Everything about Sierra Leone totally explained
Sierra Leone, officially the
Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in
West Africa. It is bordered by
Guinea in the northeast,
Liberia in the southeast, and the
Atlantic Ocean in the southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of 71,740 sq km (27,699 sq mi) and has a
tropical climate, with a diverse environment ranging from
savannah to
rainforests.
Freetown is the capital, seat of government, and largest city. Other major cities in the country with a population over 100,000 are
Bo,
Kenema,
Koidu Town and
Makeni.
Early inhabitants of Sierra Leone included the
Sherbro,
Temne and
Limba peoples, and later the
Mende, who knew the country as Romarong, and the Kono who settled in the East of the country. In
1462, it was visited by the
Portuguese explorer
Pedro da Cintra, who gave it its name Serra de Leão, meaning 'Lion Mountains'. Sierra Leone became an important centre of the
transatlantic slave trade, until
1787 when Freetown was founded by the
Sierra Leone Company as a home for formerly
enslaved African Americans and
West Indians. In
1808, Freetown became a
British Crown Colony, and in
1896, the interior of the country became a British
Protectorate; in
1961, the two combined and gained
independence. Over two decades of government neglect of the interior followed by the spilling over of the Liberian conflict into its borders eventually led to the
Sierra Leone Civil War, which began in
1991 and was resolved in
2000 after the
United Nations led by
Britain defeated the rebel forces and restored the civilian government elected in 1998 to Freetown. Since then, almost 72,500 former combatants have disarmed and the country has reestablished a functioning
democracy. The
Special Court for Sierra Leone was set up in
2002 to deal with
war crimes and
crimes against humanity committed since
1996.
Sierra Leone is the lowest ranked country on the
Human Development Index and seventh lowest on the
Human Poverty Index, suffering from endemic
corruption,
suppression of the press and the
HIV/
AIDS pandemic.
History
Early History
Archaeological finds show that Sierra Leone has been inhabited continuously for at least 2,500 years, populated by successive movements from other parts of Africa. The use of
iron was introduced to Sierra Leone by the
9th century, and by AD
1000 agriculture was being practiced by coastal tribes. Sierra Leone's dense tropical rainforest largely protected it from the influence of any precolonial African empires and from
Islamic explorations, which were unable to penetrate through it until the
18th century.
European contacts with Sierra Leone were among the first in
West Africa. In 1462,
Portuguese explorer
Pedro da Cintra mapped the hills surrounding what is now Freetown Harbour, naming shaped formation
Serra de Leão (
Portuguese for
Lion Mountains). Its
Italian rendering is
Sierra Leone, which became the country's name.
Slavery
Britain and British seafarers – including
Sir Francis Drake,
John Hawkins, Forbisher and Captain Brown — played a major role in the
transatlantic trade in captured Africans between 1530 and 1810.
Treaty of Utrecht of 1713, which ended the
Spanish War of Succession (1701 - 1714), had an additional clause (the
Asiento) that granted Britain (among other things) the exclusive rights over the shipment of captured Africans across the Atlantic. Over 10 million captured Africans were shipped to the
Caribbean Islands and the
Americas and many more died during the raids, the long marches to the coast and on the infamous
middle passage due to the inhumane conditions in slave ships. Britain outlawed the
slave trade on
29 March 1807 Slave Trade Act 1807 and the
British Navy operating from Freetown took active measures to stop the Atlantic
slave trade.
In
1787 a plan was implemented to settle some of
London's
Black Poor in Sierra Leone in what was called the "
Province of Freedom". A number of
Black Poor and
White women arrived off the coast of Sierra Leone on
May 15 1787, accompanied by some
English tradesmen. This was organized by the
St George's Bay Company, composed of British
philanthropists who preferred it as a solution to continuing to financially support them in London. Many of the
Black poor were
African Americans,who had been promised their freedom for joining the British Army during the
American Revolution, but also included other African and
Asian inhabitants of London.
Disease and hostility from the indigenous people nearly eliminated the first group of colonists. Through intervention by
Thomas Peters, the
Sierra Leone Company was established to relocate another group of nearly 1,200
American slaves, originally settled in
Nova Scotia. Given the most barren land in Nova Scotia, many had died from the harsh winters there. They established a settlement at
Freetown in
1792 led by Peters. It was joined by other groups of freed slaves and became the first Afro-American haven for ex-slaves.
Though the English
abolitionist Granville Sharp originally planned Sierra Leone as a
utopian community, the
directors of the Sierra Leone Company refused to allow the settlers to take
freehold of the land. Knowing how
Highland Clearances benefited Scottish landlords but not tenants, the settlers revolted in
1799. The revolt was only put down by the arrival of over 500
Jamaican
Maroons, who also arrived via Nova Scotia.
Thousands of slaves were returned to or liberated in Freetown. Most chose to remain in Sierra Leone. These returned Africans were from many areas of Africa, but principally the west coast. They joined the previous settlers and together became known as Creole or
Krio people. Cut off from their homes and traditions, they assimilated some aspects of British styles of inhabitnats and built a flourishing trade of flowers and beads on the West African coast. The
lingua franca of the colony was
Krio, a
creole language rooted in 18th century African American English, which quickly spread across the region as a common language of trade and Christian proselytizing. British and American abolitionist movements envisioned Freetown as embodying the possibilities of a post-slave trade Africa.
Colonial era
In the early 20th century, Freetown served as the residence of the British governor who also ruled the
Gold Coast (now
Ghana) and the
Gambia settlements. Sierra Leone also served as the educational centre of British West Africa.
Fourah Bay College, established in
1827, rapidly became a magnet for English-speaking Africans on the West Coast. For more than a century, it was the only European-style
university in western
Sub-Saharan Africa.
During Sierra Leone's colonial history,
indigenous people mounted several unsuccessful revolts against British rule and Krio domination. The most notable was the
Bai Bureh rebellion against British rule in 1898. Bai Bureh was a Loko chief who refused to recognize the hut tax imposed by the British in 1893 in Sierra Leone. He didn't believe Sierra Leoneans had a duty to pay taxes to foreigners, and he wanted all British to return to Britain and let the Sierra Leoneans solve their own problems. After he refused to pay his taxes on several occasions, the British issued a warrant to arrest him. In 1896 Bureh declared war on the British in Sierra Leone. He brought fighters from several Temne villages under his command, and from Limba, Loko, Soso, Kissi, and Mandinka villages. He had the advantage over the vastly more powerful British for several months of the war. Hundreds of British troops and hundreds of Bureh's fighters were killed.[1] Bai Bureh was finally captured on November 11, 1898 and sent into
exile to the Gold Coast (now Ghana), while 96 people were hanged by the British.
Most of the 20th century history of the colony was peaceful. One notable event in 1935 was the granting of a
monopoly on
mineral mining to the
Sierra Leone Selection Trust run by
De Beers, which was scheduled to last 99 years. The 1951 constitution provided a framework for
decolonization. Local ministerial responsibility was introduced in 1953, when Sir
Milton Margai was appointed Chief Minister. He became Prime Minister after successful completion of constitutional talks in London in 1960. Independence came in April 1961, and Sierra Leone opted for a parliamentary system within the
Commonwealth of Nations.
An Independent Nation
On
April 27,
1961,
Sir Milton Margai led Sierra Leone to
independence from the
United Kingdom. The date was significant because the 27th April 1898 marked the start of the first independence war - the "
Hut Tax War of 1898" - against British rule. The uprising was led by various
chiefs in the protectorate regions of the country -
Bai Bureh (1840 - 1908),
Kai Londo (1845 - 1898) and
Bai Sherbro Kpana Lewis (1830 - 1912). A number of rebellions followed until after
World War 2. After a gradual transition independence was peacefully negotiated at the
Marlborough House, London in 1961.
The country's
first prime minister became Milton Margai, the
veteran medical doctor who had been appointed
Chief Minister after the Colonial Legislative Council and the Protectorate Assembly were unified in 1951. His
political party,
Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), had won by large margins in the nation's first general election under universal adult
suffrage in
May 1962. It also won majority of seat in parliament. Upon his death in
1964, his
brother, Sir
Albert Margai succeeded him as prime minister. Albert Margai was highly criticized during his three-year rule as prime minister. He was accused of
corruption and of a policy of
affirmative action in favour of the
Mende ethnic group. He also tried to establish a
one-party state but met fierce resistance from the opposition
All People's Congress (APC) and ultimately abandoned the idea.
In closely contested general elections in March 1967, Sierra Leone
Governor General Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston declared the new prime minister to be
Siaka Stevens, candidate of the All People's Congress (APC) and
Mayor of Freetown. Hours after taking office, Stevens was ousted in a bloodless coup led by
Brigadier David Lansana, the Commander of
the Armed Forces, on grounds that the determination of office should await the election of the tribal representatives to the house. Stevens was placed under
house arrest and
Martial law was declared. But a group of senior military officers overrode this action by seizing control of the government on
March 23,
1968, arresting Lansana and suspending the constitution. The group constituted itself as the National Reformation Council (NRC) with
Brigadier Andrew Juxon-Smith as its chairman. In April 1968, the NRC was overthrown by a group of military officers who called themselves the Anti-Corruption Revolutionary Movement (ACRM), led by Brigadier
John Amadu Bangura. The ACRM imprisoned senior NRC members, restored the constitution and reinstated Stevens as Prime Minister.
The return to civilian rule led to by-elections beginning in fall 1968 and the appointment of an all-APC cabinet. Calm wasn't completely restored. In November 1968, Stevens declared a
state of emergency after provincial disturbances. In March 1971 the government survived an unsuccessful military coup and in July 1974 it uncovered an alleged military coup plot. The leaders of both plots were tried and
executed. In 1977, student demonstrations against the government disrupted Sierra Leone politics.
On
April 19,
1971, parliament declared Sierra Leone a
Republic, Siaka Stevens, then prime minister, became the first president.
Guinean troops requested by Stevens to support his government were in the country from 1971 to 1973. An alleged plot to overthrow Stevens failed in 1974, its leaders were executed, and in March 1976 he was elected without opposition for a second five-year term as president. In the national parliamentary election of May 1977, the APC won 74 seats and the opposition SLPP won 15. In 1978, a
referendum approved a new constitution making the country a
one-party state. The 1978 referendum made the APC the only legal political party in Sierra Leone.
In August 1985, the APC named a new presidential candidate to succeed Stevens. He was the commander of the armed forces,
Major General Joseph Saidu Momoh, Stevens' own choice. Stevens retired in November after being President for 14 years, but continued to be chairman of the APC. Momoh was elected President in a one-party referendum on
October 1,
1985. An
inauguration was held in January
1986, and parliamentary elections were held in May. After an alleged attempt to overthrow Momoh in March 1987, more than 60 senior government officials were arrested, including Vice-President
Francis Minah, who was removed from office, convicted for plotting the coup, and executed by
hanging in
1989, along with 5 others.
Multi-party constitution and RUF rebellion
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. But there was great suspicion that Momoh wasn't serious, and APC rule was increasingly marked by abuses of power.
Civil war broke out, mainly due to
government corruption and mismanagement of
diamond resources. With the breakdown of state structures and the effective suppression of civilian opposition, wide corridors were opened for trafficking of arms,
ammunition and drugs, all of which eroded national and regional security and facilitated
crime in the country and with
Liberia and
Guinea.
Besides the internal ripeness, the brutal civil war going on in neighbouring Liberia played an undeniable role for the outbreak of fighting in Sierra Leone.
Charles Taylor - then leader of the
National Patriotic Front of Liberia - reportedly helped form the
Revolutionary United Front (RUF) under the command of former Sierra Leone army
corporal Foday Sankoh. In return, Taylor received diamonds from Sierra Leone. The RUF, led by Foday Sankoh and backed by Taylor, launched its first attack in villages in
Kailahun District in the diamond-rich Eastern Province of Sierra Leone on
March 23,
1991. The government of Sierra Leone, overwhelmed by a crumbling economy and corruption, was unable to put up significant resistance. Within a month of entering Sierra Leone from Liberia, the RUF controlled much of the Eastern Province. Forced recruitment of
child soldiers was also an early feature of the rebel strategy.
On
April 29,
1992, a group of seven young
soldiers in the Sierra Leonean army, apparently frustrated by the government's failure to deal with rebels, launched a military coup which sent president Momoh into
exile in
Guinea. They were 25 year old
Captain Valentine Strasser,
Sergeant Solomon Musa,
Brigadier-General Julius Maada Bio,
Lieutenant Colonel Tom Nyuma,
Colonel Yahya Kanu, Lieutenant Colonel
Komba Mondeh, and Captain
Samuel Komba Kambo. They established the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) with Kanu as its chairman and
Head of State of the country. But Kanu was
assassinated by fellow NPRC members, who accused him of trying to negotiate with the toppled APC administration. On May 1, Strasser took over as chairman and Head of State. Musa, one of the leaders of the coup and a best friend of Strasser took over as Vice-Chairman of the NPRC. Many Sierra Leoneans nationwide rushed into the streets to welcome the NPRC Administration from the 23 year dictatorial APC regime, which was perceived as corrupt. The NPRC junta immediately suspended the 1991 Constitution, declared a
state of emergency, limited
freedom of speech, and
freedom of the press and enacted a rule-by-decree policy. The army and police officers were granted unlimited powers of administrative detention without charge or trial, and challenges against such detentions in court were precluded.
The NPRC proved to be nearly as ineffectual as the Momoh-led APC government in repelling the RUF. More and more of the country fell to RUF fighters, and by 1995 they held much of the diamond-rich Eastern Province and were at the edge of Freetown. In response, the NPRC hired several hundred mercenaries from the private firm
Executive Outcomes. Within a month they'd driven RUF fighters back to enclaves along Sierra Leone’s borders. During this time corruption had erupted within senior NPRC members. On July 5, Strasser dismissed his childhood friend Musa as
deputy and appointed Bio to succeed him. Some senior NPRC members, including Bio, Nyuma and Mondeh, were unhappy with Strasser's handling of the peace process. In
January 1996, after nearly four years in power, Strasser was ousted in a coup by fellow NPRC members led by his
deputy Bio. Bio reinstated the Constitution and called for general elections. In the second round of presidential elections in early 1996,
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of the Sierra Leone People's party (SLPP) defeated
John Karefa-Smart of the
United National People's Party (UNPP). Bio fulfilled promises of a return to
civilian rule, and handed power to Kabbah. Kabbah's SLPP party also won majority of the seats in Parliament.
In
1996,
Major General Johnny Paul Koroma was allegedly involved in an attempt to overthrow the government of President Kabbah. He was arrested, tried, convicted, and imprisoned at Freetown's Pademba Road Prison. But some top rank Army officers were unhappy with this decision, and on
May 25,
1997, a group of soldiers who called themselves the
Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) overthrew him. The AFRC released Koroma from prison and installed him as their chairman and Head of State of the country. Koroma suspended the constitution, banned
demonstrations, shut down all private radio stations and invited the RUF to join his government. After 10 months in office, the junta was ousted by the
Nigeria-led
ECOMOG forces, and the democratically elected government of President Kabbah was reinstated in March 1998. Hundreds of civilians who had been accused of helping the AFRC government were illegally detained. Courts-martial were held for soldiers accused of assisting the AFRC government. 24 of these were found guilty and were executed without appeal in
October 1998. On
January 6,
1999, AFRC made another unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the government, causing many deaths and much destruction of property in and around Freetown.
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
UN Security Council voted in
February 2000 to increase the force to 11,000, and later to 13,000. But in May, when nearly all Nigerian forces had left and UN forces were trying to disarm the RUF in eastern Sierra Leone, Sankoh's forces clashed with the UN troops, and some 500 peacekeepers were taken
hostage as the peace accord effectively collapsed. The hostage crisis resulted in more fighting between the RUF and the government.
Between 1991 and 2001, about 50,000 people were killed in Sierra Leone's civil war. Hundreds of thousands of people were forced from their homes, and many became refugees in Guinea and Liberia. In 2001, UN forces moved into rebel-held areas and began to disarm rebel soldiers. By January 2002, the war was declared over. In May, Kabbah was reelected president. By 2004, the disarmament process was complete. Also in 2004, a UN-backed war crimes court began holding trials of senior leaders from both sides of the war. In December 2005, UN peacekeeping forces pulled out of Sierra Leone.
In August 2007, Sierra Leone held presidential and parliamentary elections. However, no presidential candidate won a majority of votes. A runoff election was held in September, and
Ernest Bai Koroma was elected president.
Geography and climate
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 kilometres (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 harbour. This prime location historically made Sierra Leone the centre of trade and colonial administration in the region.
Government and politics
Sierra Leone is a
constitutional republic with a
directly elected president and a
unicameral legislature. The current system of government in Sierra Leone, established under the
1991 Constitution, is modeled on the following structure of government: the
Legislature, the
Executive and the
Judiciary.
Within the confines of the 1991 Constitution, supreme legislative powers are vested in
Parliament, which is the law making body of the nation. Supreme executive authority rests in the president and members of his cabinet and judicial power with the judiciary of which the
Chief Justice is head.
The president is the
head of state, the
head of government and the
commander-in-chief of the
Sierra Leone Armed Forces and the
Sierra Leone Police. The president appoints and heads a cabinet of ministers (including the vice president), which must be approved by the Parliament. The president is elected by
popular vote to a maximum of two five-year terms. The
State House located in the capital city of Freetown serves as the official resident of the president.
To be elected president, a candidate must gain at least 55% of the vote. If no candidate gets 55%, there's to be a
second-round runoff between the top two candidates with the most votes in the first round. Presidential candidates must be Sierra Leonean citizens by birth; must be at least 40 years old; must be able to speak and read English; must be a member of a
political party and must not have a
criminal record;. The current president is
Ernest Bai Koroma, who was sworn in on
September 17,
2007, shortly after being declared the winner of a tense run-off election.
The
Parliament of Sierra Leone is
unicameral, with 124 seats. Each of the country's 14 districts is represented in parliament. 112 members are elected concurrently with the presidential elections; the other 12 seats are filled by
Paramount chief from each of the country's 12
administrative districts. All members serve five-year terms. Candidates must be a Sierra Leonean citizens; be at least 21 years old; be a member of a political party; and be able to speak and read English. The most recent parliamentary elections were held on
August 11,
2007. The
All People's Congress (APC), won 59 of 112 parliamentary seats; the
Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) won 43; and the
People's Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) won 10.
The judicial power of Sierra Leone is vested in the judiciary, headed by the
Chief Justice and comprising the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the High Court. These constitute the Superior Court of Jurisdiction. The inferior courts comprise the Magistrates courts and the Local courts. The Magistrates Courts exist in each district. Local courts administer
customary law. The president appoints and parliament approves justices for the three courts. The current Chief Justice is
Ade Renner Thomas. He was appointed to the position by former president
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah.
Foreign relations
Sierra Leone has maintained cordial relations with
the West, in particular with the former colonizer
United Kingdom. It also maintains diplomatic relations with
China,
Libya,
Iran,
United States and
Cuba. Former President
Siaka Stevens' government had sought closer relations with other
West African countries under the
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The present government is continuing this effort.
Sierra Leone is a member of the
United Nations and its specialized agencies, the
Commonwealth, the
African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the
African Development Bank (AFDB), the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and the
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
Sierra Leone, along with
Liberia, and
Guinea formed the
Mano River Union (MRU). This is primarily designed to implement development projects and promote regional economic integration between the three countries.
Sierra Leone is also a member of the
International Criminal Court with a
Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the
US military (as covered under Article 98).
The government maintains 16
embassies and
high commissioners across the world including in
Nigeria,
Ghana,
Ethiopia,
Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Libya, People's Republic of China, Iran,
Belgium,
Germany, United Kingdom,
Russia, United Nations, and the United States.
Provinces and districts
The Republic of Sierra Leone is composed of 3 provinces and one area called the Western Area; the provinces are further divided into 12 districts, and the districts are further divided into chiefdoms. The Western Area is also divided into 2 districts.
| District |
apital |
Area km² |
rovince |
opulation(2004 census)
|
| Bombali District |
Makeni |
7,895 |
Northern Province |
408,390 |
|
Kabala |
12,121 |
265,765 |
| Tonkolili District |
Magburaka |
7,003 |
347,197 |
| Port Loko District |
Port Loko |
5,719 |
455,746 |
| Kambia District |
Kambia |
3,108 |
270,460 |
| Kenema District |
Kenema |
6,053 |
Eastern Province |
497,948 |
| Kono District |
Koidu Town |
5,641 |
355,401 |
| Kailahun District |
Kailahun |
3,859 |
358,190 |
| Bo District |
Bo |
7,003 |
Southern Province |
463,668 |
| Bonthe District |
Bonthe |
3,468 |
139,687 |
| Moyamba District |
Moyamba |
6,902 |
260,910 |
| Pujehun District |
Pujehun |
4,105 |
228,392
|
Figures are taken from
Sierra Leone Encyclopedia
The Western Area comprises
Freetown, the nation's
capital, and its surrounding
countryside.
Economy
Sierra Leone is slowly 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. There is greater freedom of movement and the successful re-habitation and resettlement of residential areas. In 2001, Sierra Leone attracted US$4 million in
foreign direct investment.
Rich in
minerals, Sierra Leone has relied on
mining, especially
diamonds, for its economic base. It is most known for it's blood diamonds that are mined and sold for high prices. 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 the formal economy was destroyed in the country’s civil war. Since the end of hostilities in January 2002, massive infusions of outside assistance have helped Sierra Leone begin to recover. Much of the recovery will depend on the success of the government's efforts to limit corruption by officials, which many feel was the chief cause for the civil war. A key indicator of success will be the effectiveness of government management of its diamond sector.
Mineral exports remain the main
foreign currency earner. Sierra Leone is a major producer of gem-quality diamonds. Though rich in diamonds, it has historically struggled to manage their exploitation and
export. Annual production estimates range between $250-300 million. Some of that's
smuggled, where it's possibly used for money
laundering or financing illicit activities. But formal exports have dramatically improved since the civil war. Efforts to improve the management of exports have had some success. In
October 2000, a UN-approved certification system for exporting diamonds from the country was put in place and 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. The fund was created 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. It was then the largest non-petroleum US investment in West Africa. The export of 88,000 tons realized $75 million in export earnings in 1990. In 1990, the company and the government made a new agreement on the terms of the company's concession in Sierra Leone. Rutile and
bauxite mining operations were suspended when rebels invaded the mining sites in
1995, but exports resumed in
2005.
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. The government works with several foreign donors to operate integrated rural development and agricultural projects.
Despite its successes and development, the Sierra Leone economy still faces significant challenges. There is high
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.
Currency
Sierra Leone’s
currency is the
Leone. The
central bank of the country is the
Bank of Sierra Leone which is located in the capital, Freetown. The bank is run by the bank Governor, Dr. Samura Kamara, and directors. The bank is a 100% state-owned corporate body and its objectives include:
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
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.
Credit card use is limited in Sierra Leone, though they may be used at some hotels and restaurants. Visitors should check in advance with local managements. Sierra Leone doesn't have internationally linked automated teller machines (ATM).
Demographics
The 2007 United Nation estimate of Sierra Leone's population is at 5.9 million. (External Link) Freetown, with an estimated population of 1,070,200, is the capital, largest city and the hub of the economy, commercial, educational and cultural centre of the country. Bo is the second city. Other cities with a population over 100,00 are Kenema, Koidu Town and Makeni.
Although English is the official language spoken at schools and government administration, Krio (language derived from English and several African languages and native to the Sierra Leone Krio people) is the lingua franca spoken throughout the country. The Krio language unites all the different ethnic groups, especially in their trade and interaction with each other.
The population of Sierra Leone comprises fifteen ethnic groups, each with its own language and costume. The two largest are the Mende and Temne, each comprises about 30% of the population. The Mende predominate in the South Province and in Kailahun and Kenema District in the Eastern province; the Temne predominate in the Northern Province. The third largest are the Limba, who represent 10% of the population. Like their allies the Temne, the Limba live mostly in the Northern Province. The fourth largest are the Kono, they make up over 8% and live mostly in the Eastern Province, particularly in the diamond-rich Kono District where the form the largest ethnic group. The fifth largest are the Mandingo, they make up about 6% and they predominate in Kabala, the capital and largest city of Koinadugu District in the Northern Province. The Mandingo population is also largely concentrated in the Kono District in the Eastern province. The sixth largest are the Krio (descendants of freed slaves from the West Indies, the United States, and Britain which landed in Freetown between 1787 and about 1885) make up about 5% of the population and they live mostly in the capital city of Freetown and its surrounding suburbs. The remaining 11% is split btween nine smaller ethnic groups: the Sherbro, Kissi, Kuranko, Loko, Fula, Susu, Yalunka, Vai and the Sierra Leonean-Lebanese (descendants of Lebanese settlers who settled in Sierra Leone during the late 19th century).
In the past, Sierra Leoneans were noted for their educational achievements, trading activity, entrepreneurial skills, and arts and crafts work, particularly wood carving. Many are part of larger ethnic networks extending into several countries, which link West African states in the area. But the level of education and infrastructure has declined sharply over the last 30 years.
List of Sierra Leoneans
Religion
Muslim comprised 60% of Sierra Leone's population, Christian at 30%, and indigenous religions at 10% (External Link).
The Sierra Leone constitution provides freedom of religion and the government generally protects this right and doesn't tolerate its abuse. Unlike many other African countries, the religious and ethnic mix of Sierra Leone rarely cause religious or tribal conflict.
Education
Sierra Leone has an education system with six years of primary school (Class 1-6), and six years of secondary school (Form 1-6); secondary schools are divided into junior secondary school (Form 1-3) and senior secondary school (Form 4-6). Students at primary schools are usually 6 to 12 years old, and in secondary schools 13 to 18. Primary education is free and compulsory in government-sponsored public schools.
The country's two main Universities are the Fourah Bay College, the oldest university in West Africa, founded in 1827, and Njala University in Njala, Moyamba District and Bo, founded in 1963. Teacher training colleges and religious seminaries are found in many parts of the country.
Notable schools
Notable Secondary Schools in Sierra Leone include:
CMS / Sierra Leone Grammar School, founded ca. 1845 in Murray Town, Freetown;
Annie Walsh Memorialk Secondary School, ca. 1848, Kissy Road, Freetown;
St. Edwards Secondary School, ca. 1866, Kingtom, Freetown;
Prince of Wales Secondary School, ca. 1874, Kingtom, Freetown;
Methodist Boys High School, ca. 1874, Kissy, Freetown;
Methodist Girls High School, ca. 1880, Kissy, Freetown;
Harford School for Girls, ca. 1897, Moyamba Town, Moyamba District;
Albert Academy ca. 1904, Berry Street, Freetown;
Bo Government Secondary School, ca. 1906, Bo Town, Bo District;
West African Collegiate School, ca. 1911, Wilkinson Road, Freetown;
Government Model School ca. 1925, Circular Road, Freetown;
Magburaka Government Secondary School, ca. 1950, Magburaka, Tonkolili District;
Freetown Secondary School for Girls, ca. 1955, Brookfields, Freetown;
Kenema Government Secondary School, ca. 1955, Kenema Town, Kenema District;
St. Francis Secondary School, ca. 1949, Makeni Town, Bombali District;
Benevolent Islamic Secondary School, ca. 1979, Makeni Town, Bombali District;
St. Joseph Secondary School, ca. 1954, Makeni Town, Bombali District.
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 (SLBS) is the state-run national 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 aired in major cities. 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.
Transportation
There are a number of systems of transport in Sierra Leone, which has a road, air and water infrastructure, including a network of highways and several airports.
Air
There are ten regional airports in Sierra Leone, and two international airports. The Lungi International Airport located in the coastal town of Lungi in the northern province of Sierra Leone and is the primary airport for domestic and international travel to or from Sierra Leone. Passengers cross the river to Aberdeen Heliports in Freetown by hovercraft, ferry or a helicopter. Helicopters are also available from the airport to other major cities in the country. The other international airport is the newly constructed Sherbro International Airport located in coastal town of Sherbro Island in the Southern province of Sierra Leone. The airport has paved runways longer than 3,047m. The other airports have unpaved runways, and seven have runways 914 to 1,523 metres long; the remaining two have shorter runways.
Water
Sierra Leone has the third largest natural harbour in the world, where international shipping berth at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay in Government Wharf in central Freetown. There are 800 km of waterways in Sierra Leone, of which 600 km are navigable year-round. Major port cities are Bonthe, Freetown, Sherbro Island and Pepel.
Highways
There are 11,700 kilometres of highways in Sierra Leone, of which 936 km are paved. Sierra Leone highways are linked to Conakry, Guinea, and Monrovia, Liberia.
Sports
Football
Football (soccer) is by far the most popular sport in Sierra Leone. The national football team, popularly known as the Leone Stars, represents the country in international competitions. It has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup but participated in the 1994 and 1996 African Cup of Nations. The country's national television network, The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service (SLBS) broadcasts the live match, along with several radio stations throughout the country.
The Sierra Leone National Premier League is the top football league, controlled by the Sierra Leone Football Association. The two biggest and most successful football clubs are East End Lions and Mighty Blackpool, 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.
The Sierra Leone U-17 football team, nicknamed 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.
Many Sierra Leoneans follow the major European football leagues, particularly the English Premier League, Italian Serie A, and Spain La Liga. Cinema are often overcrowed as fans gather to watch the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Inter Milan matches being shown live on television. Many Sierra Leoneans follow the UEFA Champions League more than the CAF Champions League. It is common to find local children nicknamed Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Francesco Totti, Ronaldinho, Steven Gerrard, Patrick Vieira, Lionel Messi and Filippo Inzaghi.
Cricket
The Sierra Leone cricket team represents Sierra Leone in international cricket competitions, and is among the best in West Africa. It became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council in 2002.[1] It made its international debut at the 2004 African Affiliates Championship, where it finished last of eight teams. But at the equivalent tournament in 2006, Division Three of the African region of the World Cricket League, it finished as runner-up to Mozambique, and just missed a promotion to Division Two.
Basketball
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 players.
Environment
Logging, mining, slash and burn, and deforestation for alternative land use - such as cattle grazing - have dramatically decreased forested land in Sierra Leone since the 1980s.
Until 2002, Sierra Leone lacked a forest management system due to a brutal civil war that caused tens of thousands of deaths. Deforestation rates have increased 7.3% since the end of the civil war. On paper, 55 protected areas covered 4.5% 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 rain forest in Sierra Leone.
In literature and film
Two major Hollywood films have been produced that relate to Sierra Leone. Steven Spielberg’s film Amistad (1997, with Morgan Freeman, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Mathew McCounaghey) is about an 1839 mutiny aboard a slave ship 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' right to freedom. The heroic role of Sengbe Pieh (Cinque), who organized and led the revolt, was 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), 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 established Sierra Leone as the blood diamond country in the minds of people all over the world.
Another film relating to Sierra Leone entitled "The Language You Cry In", is a documentary detailing the multi-generational connection between an African American family on the coast of Georgia and a small Mende village in Sierra Leone. The film focuses on the Georgia woman's knowledge of an old funeral hymn in the Mende language. A trio of an anthropologist, an ethnomusicologist, and an African linguist worked with this woman to discover the African roots of the song. They found that the song originated in a small village in southern Sierra Leone. A trip is organized for the Georgia woman and her family to travel to this village and meet with the people of that community who may be her long-lost family in Africa. The film's main point is to show how one specific "Africanism" has survived through hundreds of years and thousands of miles.
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 trade in diamonds or minerals for weapons. These include Hugh Paxton's horror/action novel; Amadou Kourouma's posthumously published book about roving rebel war soldiers, such the late Sam Bockarie, who fought in Liberia and Sierra Leone and was killed fighting in Côte d’Ivoire; and Ishmael Beah's book A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. 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. Trial by Rebellion by retired Captain Francis Ken Josiah was recently published in United States.
Noteworthy Sierra Leone writersinclude 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), Sheikh Gibril Kamara (The Spirit of Badenia) and Aminata Fornah (Ancestor's Stones).
Finally, the Kroo Bay projectprovides sketches about the reality of life for thousands of people living in slum communities in the capital, Freetown.
Further Information
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