]] [[mining]] areas.  
  
==Sport==
+
In literature, Sierra Leone is the setting for [[Graham Greene]]'s classic novel ''The Heart of the Matter,'' which deals with diamond [[smuggling]] during [[World War II]]. Since the rebel incursion in the early 1990s, a number of books have been written about the "diamonds or minerals for weapons" trade. Writers of note include Ishmael Beah ''(A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier)'', Abioseh Nicol ''(The Truly Married Woman And Other Stories)'', Robert Wellesley Cole ''(Kossoh Town Boy)'', Syl Cheney-Coker ''(The Last Harmattan of Alusine Dunbar)'', William Conton ''(Kissimi Kamara)'', Amadu Yullisa Maddy ''(No Past, No Present, No Future)'', and Sheikh Gibril Kamara ''(The Spirit of Badenia)''.
{{main|Sport in Sierra Leone}}
 
[[Football (soccer)|Football]] is by far the most popular sport in Sierra Leone. [[Cricket]], [[basketball]], [[table tennis]], [[volleyball]], [[tennis]], [[boxing]] and [[Athletics (track and field)|track]] are also popular in the country.
 
  
===Football in Sierra Leone===
+
Hugh Paxton's novel ''Homunculus'' juxtaposes the realities of the [[war]] in Sierra Leone with a fantasy of the exploitation of the war for the trade in blood diamonds and for the testing, demonstration, and sale by auction of bio-weapons to a select clientele of international arms dealers and mercenaries.
{{Main|Football in Sierra Leone}}
 
[[Football]] (soccer) is by far the most popular sport in Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone national football team popularly known as the [[Leone Stars]], represents the country in international football competitions. The team has never qualified for the [[FIFA World Cup]] but they have participated in the [[1994 African Cup of Nations|1994]] and [[1996 African Cup of Nations]].  
 
  
The [[Sierra Leone National Premier League]] is the top football league in Sierra Leone. The league is controlled by the [[Sierra Leone Football Association]]. [[East End Lions]] and [[Mighty Blackpool]] are the two biggest and most successful football clubs in the country, but [[Kallon F.C.]] is closing in on them. [[Kallon F.C.]] won the Premier League and the [[Sierra Leonean FA Cup]] in 2006, and eliminated 2006 [[Nigerian Premier League]] Champions [[Ocean Boys FC]] in the 2007 [[CAF Champions League]] first qualifying round, but later lost to [[ASEC Mimosas]] of [[Ivory Coast]] in the second qualifying round for the group stage.
+
==Notes==
 
+
<references/>
The Sierra Leone U-17 football team [[nickname]] the Sierra Stars finished as runner-up at the 2003 African U-17 Championship in [[Swaziland]], but came in last place in their group at the [[2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship]] in [[Finland]].
 
 
 
===Cricket in Sierra Leone===
 
{{main|Sierra Leone national cricket team}}
 
The [[Sierra Leone cricket team]] represents Sierra Leone in international cricket competitions, and  is among the best in [[West Africa]]. They became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council in 2002. [1] They made their international debut at the 2004 African Affiliates Championship, where they finished last out of the eight teams. They returned at the equivalent tournament in 2006, Division Three of the African region of the World Cricket League, where they had a major improvement, this time finishing as [[runners-up]] to [[Mozambique]], and only just missing out on promotion to Division Two.
 
 
 
===Basketball in Sierra Leone===
 
{{main|Sierra Leone national basketball team}}
 
The Sierra Leone national basketball team represents Sierra Leone in international men's [[basketball]] competitions and is controlled by the [[Sierra Leone Basketball Federation]]. The squad is mostly home-based, with a few foreign-based players.
 
 
 
==Sierra Leone in Literature==
 
[[Image:ahomunccovercartoon.jpg|thumb| Homunculus cover illustration by Dudley Vine]]
 
Two major Hollywood films have so far been produced that relate to Sierra Leone. [[Steven Spielberg]]’s Film "[[Amistad (1997 film)|Amistad]]" (1997 with [[Morgan Freeman]], Sir Anthony Hopkins, Mathew McCounaghey) is about a 1839 mutiny aboard a slave ship that was travelling towards the Northeast Coast of America. But much of the plot revolves around the court-room drama that lead to the historic supreme court decision recognizing the captives rights to freedom. The heroic role of  [[Sengbe Pieh]] (Cinque), who organized and lead the revolt was virtually marginalized. [[Edward Zwick]]’s film [[Blood Diamond]] (2006 [[Leonardo DiCaprio]], Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou) is about [[conflict diamonds]] mined in Sierra Leone, [[Angola]] and [[Congo]] and sold in major diamond cutting centers – [[Antwerp]], [[Tel Aviv]] and [[Mumbai]] – to finance (and prolong) armed conflicts in Africa. The film is centered in Sierra Leone and portrays many of the atrocities including the practice of cutting off people's limbs to spread fear and insecurity in the country side and to gain control over the diamond, gold, bauxite and rutile  mining areas. But the action is focused mostly on Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), a white mercenary from Rhodesia ([[Zimbabwe]]), who trades arms for diamonds with an [[RUF]] commander (Corporal Foday Sankoh) and Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), and an American journalist covering the war and investigating the illegal diamond trade. The role of De Beers Group, which is the major player in the diamond trade, was bracketed out . It has been suggested that the company pressured the producers of the film to include a disclaimer saying the events are fictional and in the past - De Beers has denied this. This film and the Nollywood Video films (Nigerian Productions) on Blood Diamonds have establish Sierra Leone as the [[Blood Diamond]] Country in the minds of people all over the world.
 
 
 
In Literature, Sierra Leone is the setting for [[Graham Greene]]'s classic novel [[The Heart of the Matter]], which deals with diamond smuggling during [[World War II]]. Since the rebel incursion in the early 1990s a number of books have written about the "diamonds or minerals for weapons" trade - including Hugh Paxton's horror/action novel. Other Sierra Leone writers of note include [[Ishmael Beah]] ("A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier"), Abioseh Nicol ([["The Truly Married Woman And Other Stories"]]), Robert Wellesley Cole ([["Kossoh Town Boy"]]), Syl Cheney-Coker ([["The Last Harmattan of Alusine Dunbar"]]), William Conton ([["Kissimi Kamara"]]), Amadu Yullisa Maddy ([["No Past, No Present, No Future"]]) and Sheikh Gibril Kamara ([["The Spirit of Badenia]]).
 
 
 
Hugh Paxton's novel [[Homunculus]]<ref>first published in hardback ISBN 978-0230000490 by Macmillan UK in October 2006 and now available in paperback (March 2007), ISBN 978-0230007369</ref> juxtaposes the realities of the war in Sierra Leone with a fantasy of the exploitation of the war for the trade in [[blood diamonds]] and for the testing, demonstration and sale by auction of bio-weapons to a select clientele of international arms dealers and [[mercenaries]].
 
 
 
==Sierra Leone Bibliography - A Selection==
 
Sierra Leone Bibliography – A Selection
 
# Abraham, Arthur; Mende Government and Politics under Colonial Rule, Freetown and London, 1978.
 
# Abraham, Arthur, "Cultural Policy in Sierra Leone," UNESCO, c1978.
 
# Abraham, Arthur, "Sengbe Pieh: A Neglected Hero?", Journal of the Historical Society of Sierra Leone, II (2), 1978.
 
# Abraham, Arthur, "Topics in Sierra Leone History : A Counter-Colonial Interpretation," Leone Publishers [Sierra Leone], c.1976.
 
# Bah, M. Alpha, "Fulbe Migration in Sierra Leone: A Case History of Twentieth-Century Migration and Settlement Among the Kissi of Koindu," Peter Lang Publishing [New York], 1998.
 
# Berger, Daniel; In the Land of Magic Soldiers: A Story of White and Black in West Africa, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003.
 
# Blyden, Nemata Amelia, "In Her Majesty's Service: West Indians in British Colonial Government, Sierra Leone, 1808-1880: Race, Class and Ethnicity in a British West African Colony."
 
# Clarke, J.I., Nelson, S.J.A. and Swindell, K.; Sierra Leone in Maps, London, 1966.
 
# Cole, Bernadette; Mass Media, Freedom And Democracy In Sierra Leone, Freetown, 1995,.
 
# Conteh-Morgan, Earl and Dixon-Fyle, Mac "Sierra Leone at the End of the Twentieth Century: History, Politics and Society", Peter Lang Publishing [New York], 1999.
 
# Cox-George, N. A., "Finance and Development in West Africa: The Sierra Leone Experience," D. Dobson [London], 1961.
 
# Foray, Cyril P., "Historical Dictionary of Sierra Leone," the Scarecrow Press [Metuchen, N.J. and London], 1977.
 
# Forna, Aminatta; The Devil that danced on the Water: A daughter’s memoir. London, 2002.
 
# Fyfe, Christopher, "A History of Sierra Leone," Cambridge University Press, 1962; Oxford University Press [London], 1962. (Reprint edition Gregg International Publications, 1993.)
 
# Fyle, Christopher; Sierra Leone Inheritance, London, 1964.
 
# Fyfe, Christopher, "Africanus Horton, 1835-1883 : West African Scientist and Patriot," Aldershot, Hampshire, 1992.
 
# Gberie, Lansana, Smillie, Ian and Hazleton, Ralph; The Heart of the Matter: Sierra Leone, Diamonds and Human Society“, A Study published by Partnership Africa Canada in January 2000.
 
# Global Witness, Conflict Diamonds, Possibilities for the Identification, Certification and Control of Diamonds, A briefing document by Global Witness June, 2000.
 
# Hirsch; John L; Sierra Leone: Diamonds and the Struggle for Democracy , Lynne Rienner Pub (1. Dezember 2000).
 
# Jalloh, Alusine, "African Entrepreneurship: Muslim Fula Merchants in Sierra Leone (Monographs in International Studies, Africa Series, No. 71)," Ohio University Center for International Studies, 1999.
 
# Jalloh, S Balimo, Sierra Leone, Länderbericht, Bergisch Gladbach, 1991.
 
# Jalloh, S Balimo: (1) Conflicts, Resources and Social Instability in Subsahara Africa – The Sierra Leone Case; in Internationasles Afrikaforum, 37. Jg. 2/2001, Pages 166-180. (2) Subsahara Africa – Trade Expansion Through Countertrade, in: Internationales Afrikaforum, 31 Jahrgang, Heft 4/1995, S. 365 –374 (Article) und in: UNCTAD-Bulletin 1995: 365-375.
 
# Jones, Durosimi Eldred, Othellos Countrymen, Oxford University Press, 1965.
 
# Jones, Durosimi Eldred Eustace Palmer, African Litterature Today Africa World Press – London, 1995.
 
# Jones, Howard, "Mutiny on the Amistad: The Saga of a Slave Revolt and its Impact on American Abolition, Law and Diplomacy," Oxford University Press [New York], 1986.
 
# Kabba, Muctaru, (Editor); Sierra Leonean Heroes, Fifty Great Men and Women who helped to Build Our Nation, Freetown, 1988.
 
# Koroma, Abdul K. Sierra Leone – The Agony of a Nation, Andromeda Publications, Freetown, 1996.
 
# Kpundeh, Sahr John, "Politics and Corruption in Africa: A Case Study of Sierra Leone," University Press of America [Lanham, Md.].
 
# Lewis, Damien, "Operation Certain Death - The Inside Story of the SAS'S Greatest Battle," Arrow Books, 2005.
 
# Nicol, Davidson, Regionalism and the New International Economic Order; UNITAR-CEESTEM-Club of Rome conference at the United Nations, Pergamon Press, 1981.
 
# William Reno, Corruption and State Politics in Sierra Leone, The African Studies Centre, Cambridge University Press, 1995.
 
# Paul Richards; Fighting for the Rain Forest – War Youth & Resources in Sierra Leone, The International African Institute, James Currey Publishers, London, 1996.
 
# Sawyerr, Harry, "God, Ancestor or Creator? Aspects of Traditional Belief in Ghana, Nigeria & Sierra Leone," Harlow, Longmans, 1970.
 
# Turay, Harry; Land Tenure Systems in Sierra Leone, unpublished project report, Njala University College, 1980.
 
# H.L. van der Laan, The Sierra Leone Diamonds, An Economic Study covering the years 1952-1961, Oxford, 1965.
 
# Wyse, Akintola J.G. and Deveneaux, Gustav H.K.; The Sierra Leone-German connection, 1787-1987, An Overview, Published by The German Embassy in Freetown, 190093.
 
# Wyse, Akintola J. G., "H. C. Bankole-Bright and Politics in Colonial Sierra Leone, 1919-1958" (African Studies Series), Cambridge University Press [Cambridge, Eng. and New York], 1990.
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
<references/>
+
* Cutter, Charles. ''Africa,'' 41st ed. Harpers Ferry, WV: Stryker-Post Publications, 2006. ISBN 1887985727
 +
* Iliffe, John. ''Africans: The History of a Continent.'' New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995. ISBN 0521484227
 +
* Jackson, Michael. ''In Sierra Leone.'' Durham: Duke University Press, 2004. ISBN 0822333015
 +
* Kaplan, Irving. ''Area Handbook for Sierra Leone.'' Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1976.
 +
* Levert, Suzanne. ''Cultures of the World: Sierra Leone.'' New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2007. ISBN 0761423346
 +
* Maier, Karl. ''Into the House of the Ancestors: Inside the New Africa.'' New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1998. ISBN 0471295833
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
* [http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1016.html US Department of State travel information]
+
All links retrieved September 17, 2015.
* [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2003/23750.htm US Department of State International Religious Freedom Report 2003]
+
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sl.html CIA World Factbook: Sierra Leone]  
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sl.html CIA World Factbook - Sierra Leone]
+
* [http://www.state.gov/p/af/ci/sl/ U.S. Department of State: Sierra Leone]
; Government
+
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1061561.stm BBC News Country Profile: Sierra Leone]
* [http://www.statehouse-sl.org/ The Republic of Sierra Leone] official government site
 
  
; News
+
{{Countries of Africa}}
* [http://allafrica.com/sierraleone/ allAfrica.com - ''Sierra Leone''] news headline links
+
{{Member states of the African Union}}
* [http://www.focus-on-sierra-leone.co.uk/SLHC_Comment_on_latest_judgement.htm - ''www.focus-on-sierra-leone.co.uk''] - On 20 March 2001, the Government of Sierra Leone submitted a ‘without notice’ application to the Chancery Division of the High Court in London and obtained an order to freeze the accounts of one Edward Davenport.
 
  
; Overviews
+
{{Credit|137543730}}
* [http://dmoz.org/Regional/Africa/Sierra_Leone Open Directory Project - ''Sierra Leone''] directory category
 
  
; Discussion
+
[[Category:Geography]]
* [http://www.sierraleone.com  SierraLeone.com] discussion forum
+
[[Category:Countries]]
* [http://www.enciss-sl.org/ Enhancing the Interaction and Interface between Civil Society and the State to Improve Poor Peoples Lives] ENCISS website
 
* [http://forum.visitsierraleone.org 'Visit Sierra Leone - Travel and Business Advice Forum']
 
 
 
; Blogs
 
* [http://blogs.visitsierraleone.org 'Visit Sierra Leone Blog']
 
* [http://www.switsalone.blogspot.com 'Sweet Sierra Leone Blog']
 
* [http://www.livefromfreetown.com 'Live From Freetown, Sierra Leone']
 
 
 
; Tourism
 
* {{wikitravel}}
 
* [http://www.welcometosierraleone.org/ National Tourist Board of Sierra Leone] official site
 
* [http://www.visitsierraleone.org Visit Sierra Leone] Travel and Tourism information
 
 
 
; Other
 
* [http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/freeworld/2003/countryratings/sierra-leone.htm Dossier about Sierra Leone from Freedomhouse.org]
 
* [http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/country?iso=sle Refugee matters in Sierra Leone - UNHCR information portal]
 
* [http://www.leonedirect.com Sierra Leone Business Directory]
 
* [http://www.daco-sl.org/encyclopedia/ Sierra Leone Encyclopedia 2006]
 
* [http://www.sierra-leone.org Sierra Leone Web]
 
* [http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/unamsil/body_unamsil.htm UNAMSIL]
 
* [http://www.guinea.aha.ru/sierra_leone.htm Mineral resources of Sierra Leone]
 
* [http://www.sc-sl.org War Crimes Trials in Sierra Leone]
 
 
 
==Culture==
 
 
 
* Black composer, father from Sierra Leone:  [[Samuel Coleridge-Taylor]]
 
{{Countries of Africa}}
 
{{Member states of the African Union}}
 
{{Niger-Congo-speaking}}
 
{{Commonwealth of Nations}}
 
<!--Categories—>
 
[[Category:Nations and Places]]
 
 
[[Category:Africa]]
 
[[Category:Africa]]
[[Category:African nations]]
 
{{Credit|137543730}}
 

Revision as of 16:52, 17 September 2015

Sierra Leone
Republic of Sierra Leone
Flag of Sierra Leone Coat of Arms of Sierra Leone
Motto"Unity, Freedom, Justice"
Anthem: High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free
Location of Sierra Leone
Capital
(and largest city)
Freetown
8°29.067′N 13°14.067′W
Official languages English
Demonym Sierra Leonean
Government Unitary presidential Constitutional republic
 -  President Ernest Bai Koroma (APC)
 -  Vice President Alhaji Samuel Sam-Sumana (APC)
 -  Speaker of Parliament Abel Nathaniel Bankole Stronge (APC)
 -  Chief Justice Haja Umu Hawa Tejan-Jalloh
Legislature House of Parliament of Sierra Leone
Independence
 -  from the United Kingdom 27 April 1961 
 -  Republic declared 19 April 1971 
Area
 -  Total 71,740 km² (119th)
27,699 sq mi 
 -  Water (%) 1.1
Population
 -  July 2011 estimate between 5.4 and 6.4 million [1] [2][3] (113th[3])
 -  Density 79.4/km² (114th1)
205.6/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2009 estimate
 -  Total $4.585 billion[4] 
 -  Per capita $759[4] 
GDP (nominal) 2009 estimate
 -  Total $1.877 billion[4] 
 -  Per capita $311[4] 
Gini (2003) 62.9 (high
Currency Leone (SLL)
Time zone GMT (UTC+0)
Internet TLD .sl
Calling code +232
1 Rank based on 2007 figures.

Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. The name Sierra Leone was adapted from the Portuguese name for the country: Serra Leoa. The literal meaning is "Lioness Mountains." During the 1700s Sierra Leone was an important center of the transatlantic slave trade. The capital Freetown was founded in 1787 as a home for enslaved Africans who had fought for the British in the American War of Independence.

From 1991 to 2002, the country suffered greatly under the devastating effects of rebel incursions. To end rebel activities, UN and British forces disarmed 17,000 militia and rebels in the largest UN peacekeeping act of the decade. While the fighting has ended, Sierra Leone remains impoverished. Though it is rich in mineral resources, there are wide disparities in wealth distribution.

Geography

Satellite image of Sierra Leone, generated from raster graphics data supplied by The Map Library

Sierra Leone is located on the west coast of Africa, north of the equator. With a land area of 27,699 sq. mi (71,740 sq km), Sierra Leone is bordered by Guinea to the north and northeast, Liberia to the south and southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

There are a wide variety of ecological and agricultural zones to which people have adapted. Starting in the west, Sierra Leone has some 250 miles (400 km) of coastline, giving it both bountiful marine resources and attractive tourist potential. This is followed by low-lying dense mangrove swamps, rainforested plains and farmland, and finally a mountainous plateau in the east, where Mount Bintumani rises to 6,390 feet (1,948 m).

Climate

The climate is tropical—hot and humid—with two seasons determining the agricultural cycle: the rainy season from May to November, followed by the dry season from December to May, which includes harmattan, when cool, dry winds blow in off the Sahara Desert. The national capital Freetown sits on a coastal peninsula, situated next to Sierra Leone Harbor, the world's third largest natural harbor. This prime location historically made Sierra Leone the center of trade and colonial administration in the region.

History

Early history

Archaeological findings show that Sierra Leone has been inhabited for thousands of years. Traditional historiography has customarily presented it as peopled by successive waves of invaders; but the language pattern suggests that the coastal Bulom (Sherbro), Temne, and Limba have been in continuous settled occupation for a long time, with subsequent sporadic immigration from inland by Mande-speaking peoples, including Vai, Loko, and Mende. They organized themselves in small political units—independent kingdoms or chiefdoms—whose rulers' powers were checked by councils. Secret societies, notably the Poro secret society, also exercised political power as well as affected the customs of the country.

Portuguese explorer Pedro de Cintra, who visited in 1460, gave the name Serra Lyoa (Lioness Mountains), later changed to Sierra Leone by the British. From the fifteenth century onward, European traders congregated near the site of present-day Freetown, under the protection of African rulers, who welcomed them for the commercial opportunities they provided, exchanging imported manufactured goods for ivory and slaves to be employed across the Atlantic.

After the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) ended the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714), Spain ceded Gibraltar, Minorca, and Nova Scotia to the British and agreed to give Britain the Asiento, a valuable exclusive contract for the sea-transport of enslaved Africans to North America and the Caribbean islands. Queen Anne's government (1702–1714) sold the exclusive rights to the South Sea Company to cover the costs of its participation in the war.

During the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) enslaved Africans were promised freedom if they sided with the British and many did. A group of freed slaves arrived in Sierra Leone in 1787 to form a settlement. They bought land from local Temne leaders and established the Province of Freedom near present-day Freetown. Many of the settlers died of disease in the first year. A renewed attempt at settlement was made in 1792, when about 1,100 freed slaves landed on the Sierra Leone peninsula and founded Freetown. They were joined by about 500 free blacks from Jamaica in 1800. These settlers were English-speaking, and many were literate and Christian. The new colony was controlled by the Sierra Leone Company, which forcefully held off the Temne while the settlers supported themselves by farming.

Muslim traders brought Islam, which became firmly established in the Northern Province and subsequently spread throughout the country.

In 1807, Great Britain outlawed the trade of enslaved Africans, and in early 1808 the British government took over Freetown from the financially troubled company, using it as a naval base for fighting the traffic in slaves. The British government, which had profited most from the transatlantic trade in captured Africans, now undertook a key role in the suppression of the trade.

Between 1808 and 1864, approximately 50,000 liberated Africans settled at Freetown. Protestant missionaries were active there, and in 1827 they founded Fourah Bay College, where Sierra Leoneans were educated and became active as missionaries, traders, and civil servants along the Sierra Leone coast and on Sherbro Island, as well as in other regions in West Africa, especially among the Yoruba people.

Colonial era

During the periods of 1821 to 1827, 1843 to 1850, and 1866 to 1874, British holdings on the Gold Coast (now Ghana) were placed under the governor of Sierra Leone. In 1863, an advisory legislative council was established in Sierra Leone. The British were reluctant to assume added responsibility by increasing the size of the colony, but in 1896, the interior was proclaimed a British protectorate, mainly in order to forestall French ambitions in the region, and the Colony and Protectorate of Sierra Leone was established.

Bai Bureh, when a prisoner at Sierra Leone in 1898.

The protectorate was ruled “indirectly” (through the rulers of the numerous small states, rather than by creating an entirely new administrative structure) and a hut tax was imposed in 1898 to pay for administrative costs. The Africans protested the tax in 1898 and fought the British. The uprisings, led in the north by Bai Bureh and in the south by Kai Londo, started in 1896 and lasted over two years. Bai Bureh was finally captured on November 11, 1898 and sent into exile in the Gold Coast, while his comrades were hanged by the British.

Under the British, little economic development was undertaken in the protectorate until the 1950s, although a railroad was built and the production for export of palm products and peanuts was encouraged.

After World War II, Africans were given more political responsibility, and educational opportunities were enlarged. In the economic sphere, mining (especially of diamonds and iron ore) increased greatly. The Creoles of the colony, who had been largely excluded from higher government posts in favor of the British, sought a larger voice in the affairs of Sierra Leone. A constitution adopted in 1951 gave additional power to Africans. However, the Creoles were a small minority in the combined colony and protectorate, and in the elections of 1951 the protectorate-based Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), led by Sir Milton Augustus Margai (a Mende), emerged victorious.

An independent nation

File:Sl-map.gif
Map of Sierra Leone showing the capital Freetown

On April 27, 1961, Sir Milton Margai led Sierra Leone to independence from the United Kingdom and became the first prime minister. He died three years later and was succeeded by his brother, Sir Albert Margai, who was accused of favoring the Mende tribe. After an election in 1967, Siaka Stevens, candidate of the All People's Congress (APC) and mayor of Freetown, was declared the new prime minister. Coups and counter-coups ensued until Siaka Stevens was reinstated as prime minister. The following years were marked by considerable unrest, caused by ethnic and army disaffection with the central government.

On April 19, 1971, Parliament declared Sierra Leone to be a republic. Siaka Stevens, then prime minister, became the nation's first president. Guinean troops requested by Stevens to support his government were in the country from 1971 to 1973. Parliamentary elections were held in 1973; Stevens' APC party won 74 seats and the opposition SLPP party won 15 seats in parliament. An alleged plot to overthrow Stevens failed in July 1974. The leaders of the unsuccessful coup were tried and executed, and in March 1976, he was elected without opposition for a second five-year term as president. In 1978, a new constitution was adopted, creating a one-party state; the 1978 constitution made the APC the only legal political party in Sierra Leone.

Siaka Stevens, who had been president of Sierra Leone for 18 years, retired from that position in November 1985, although he continued his role as chairman of the ruling APC party. In August 1985, the APC named the commander of the military forces, Maj. Gen. Joseph Saidu Momoh, Stevens' own choice, as the party candidate to succeed him. Momoh was elected president in a one-party referendum on October 1, 1985. A formal inauguration was held in January 1986, and new parliamentary elections were held in May 1986. Following an alleged attempt to overthrow Momoh in March 1987, over 60 senior government officials were arrested, including First Vice-President Francis Minah, who was removed from office.

In October 1990, President Momoh set up a constitutional review commission to review the 1978 one-party constitution with a view to broadening the existing political process, guaranteeing fundamental human rights and the rule of law, and strengthening and consolidating the democratic foundation and structure of the nation. The commission, in its report presented January 1991, recommended reestablishment of a multiparty system of government. Based on that recommendation, a constitution was approved by Parliament in July 1991 and ratified in September; it became effective on October 1, 1991.

Civil War

Corruption within the government and mismanagement of diamond and mineral resources were the main reasons civil war broke out in Sierra Leone. With the breakdown of all state structures, complemented by the effective suppression of all civilian opposition, wide corridors of Sierra Leonean society were opened up to the trafficking of arms and ammunitions. Drugs also eroded national and regional security as well as facilitated crime.

In addition to these internal tensions, the brutal civil war going on in neighboring Liberia played a role in the outbreak of fighting in Sierra Leone. Charles Taylor, the then-leader of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), reportedly helped form the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) under a former Sierra Leone army corporal, Foday Sankoh. Sankoh had met Taylor in Libya in the 1980s, during guerrilla training, and the two men quickly established a relationship. In return for helping Sankoh, Taylor was rewarded with diamonds from Sierra Leone.

On March 23, 1991, the RUF, led by Sankoh and backed by Taylor, crossed from Liberia and attacked villages in the Eastern Province. The government was unable to put up significant resistance. Within a month, the RUF controlled much of the Eastern Province. The rebels were quick to demonstrate their brutality toward the civilian population; the forced recruitment of child soldiers was also an early feature of the rebellion.

On April 29, 1992, a group of young military officers led by Capt. Valentine Strasser, apparently frustrated by the government's failure to deal with the rebels, launched a military coup, which sent President Momoh into exile in Guinea and established the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) with Col. Yahya Kanu as its chairman. Kanu was assassinated by unknown gunmen shortly after he took office. Strasser eventually took over as chairman of the NPRC.

The NPRC proved to be nearly as ineffectual as the Momoh government in repelling the RUF. More and more of the country fell to RUF fighters, so that by 1995 they held much of the countryside and were on the doorsteps of the capital. The NPRC hired several hundred mercenaries. Within a month they had driven the RUF back to enclaves along Sierra Leone’s borders.

In January 1996, after nearly four years in power, President Strasser was ousted in a coup led by his minister of defense, Brigadier Julius Maada Bio. Promises of a return to civilian rule were fulfilled by Bio, who handed power over to Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, of the Sierra Leone People's Party, after presidential elections in early 1996. Kabbah's government reached a cease-fire in the war with RUF; rebel terror attacks continued, however, apparently aided by Liberia.

On May 25, 1997, a group of military officers led by Maj. Gen. Johnny Paul Koroma overthrew Kabbah. They established the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC). Koroma suspended the constitution; banned demonstrations; abolished political parties; shut down all the country's private radio stations; and invited the RUF to join the government.

The United Nations imposed sanctions against the military government in October 1997, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sent in its forces, led by Nigeria. Clashes between the rebels and ECOWAS troops in the capital forced 12,000 Freetown residents to flee. In February 1998, ECOWAS troops drove the rebels out of Freetown, and President Kabbah was returned to office on March 10, 1998. However, rebel forces remained firmly in control of the Northern Province, the Kono diamond field, and areas along the Liberian border.

In January 1999, over 6,000 people were killed in fighting between ECOWAS troops and the rebels in the Western Area. In March, Nigeria announced it would withdraw its forces by May. A peace accord was signed in July between President Kabbah and Foday Sankoh, leader of the RUF. The agreement granted the rebels seats in a new government and a general amnesty from prosecution. The government had largely ceased functioning effectively, however, and at least half of its territory remained under rebel control.

In October, the United Nations agreed to send peacekeepers to help restore order and disarm the rebels. The first of the 6,000-member force began arriving in December, and the Security Council voted in February 2000, to increase the UN forces to 11,000 (and subsequently to 13,000). In May, when nearly all Nigerian forces had left and UN forces were attempting to disarm the RUF in the Eastern Province, Sankoh's forces clashed with the UN troops and some 500 peacekeepers were taken hostage as the peace accord effectively collapsed.

An 800-member British force entered the country to secure Western Freetown and evacuate Europeans; some also acted in support of the forces fighting the RUF, including Koroma's AFRC group. After Sankoh was captured in Freetown, the hostages were gradually released by the RUF, but clashes between the UN forces and the RUF continued, and in July the West Side Boys—part of the AFRC—clashed with the peacekeepers. In the same month, the UN Security Council placed a ban on the sale of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone in an attempt to undermine the funding of the RUF. In late August, senior RUF commander Sam Bockarie became head of the RUF; also, British troops training the Sierra Leone army were taken hostage by the West Side Boys but were freed by a British raid in September.

General elections scheduled for early 2001 were postponed, due to the insecurity caused by the civil war. In May 2001, sanctions were imposed on Liberia because of its support for the rebels, and UN peacekeepers began to make headway in disarming the various factions. Disarmament of rebel and pro-government militias proceeded slowly and fighting continued to occur.

End of civil war

By January 2002, most of the estimated 45,000 fighters had surrendered their weapons. As disarmament progressed, the government began to reassert its authority in formerly rebel-held areas. In a ceremony on January 18, 2002, President Kabbah declared the civil war officially over. An estimated two hundred thousand people were killed; a further two million people were displaced in neighboring countries; and thousands of people had their arms or legs hacked off by rebels by the time the war ended.

Post civil war

Presidential and parliamentary elections were finally held in May 2002. President Kabbah was reelected, gaining 70 percent of the vote, and his Sierra Leone People's Party won a majority of the parliamentary seats.

The Sierra Leone government asked the United Nations to help set up a Special Court for Sierra Leone, which would try “those who bear the greatest responsibility” for the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the civil war. On January 16, 2002, the UN and the government of Sierra Leone signed an agreement establishing the court.

In March 2003 the Special Court for Sierra Leone issued its first indictments. Foday Sankoh, already in custody, was indicted, along with notorious RUF field commander Sam "Mosquito" Bockarie, and Johnny Paul Koroma, leader of the AFRC, among several others. On May 5, 2003, Bockarie was killed in Liberia, allegedly on orders from President Charles Taylor, who feared Bockarie’s testimony before the Special Court. Johnny Paul Koroma was also rumored to have been killed, though his death remains unconfirmed. Two of the accused died while incarcerated. On March 25, 2006, with the election of Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, then-Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo permitted transfer of Charles Taylor, who had been living in exile in the Nigerian coastal town of Calobar, to Sierra Leone for prosecution. Two days later, Taylor attempted to flee Nigeria, but he was apprehended by Nigerian authorities and transferred to Freetown under UN guard. Taylor is now being held in The Hague, where he awaits trial before the Special Court on 11 indictments of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In a dramatic upset, Kabbah's chosen successor as president, Vice President Solomon Berewa, lost both the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2007 to the opposition All People's Congress (APC). The APC's candidate, Ernest Bai Koroma, was sworn in as the new president after being declared the winner of the runoff election by 54.6 percent to Berewa's 45.4 percent. Koroma is seen by observers as having benefited from the government's failure to deliver social services.

Government and politics

Sierra Leone is a constitutional republic with a directly elected president and a unicameral legislature. The president is the head of state, the head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The president appoints and heads a cabinet of ministers, which must be approved by the parliament. The president is elected by popular vote to a maximum of two five-year terms. The president's power is checked by the House of Representatives.

The parliament is unicameral, with 124 seats, of which 112 are elected concurrently with the presidential elections; the other 12 seats are filled by paramount chiefs from each of the country's 12 administrative districts. All members serve five-year terms.

The Sierra Leone judicial system consists of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, High Court of Justice, and magistrate courts. The president appoints and parliament approves justices for the three courts.

Local elections were held in 2004 (for the first time since 1972), electing 456 councilors sitting in 19 local councils.

Administrative divisions

The Republic of Sierra Leone is composed of three provinces and one area; the provinces are further divided into twelve districts.

Northern Province

  • Port Loko
  • Bombali
  • Koinadugu
  • Kambia
  • Tonkolili

Southern Province

  • Bo
  • Bonthe
  • Moyamba
  • Pujehun

Eastern Province

  • Kenema
  • Kono
  • Kailahun



Western Area

  • The national capital Freetown and its surrounding countryside

Major cities

City Population
Freetown 1,070,200
Bo 472,919
Kenema 254,539
Koidu 111,800
Makeni 105,900

Other major cities in the country include Kabala, Port Loko, Magburaka, Waterloo, Kailahun, Bonthe and Kambia.

Foreign relations

Sierra Leone is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); the United Nations; the African Union (AU); and the Organization of Islamic Conference.

Sierra Leone, along with Liberia and Guinea, formed the Manor River Union (MRU). The Manor River Union is primarily designed to implement development projects and promote regional economic integration among the three nations.

Sierra Leone has maintained cordial relations with the West, in particular with former rulers, the United Kingdom. Sierra Leone also maintains diplomatic relations with China, Libya, Iran, and Cuba.

Economy

Sierra Leone is an extremely poor nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. While it possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, its economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development. Nearly half of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Alluvial (surface) diamond mining remains the major source of hard currency earnings, accounting for nearly half of Sierra Leone's exports.

The fate of the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad, which is essential to offset the severe trade imbalance and supplement government revenues. A recent increase in political stability has led to a revival of economic activity, such as the rehabilitation of bauxite and rutile mining. Sierra Leone has one of the world's largest deposits of rutile. (Rutile is a major source of titanium, a metal used for high-tech alloys because of its light weight, high strength, and resistance to corrosion.)

Much of Sierra Leone’s formal economy was destroyed in the country’s civil war. Since the cessation of hostilities in 2002, massive infusions of outside assistance have helped it begin to recover. Much of the recovery will depend on the success of efforts to limit official corruption, which many feel was the chief culprit for the country’s descent into civil war. A key indicator of success is the effectiveness of government management of its diamond sector.

Agriculture accounts for 52.5 percent of national income. The government is trying to increase food and cash crop production and upgrade small farmer skills.

Mineral exports remain Sierra Leone's principal foreign exchange earner. Sierra Leone is a major producer of gem-quality diamonds. Though rich in this resource, the country has historically struggled to manage its exploitation and export. Annual production estimates range between $250-300 million. However, not all of that passes through formal export channels, although formal exports have dramatically improved since the days of civil war. The balance is smuggled, where it is possibly used for money laundering or financing illicit activities. Efforts to improve the management of the export trade have met with some success. In October 2000, a UN-approved export certification system for exporting diamonds from Sierra Leone was put into place that led to a dramatic increase in legal exports. In 2001, the government created a mining community development fund, which returns a portion of diamond export taxes to diamond mining communities, to raise local communities' stake in the legal diamond trade.

Despite its successes and development, the Sierra Leone economy still faces some significant challenges. There is a high rate of unemployment, particularly among the youth and ex-combatants. Authorities have been slow to implement reforms in the civil service, and the pace of the privatization program is also slacking.

With other foreign investors hesitant to move in, the Chinese have done so eagerly and now are operating in every sector of the economy. The Chinese government donated a fisheries patrol boat.

Currency of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone’s currency is the Leone (Le). The central bank of the country is the Bank of Sierra Leone, which is located in the capital, Freetown. The Bank of Sierra Leone is a 100 percent state-owned corporate body.

Demographics

Sierra Leone has an estimated population of just over six million people, the majority being children and youth. Freetown, the national capital and largest city, is the commercial and educational center of the country. Other major cities in the country include Bo, Kenema, Koidu, and Makeni.

Although English is the official language spoken in schools and government administration, Krio (a language derived from English and several African languages and native to the Sierra Leone Krio people), is the de facto national language spoken throughout the country. It is widely spoken among all the tribes in Sierra Leone.

Ethnicity

The population of Sierra Leone is comprised of about 16 ethnic groups; each with its own language and customs, the two largest of these being the Mende and Temne, about equal in numbers and representing 60 percent of the country's population. The Mende predominate in the Southern Province, the Temne in the Northern Province. The third largest ethnic group is the Limba, representing about 9.5 percent of the population. Like the Temne, the Limba are mostly found in the Northern Province. The Krios (descendants of freed slaves who came to Freetown from the West Indies, North America, and Britain) make up 3 percent of the population, but their language is spoken throughout Sierra Leone. Most Krios live in the Western Area, particularly Freetown. Other minority ethnic groups in the country include the Sherbro, Kuranko, Mandinka, Kissi, Loko, Fula, Kono, Susu, Yalunka, and Vai. About 2 percent of Sierra Leoneans are of Nigerian or Lebanese descent; the ancestors of the latter fled Lebanon in the late nineteenth century.

Life expectancy

The average life expectancy at birth of a Sierra Leonean is 38 years for males and 43 years for females. Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, nearly 200 times higher than in developed countries, according to the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF. The country, which is still recovering from war, ranks second to the last on the UN Human Development Index, just above Niger—a desert country with far fewer resources than diamond- and gold-rich Sierra Leone.

Furthermore, one in six babies dies at birth. "These figures are driven by a fatal mix of poverty, ignorance, and poor health provision," said Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF; known in English as Doctors Without Borders) in its report released in 2007.

Education

Sierra Leone has an education system with six years of primary school (grades 1–6), and six years of secondary school (grades 7–12); secondary schools are further divided into junior secondary school (grades 7–9) and senior secondary school (grades 10–12). Education in Sierra Leone is offered in private schools and government-sponsored public schools. Primary schools usually start from ages 6 to 12, and secondary schools usually start from 13 years and above.

The country's two main universities are Fourah Bay College in Freetown, founded in 1827, and Njala University, founded in 1963. Fourah Bay, established to train missionaries and teachers, is the oldest university in sub-Saharan Africa. Technical institutes and vocational schools are available throughout the country.

Religion

The majority of Sierra Leoneans are Muslim. According to the International Religious Freedom Report 2007, pproximately 60 percent are Muslim; 20 to 30 percent are Christian, and 5 to 10 percent practice indigenous and other religious beliefs. There are small numbers of Baha'is, Hindus, and Jews.[5]

The Sierra Leone constitution provides freedom of religion and the government generally protects this right and does not tolerate its abuse.

Unlike many other countries, the religious and tribal mix of Sierra Leone rarely causes religious or tribal conflict.

Environment

Logging, mining, and slash and burn, deforestation for alternative land use—such as cattle grazing—have produced a dramatic decrease of forested land in Sierra Leone since the 1980s.

Until 2002, Sierra Leone lacked a forest management system due to a brutal civil war that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. On paper, 55 protected areas covered 4.5 percent of Sierra Leone as of 2003. The country has 2,090 known species of higher plants, 147 mammals, 626 birds, 67 reptiles, 35 amphibians, and 99 fish species.

In June 2005, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Bird-life International agreed to support a conservation-sustainable development project in the Gola Forest in southeastern Sierra Leone, the most important surviving fragment of rainforest in Sierra Leone.

Deforestation rates have increased 7.3 percent since the end of the civil war.

Media

The Sierra Leone constitution guarantees freedom of speech, and freedom of the press; however, the government at times restricts these rights in practice. Dozens of newspapers are published in the country; most of them are privately run and are often critical of the government. Under legislation enacted in 1980, all newspapers must register with the Ministry of Information and pay a sizable registration fee.

All major cities in the country run their own radio stations. Inaugurated in 1963, The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service is the government-run station in charge of television and radio broadcasting in the country. The UN Mission in Sierra Leone operates radio services, broadcasting news of UN activities and human rights information, as well as music and news. Radio Sierra Leone, the oldest broadcasting service in English-speaking West Africa, broadcasts mainly in English, with regular news and discussion programs on several topics.

Sports

Soccer is by far the most popular sport in Sierra Leone. Cricket, basketball, table tennis, volleyball, tennis, boxing, and track and field are also popular in the country.

Sierra Leone in literature

Several Hollywood films have been produced that relate to Sierra Leone. Steven Spielberg’s film Amistad (1997) is about an 1839 mutiny aboard a slave ship that was traveling toward the northeast coast of America. Edward Zwick’s film Blood Diamond (2006) is about diamonds mined in Sierra Leone, Angola, and Congo, and sold in major diamond cutting centers to finance (and prolong) armed conflicts in Africa. The film is centered in Sierra Leone and portrays many of the atrocities, including the practice of cutting off people's limbs to spread fear and insecurity in the countryside and to gain control over the diamond, gold, bauxite, and rutile mining areas.

In literature, Sierra Leone is the setting for Graham Greene's classic novel The Heart of the Matter, which deals with diamond smuggling during World War II. Since the rebel incursion in the early 1990s, a number of books have been written about the "diamonds or minerals for weapons" trade. Writers of note include Ishmael Beah (A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier), Abioseh Nicol (The Truly Married Woman And Other Stories), Robert Wellesley Cole (Kossoh Town Boy), Syl Cheney-Coker (The Last Harmattan of Alusine Dunbar), William Conton (Kissimi Kamara), Amadu Yullisa Maddy (No Past, No Present, No Future), and Sheikh Gibril Kamara (The Spirit of Badenia).

Hugh Paxton's novel Homunculus juxtaposes the realities of the war in Sierra Leone with a fantasy of the exploitation of the war for the trade in blood diamonds and for the testing, demonstration, and sale by auction of bio-weapons to a select clientele of international arms dealers and mercenaries.

Notes

  1. "Country Profile:Sierra Leone". Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  2. "Rebuild Sierra-leone". Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Sierra Leone. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Sierra Leone. International Monetary Fund. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  5. Sierra Leone; International Religious Freedom Report 2007 U.S. Department of State. Retrieved October 22, 2013.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Cutter, Charles. Africa, 41st ed. Harpers Ferry, WV: Stryker-Post Publications, 2006. ISBN 1887985727
  • Iliffe, John. Africans: The History of a Continent. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995. ISBN 0521484227
  • Jackson, Michael. In Sierra Leone. Durham: Duke University Press, 2004. ISBN 0822333015
  • Kaplan, Irving. Area Handbook for Sierra Leone. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1976.
  • Levert, Suzanne. Cultures of the World: Sierra Leone. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2007. ISBN 0761423346
  • Maier, Karl. Into the House of the Ancestors: Inside the New Africa. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1998. ISBN 0471295833

External links

All links retrieved September 17, 2015.




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