The Republic of Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The country is bordered by Guinea in the north and Liberia in the southeast. West Africa is the region of western Africa generally considered to include these countries: Benin Burkina Faso Cameroon Côte dIvoire (Ivory Coast) Equatorial Guinea Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Liberia Mali Niger Nigeria Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) Senegal Sierra Leone Togo Chad, Mauritania, and... The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... The Republic of Guinea (République de Guinée) is a nation in northwest Africa. ... The Republic of Liberia is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte dIvoire. ...

(In Detail) (Full size)
National motto: Unity - Freedom - Justice
Official language	English
Capital	Freetown
President	Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 116th 71,740 km² 0.2%
Population  - Total (2000)  - Density	Ranked 102nd 5,426,618 76/km²
Independence	April 27, 1961
Currency	Leone
Time zone	UTC
National anthem	High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free
Internet TLD	.sl
Calling Code	232

Large flag of Sierra Leone Image originally derived from the public domain flags of the CIA World Factbook. ... Coat of arms Sierra Leone This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ... Flag ratio: 2:3 The national flag of Sierra Leone was officially hoisted on April 27, 1961. ... Here is a list of state mottos for countries and their subdivisions around the world. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... An official language is something that is given a unique status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... For other cities of the same name, see Freetown (disambiguation). ... This page contains a list of presidents and other heads of state of Sierra Leone since 1971. ... Ahmad Tejan Kabbah (born February 16, Sierra Leone (1996-1997, 1998 - present). ... This article explains the meaning of area as a physical quantity. ... Here is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... In the most common sense of the word, a population is the collection of people—or organisms of a particular species—living in a given geographic area. ... Density (symbol: ρ - Greek: rho) is a measure of mass per unit of volume. ... This is a list of sovereign states and other territories by population. ... Independence is autonomous self-government of a country by its residents and indigenous population. ... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... 1961 (As MAD Magazine pointed out on its first cover for the year) was the first upside-down year - i. ... The leone is the currency of Sierra Leone, a country on the West African coast. ... -1... UTC also stands for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, the basis for civil time, differs by an integral number of seconds from atomic time and a fractional number of seconds from UT1. ... The National Anthem is the name of a song by the band Radiohead. ... High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free is the national anthem of Sierra Leone. ... A top-level domain (TLD) is the last part of which Internet domain names consist of. ... .sl is the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD) for Sierra Leone. ...

History

Main article: History of Sierra Leone Early history and slavery European contacts with Sierra Leone were among the first in West Africa. ...

The written history of Sierra Leone begins in 1462, when Portuguese explorers first landed and named the country "Lion Mountains". Europeans used the land as a source for slaves, but in 1787 Freetown was established as a city for former slaves living in London. Events Settlers from Portugal begin to settle the Cape Verde islands. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... The word slave has at least two meanings: People who are owned by others, and live to serve them without pay. ... 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... For other cities of the same name, see Freetown (disambiguation). ... London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ...

In 1808, Sierra Leone became a British Crown Colony, which it remained until halfway through the 20th century, when the process of de-colonisation was commenced. This culminated in independence on April 27, 1961. Sir Milton Margai (1895-1964) was its first prime minister. Events January 1 - Importation of slaves into the United States is banned February 11 - Russia issues an ultimatum to France, Finland. ... A United Kingdom overseas territory (formerly known as a dependent territory or earlier as a crown colony) is a territory that is under the sovereignty and formal control of the United Kingdom but is not part of the United Kingdom proper (Great Britain and Northern Ireland). ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... 1961 (As MAD Magazine pointed out on its first cover for the year) was the first upside-down year - i. ... Sir Milton Augustus Strieby Margai (December 7, 1895-April 28, 1964) was the first prime minister of independent Sierra Leone. ...

The republic—briefly a one-party state in the early 1980s—became involved in a civil war in 1991, with the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) of Foday Sankoh rebelling against the government. This resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (well over one-third of the population) many of whom are now refugees in neighboring countries. A military coup on May 25, 1997 replaced then President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah with Major Johnny Paul Koromah. Kabbah was reinstated in March 1998, after the junta was ousted by the Nigerian-led ECOMOG forces. A civil war is a war in which the competing parties are segments of the same country or empire. ... The Revolutionary United Front, or RUF, was a rebel army that fought a failed ten-year insurrection in Sierra Leone starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. ... Foday Sankoh Foday Sankoh (October 17, 1937 - July 29, 2003) was a leader of the Sierra Leone rebel faction Revolutionary United Front in the 10-year-long Sierra Leonean civil war, which ended in 2002. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ... Ahmad Tejan Kabbah (born February 16, Sierra Leone (1996-1997, 1998 - present). ... This article needs cleanup. ... ECOMOG is a West African multilateral armed force established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). ...

A peace agreement, signed on July 7, 1999 in Lomé, Togo offered a slight hope that the country will be able to terminate the diamond-powered conflict, and rebuild its devastated economy and infrastructure. As of late 1999, up to 6,000 UNAMSIL peacekeepers were in the process of deploying to bolster the peace accord. July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 177 days remaining. ... Lomé, estimated population 700,000 ( 1998), is the capital of Togo. ... See also Togoville for the town formerly known as Togo The Togolese Republic is a country in West Africa, bordering Ghana in the west, Benin in the east and Burkina Faso in the north. ... A scattering of round-brilliant cut diamonds shows off the many reflecting facets. ... The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) is a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Sierra Leone. ...

In May 2000, the situation in the country deteriorated to such an extent that British troops were deployed in Operation Palliser to evacuate foreign nationals. They stabilised the situation, and were the catalyst for a ceasefire and ending of the civil war. 2000 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December This is a timeline for events in May, 2000. ... Operation Palliser was a British Armed forces operation in Sierra Leone in 2000 under the command of Brigadier David Richards. ...

Although there has been a significant amount of news coverage of the war in Sierra Leone, a comprehensive review of the conflict based on extensive field research—using a methodology known as Conflict Mapping—is available here (http://www.specialcourt.org/Outreach/ConflictMapping/NPWJ_CMR_ES_10MAR04.zip).

Politics

Main article: Politics of Sierra Leone Sierra Leone is a republic with an executive president and a multi-party system of government. ...

The head of state and government is the president, who is elected every five years (most recently in May 2002). He appoints and heads a cabinet of ministers. The Sierra Leonean parliament is unicameral, with 124 seats. 112 members are elected concurrently with the presidential elections; the other 12 seats are filled by a paramount chief from each administrative district. Sierra Leone is divided into 12 districts, the secondary administative division of government (after provinces). ...

Provinces

Main article: Provinces of Sierra Leone Sierra Leone is divided into four provinces - Eastern Province Northern Province Southern Province Western Area - including Freetown the capital Categories: Sierra Leone | Lists of subnational entities ...

Sierra Leone is divided into three provinces and one district:

• Eastern Province
• Northern Province
• Southern Province
• Western Area

Geography

Map of Sierra Leone

Main article: Geography of Sierra Leone Map of Sierra Leone. ... Map of Sierra Leone. ... Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia Geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 11 30 W Map references: Africa Area: total: 71,740 km² land: 71,620 km² water: 120 km² Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina Land boundaries: total: 958 km border countries: Guinea...

Much of Sierra Leone's coastline consists of mangrove swamps, with the exception of the peninsula on which the capital city Freetown is located. The rest of Sierra Leone is mostly plateau (about 300 m above sea level) covered by forests, with mountains in the east of the country (highest point Loma Mansa, 1,948 m). The climate is tropical, with a rainy season from May to December. Above and below water view at the edge of the mangal Mangroves are woody trees or shrubs that grow in mangrove habitats or mangal (Hogarth, 1999). ... A peninsula is a geographical formation consisting of an extension of land from a larger body that is surrounded by water on three sides. ...

Major cities are the capital Freetown, Koidu (Sefadu), Bo, Kenema and Makeni. Bo is a city in Sierra Leone, lying in the centre of the country. ... Kenema is a city in eastern Sierra Leone. ... Makeni is the capital of the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. ...

Economy

Main article: Economy of Sierra Leone Rich in minerals, Sierra Leone has relied on the mining sector in general, and diamonds in particular, for its economic base. ...

Sierra Leone is an extremely poor nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. It does have substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources. However, the economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development, following a 10-year civil war. About two-thirds 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. There are plans to reopen bauxite and rutile mines shut down during the conflict. The major source of hard currency consists of the mining of diamonds. The fate of the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad. Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes. ... In social sciences, superstructure is the set of socio-psychological feedback loops that maintain a coherent and meaningful structure in a given society, or part thereof. ... Bauxite Bauxite is a naturally occurring, heterogeneous material composed primarily of one or more aluminium hydroxide minerals, plus various mixtures of silica, iron oxide, titania, aluminosilicate, and other impurities in minor or trace amounts. ... Rutile is a mineral composed of titanium dioxide, TiO2, which occurs in three distinct forms, as: rutile, a tetragonal mineral usually of prismatic habit, often twinned; anatase or octahedrite, a tetragonal mineral of octahedral habit; and brookite, an orthorhombic mineral. ... A scattering of round-brilliant cut diamonds shows off the many reflecting facets. ...

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Sierra Leone The indigenous population of Sierra Leone is made up of 18 ethnic groups. ...

There are about 20 different tribes living in Sierra Leone, which together make up about 90% of the population. The most important tribes are the Temne (mostly in the north) and Mende (central and south), both forming about one third of the population. There is a sizeable number of Creoles, descending from enslaved Africans, Asians stranded in London and other Londoners who established a colony there in the 1780s. The Mende are a large tribe (population approximately 700,000) living primarily in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea. ... The term Creole is used with different meanings in different contexts, which can generate confusion. ... Slavery is any of a number of related conditions involving control of a person against his or her will, enforced by violence or other clear forms of coercion. ... London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ...

Although English is the official language, it is understood by only a minority, as most people speak their tribe's own language. The creole language Krio, based on English, is however spoken by most of the population. The predominant religion is Islam (about 60%), the remainder practice indigenous beliefs or Christianity. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A creole is a language descended from a pidgin that has become the native language of a group of people. ... Krio is a language spoken in Sierra Leone. ... Islam ( Arabic al-islām الإسلام,  listen?) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ...

Sierra Leone is the worst nation for childbirth in the world, having the highest Maternal Mortality Ratio, or risk of maternal death, of any country. The MMR of Sierra Leone according to a report from the World Health Organization in the year 2000 is 2,000 maternal deaths per live 100,000 births. The extremely high MMR is principally due to severe obstetric situations such as hemorrhage, obstructed labor, ectoptic gestation, abortion, and puerperal sepsis. Those situations were aggravated by the rebellion and the detrimental effects on distribution of reproductive health services due to the massive displacement of people, destruction of medical infrastructure and hospital equipment, rural inaccessibility, poor and disadvantageous accessibility to basic medical services. Childbirth in a hospital. ... The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is a measure of the risk of death once a woman has become pregnant. ... Maternal death is the death of a woman in childbirth. ...

Culture

Main article: Culture of Sierra Leone

• Music of Sierra Leone
• List of writers from Sierra Leone

Sierra Leones music is a mixture of native and French influences. ... African Writers (by country): This is a list of literary figures from the African continent, listed by country, including poets, novelists, childrens writers, essayists, and scholars, listed by country. ...

Miscellaneous topics

• Communications in Sierra Leone
• Transportation in Sierra Leone
• Military of Sierra Leone
• Foreign relations of Sierra Leone

Telephones - main lines in use: 25,000 (2001), 17,000 (1995) Telephones - mobile cellular: 30,000 (2001) Telephone system: marginal but improving telephone and telegraph service domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects Freetown to Bo and Kenema. ... Railways: total: 84 km narrow gauge: 84 km 1. ... Military branches:Army (RSLAF) Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,228,664 (2003 est. ... Sierra Leone has maintained cordial relations with the West, in particular with the United Kingdom. ...

External links

• Sierra Leone Web (http://www.sierra-leone.org)
• UNAMSIL  (http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/unamsil/body_unamsil.htm)
• Photos: People of Sierra Leone (http://public.fotki.com/sierraleone/sl_series/people_of_sierra_leone/)
• Sierra Leone Travel and Tourism Information (http://www.visitsierraleone.org)
• Dossier about Sierra Leone from Freedomhouse.org (http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/freeworld/2003/countryratings/sierra-leone.htm)
• Cry Freetown (http://www.cryfreetown.org)
• War Crimes Trials in Sierra Leone (http://www.sc-sl.org)
• No Peace Without Justice in Sierra Leone (http://www.npwj.net)
• Sierra Leone Encyclopedia 2004 (http://www.daco-sl.org/encyclopedia2004/index.htm)
• Country Lodge Complex (http://www.countrylodgesl.com)