Sierra Leone
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/* Ethnic groups */
{{Infobox Country
|native_name = Republic of Sierra Leone
|conventional_long_name =
|common_name = Sierra Leone
|image_flag = Flag of Sierra Leone.svg
|image_coat = Coat of arms of Sierra Leone.png
|symbol_type = Coat of Arms
|image_map = LocationSierraLeone.png
|national_motto = "Unity - Freedom - Justice"
|national_anthem = ''[[High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free]]''
|official_languages = [[English language|English]]
|capital = [[Freetown]] (1,070,200)
|latd= 8|latm=31 |latNS=N |longd=13 |longm=15 |longEW=W
|largest_city = capital
|government_type = [[Constitutional republic]]
|leader_title1 = [[List of Presidents of Sierra Leone|President]]
|leader_name1 = [[Ernest Bai Koroma]]
|leader_title2 =[[Vice President of Sierra Leone|Vice President]]
|leader_name2 = [[Samuel Sam-Sumana]]
|area_rank = 119th
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
|area_km2 = 71,740
|area_sq_mi = 27,699
|percent_water = 1.0
|population_estimate = 6,294,774[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sl.html]
|population_estimate_rank = 103rd<sup>1</sup>
|population_estimate_year = July 2008 [[CIA]]
|population_census =
|population_census_year =
|population_density_km2 = 83
|population_density_sq_mi = 199
|population_density_rank = 114th<sup>1</sup>
|GDP_PPP = $4.921 billion <!--IMF-->
|GDP_PPP_rank = 151st
|GDP_PPP_year = 2005
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $903
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 172nd
|sovereignty_type = [[Independence]]
|established_event1 = from the [[United Kingdom]]
|established_event2 = [[Republic]] declared
|established_date1 = [[April 27]] [[1961]]
|established_date2 = [[April 17]] [[1971]]
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.336
|HDI_rank = 177th
|HDI_year = 2007
|HDI_category = <font color="#e0584e">low</font>
|Gini = 62.9
|Gini_year = 2003
|Gini_category = <font color="red">high</font>
|FSI = 93.4 {{decrease}} 3.2
|FSI_year = 2007
|FSI_rank = 23rd
|FSI_category = <font color="#FF0000">Alert</font>
|currency = [[Sierra Leonean leone|Leone]]
|currency_code = SLL
|country_code =
|time_zone = [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]
|utc_offset = +0
|time_zone_DST =
|utc_offset_DST =
|cctld = [[.sl]]
|calling_code = 232
|demonym = Sierra Leonean
|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]] 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)<ref name="Sierra Leone">{{cite web| url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761563681/Sierra_Leone.html| title="Sierra Leone"| author= Encarta Encyclopedia| accessdate=2008-02-19}}</ref> and has a population of 5,900,000. The country has a [[tropical climate]], with a diverse environment ranging from [[savannah]] to [[rainforests]].<ref name="Sierra Leone Geography">{{cite web| url=http://sbs.com.au/theworldnews/Worldguide/index.php3?country=178&header=3| title="Sierra Leone Geography"| author= The World Guide| accessdate=2008-02-19}}</ref> [[Freetown]] is the capital, seat of government, and largest city.<ref name="Sierra Leone">{{cite web| url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761563681/Sierra_Leone.html| title="Sierra Leone"| author= Encarta Encyclopedia| accessdate=2008-02-19}}</ref> Other major cities in the country with a population over 100,000 are [[Bo, Sierra Leone|Bo]], [[Kenema]], [[Koidu|Koidu Town]] and [[Makeni]]. Although English is the official language spoken at [[schools]] and government administration, [[Krio language|Krio]] (language derived from English and several West 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.
Early inhabitants of Sierra Leone included the [[Sherbro people|Sherbro]], [[Temne people|Temne]] and [[Limba people (Sierra Leone)|Limba]] peoples, and later the [[Mende people|Mende]],<ref name="Precolonial tribes">Kup (1961), p. 116</ref> who knew the country as Romarong, and the Kono who settled in the East of the country.<ref name="Sierra Leone2">{{cite web| url=http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Sierra_Leone| title="Sierra Leone"| author= Classic Encyclopedia| accessdate=2008-02-19}}</ref> In [[1462]], it was visited by the [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] explorer [[Pedro da Cintra]], who gave it its name Serra de Leão, meaning 'Lion Mountains'.<ref name="Placenames of the World">Room (1995), p. 346-7</ref> 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 [[slavery|enslaved]] [[African]] and [[West Indians]].<ref name="History of Sierra Leone">{{cite web| url=http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad45| title="History of Sierra Leone"| author= History World| accessdate=2008-02-19}}</ref> In [[1808]], Freetown became a [[British Empire|British]] [[Crown Colony]], and in [[1896]], the interior of the country became a British [[Protectorate]];<ref name="Sierra Leone2">{{cite web| url=http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Sierra_Leone| title="Sierra Leone"| author= Classic Encyclopedia| accessdate=2008-02-19}}</ref> 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]],<ref name="Causes of civil war">Sillinger (2003), p. 104</ref> which began in [[1991]] and was resolved in [[2000]] after the [[United Nations]] led by Nigeria defeated the rebel forces and restored the civilian government elected in 1998 to Freetown. Since then, almost 72,500 former combatants have been disarmed<ref name="Conflict and Collusion in Sierra Leone">Keen (2005), p. 268</ref> and the country has reestablished a functioning [[democracy]].<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> The [[Special Court for Sierra Leone]] was set up in [[2002]] to deal with [[war crimes]] and [[crimes against humanity]] committed since [[1996]].<ref name="About the Special Court for Sierra Leone">{{cite web| url=http://www.sc-sl.org/about.html| title="About the Special Court for Sierra Leone"| author= The Special Court for Sierra Leone| accessdate=2008-02-19}}</ref>
Sierra Leone is the lowest ranked country on the [[Human Development Index]] and seventh lowest on the [[Human Poverty Index]],<ref name="Sierra Leone - The Human Development Index">{{cite web| url=http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_SLE.html| title="Sierra Leone - The Human Development Index"| author= Human Development Reports| accessdate=2008-02-19}}</ref> suffering from endemic [[Political corruption|corruption]]<ref name="Corruption in Sierra Leone">{{cite web| url=http://www.worldpress.org/Africa/352.cfm| title="Corruption in Sierra Leone"| author= David Tam-Baryoh, Worldpress.org| accessdate=2008-02-19}}</ref> and [[press freedom|suppression of the press]].<ref name="Media body curbs press freedom">{{cite web| url=http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=3775| title="Media body curbs press freedom"| author= Reporters without Borders| accessdate=2008-02-19}}</ref>
== History ==
{{main|History of Sierra Leone}}
=== Early History ===
[[Image:hanno voyage.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A map illustrating the voyage of [[Hanno the Navigator]].]]
Archaeological finds show that Sierra Leone has been inhabited continuously for at least 2,500 years,<ref name="Culture of Sierra Leone">{{cite web| url=http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Sierra-Leone.html| title="Culture of Sierra Leone"| author= Countries and Their Cultures| accessdate=2008-02-22}}</ref> populated by successive movements from other parts of Africa.<ref name="Sierra Leone History">{{cite web| url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-55344/Sierra-Leone| title="Sierra Leone History"| author= Encyclopaedia Britannica| accessdate=2008-02-19}}</ref> The use of [[iron]] was introduced to Sierra Leone by the [[9th century]], and by AD [[1000]] [[agriculture]] was being practiced by coastal tribes.<ref name="Sierra Leone - History">{{cite web| url=http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Sierra-Leone-HISTORY.html| title="Sierra Leone - History"| author= Encyclopedia of the Nations| accessdate=2008-02-22}}</ref> Sierra Leone's dense tropical rainforest largely protected it from the influence of any precolonial African empires<ref name="protected from influence"> Utting (1931), p. 33</ref> and from further [[History of Islam|Islamic colonization]], which were unable to penetrate through it until the [[18th century]].<ref name="rainforest"> Utting (1931), p. 8</ref>
[[Europe]]an contacts with Sierra Leone were among the first in [[West Africa]]. In 1462, [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] explorer [[Pedro da Cintra]] mapped the hills surrounding what is now Freetown Harbour, naming shaped formation ''Serra de Leão'' ([[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] for ''Lion Mountain''). Its [[Italian language|Italian]] rendering is ''Sierra Leone'', which became the country's name.
=== Slavery===
[[Image:slaves sierra leone.jpg|thumb|right|200px|An [[1835]] illustration of liberated slaves arriving in Sierra Leone.]]
Britain and British seafarers – including [[Sir Francis Drake]], [[John Hawkins]], Forbisher and Captain Brown — played a major role in the [[slave trade|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 [[United Kingdom|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 people|White]] women arrived off the coast of Sierra Leone on [[May 15]] [[1787]], accompanied by some [[England|English]] [[tradesman|tradesmen]]. This was organized by the [[St George's Bay Company]], composed of British [[philanthropist]]s 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 people|Asian]] inhabitants of London.
Disease and hostility from the indigenous people nearly eliminated the first group of colonists. Through intervention by [[Thomas Peters (black leader)|Thomas Peters]], the [[Sierra Leone Company]] was established to relocate another group of nearly 1,200 [[United States|American]] ex-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 [[utopia]]n community, the [[Board of directors|directors]] of the Sierra Leone Company refused to allow the settlers to take [[fee simple|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 [[Jamaica]]n [[Maroon (people)|Maroons]], who also arrived via Nova Scotia.
[[Image:Freetown2.jpg|left|thumb|200px|The colony of Freetown in [[1856]].]]
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 [[Sierra Leone Krio people|Krio people]]. Cut off from their homes and traditions, they assimilated some aspects of British styles of inhabitants and built a flourishing trade of flowers and beads on the West African coast. The [[lingua franca]] of the colony was [[Krio language|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 ===
[[Image:Bai Bureh.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Bai Bureh]], leader of the [[1898]] rebellion against Brittish rule]]
In the early 20th century, Freetown served as the residence of the British governor who also ruled the [[Gold Coast (British colony)|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 peoples of Africa|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 Temne chief who refused to recognize the hut tax imposed by the British in 1893 in Sierra Leone. He did not 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 ===
[[Image:Milton Margai.png|thumb|right|[[Sir Milton Margai]], lead Sierra Leone to Independence and became his nation first Prime Minister]]
On [[April 27]], [[1961]], [[Sir]] [[Milton Margai]] led Sierra Leone to [[independence]] from the [[United Kingdom]]. Independence was peacefully negotiated at the [[Marlborough House]] in [[London]] in [[1961]]. 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 Temne chief [[Bai Bureh]]. A number of rebellions followed until after [[World War II]].
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]], the [[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 [[political corruption|corruption]] and of a policy of [[affirmative action]] in favour of the [[Mende people|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. Under the SLPP Administration of Albert Margai, The Mende increase their influence both in the [[civil service]] and the army. Most of the top military and government positions were held by members of the Mende ethnic group. As a result, benefits accrued to Mende-dominated areas in the south-east of the country.
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 [[Military of Sierra Leone|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. Under the APC regimes headed by Stevens, The Limba and Creoles retained strong influence in the government. During the 1970s, the other major ethnic group, the [[Temne people|Temne]] joined the Mende in opposition to the APC government. But After Stevens appointed a Temne vice president [[Sorie Ibrahim Koroma]] in 1978, the Temne appeared to have emerged as the second most influential group in the government, after the Limba.
The return to civilian rule led to by-elections beginning in fall 1968 and the appointment of an all-APC cabinet. Calm was not 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 [[execution|executed]]. In 1977, student demonstrations against the government disrupted Sierra Leone politics.
[[Image:Siaka Stevens.png|thumb|right|[[Siaka Stevens]], became Sierra Leone first President after the country was declared a [[Republic]] in 1971]]
On [[April 19]], [[1971]], parliament declared Sierra Leone a [[Republic]], Siaka Stevens, then prime minister, became the first president. [[Guinea]]n 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, parliament 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===
{{seealso|Sierra Leone Civil War}}
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 was not serious, and APC rule was increasingly marked by abuses of power.
Civil war broke out, mainly due to [[Political corruption|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 eastern Sierra Leone from Liberia 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 [[Army captain|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 had 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 [[Demonstration (people)|demonstration]]s, 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 [[peacekeeper]]s 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==
{{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 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 [[Direct democracy|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 (government)|Executive]] and the [[Judiciary]].
Within the confines of the 1991 Constitution, supreme legislative powers are vested in [[Parliament of Sierra Leone|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.
[[Image: Ernest Bai Koroma.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Ernest Bai Koroma]], current president of Sierra Leone]]
The president is the [[head of state]], the [[head of government]] and the [[commander-in-chief]] of the [[Military of Sierra Leone|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 is to be a [[Two-round system|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.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1061561.stm BBC country profile]</ref>
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 [[Districts of Sierra Leone|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.
[[Image:Freetown Court 1984.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Sierra Leone [[Supreme Court]] in the capital Freetown]]
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 [[People's Republic of China|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 [[Military of the United States|US military]] (as covered under Article 98).
The government maintains 16 [[embassy|embassies]] and [[high commission]]ers 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.<ref> http://www.slhc-uk.org.uk/envoys.htm</ref>
== Provinces and districts ==
{{main|Provinces of Sierra Leone|Districts of Sierra Leone|Chiefdoms of Sierra Leone}}
[[Image:Sierra Leone Districts.png|thumb|300px|right|The 14 districts of Sierra Leone.]]
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.
<!--please do not change the official 2004 figures without discussion-->
{|class="wikitable"
!District!!Capital|!!Area km²||Province||Population (2004 census)<ref name=SSL>{{Cite web | title =FINAL RESULTS 2004 POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS |publisher =Statistics Sierra Leone | url=http://www.daco-sl.org/encyclopedia/1_gov/1_4/Statistics%20Sierra%20Leone/ssl_final_results.pdf | accessdate =2008-06-09|format= pdf|pages=3}}</ref><!--These are the official figures please do not change without discussion-->||Population (2008 estimates)
|-
| [[Bombali District]] ||[[Makeni]]||7,895||rowspan="5"|[[Northern Province, Sierra Leone|Northern Province]]||408,390||420,561 [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6636]
|-
|| [[Koinadugu District]] ||[[Kabala, Sierra Leone|Kabala]]||12,121||265,758||
|-
| [[Tonkolili District]] ||[[Magburaka]]||7,003||347,197||365,465 [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6647]
|-
| [[Port Loko District]] ||[[Port Loko]]||5,719||453,756||
|-
| [[Kambia District]] ||[[Kambia, Sierra Leone|Kambia]]||3,108||270,462||295,090[http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6639]
|-
| [[Kenema District]] ||[[Kenema]]||6,053||rowspan="3"|[[Eastern Province, Sierra Leone|Eastern Province]]||497,948||515,461 [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6640]
|-
| [[Kono District]] ||[[Koidu|Koidu Town]] ||5,641||335,401||
|-
| [[Kailahun District]] || [[Kailahun]] ||3,859||358,190||382,829 [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6638]
|-
| [[Bo District]] || [[Bo, Sierra Leone|Bo]] ||5,473.6<ref name=SLEBo>{{Cite web | title =Bo District|date =[[July]] [[2007]] |publisher =Sierra Leone Encyclopedia (UN and Government of Sierra Leone) | url =http://www.daco-sl.org/encyclopedia/3_dist/3_1a_bo.htm| accessdate =2008-06-06}}</ref>||rowspan="4"|[[Southern Province, Sierra Leone|Southern Province]]||463,668||515,945 [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6635]
|-
| [[Bonthe District]] || [[Bonthe]] ||3,468||129,947||
|-
| [[Moyamba District]] || [[Moyamba]] ||6,902||260,910 ||
|-
| [[Pujehun District]] || [[Gandorhun]] ||4,105||228,392 ||262,073 [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=-6645]
|-
|}
{|class="wikitable"
!Districts!!Capital|!!Area km²||Region||Population (2004 census)<ref name=SSL/><!--These are the official figures please do not change without discussion-->
|-
| [[Western Area Urban District]]||[[Freetown]]||557 km² |||[[Western Area]]||772,873
|-
| [[Western Area Rural District]]||[[Freetown]]||267 km² ||[[Western Area]]||174,249
|-
|}
'''The [[Western Area]]''' comprises [[Freetown]], the nation's [[capital]], and its surrounding [[countryside]].
===Sierra Leone major cities===
[[Image:KoiduStreet.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Main street in [[Koidu|Koidu Town]], Sierra Leone's fourth largest city]]
{|class="wikitable"
!City!!2004 census<ref name=SSL/><!--These are the official figures please do not change without discussion-->!!Current population estimate
|-
| [[Freetown]] ||772,873|| 1,070,200 [http://www.kcmo.org/international.nsf/web/scsierraleone]
|-
| [[Bo, Sierra Leone|Bo]] ||149,957|| 198,292 [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1208365723&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&geo=-195&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&pt=c&va=&geo=352708826].
|-
| [[Kenema]] ||128,402||158,496 [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=352384881]
|-
| [[Koidu|Koidu Town]] || 80,025||111,800 [http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/Sierra%20Leone.htm]
|-
| [[Makeni]] || 82,840||105,900 [http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/Sierra%20Leone.htm]
|-
|}
* The populations quoted above for the five largest cities are estimates from the sources cited. Different sources give different estimates. Some claim that [[Magburaka]] should be included in the above list, but one source [http://population-of.com/en/Sierra-Leone/02/Magburaka]estimates the population at only 14,915.
==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Sierra Leone}}
[[Image:Sierra Leone rice farmer.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A rice farmer in [[Gandorhun]], Pujehun District]]
[[Image:Sierra Leone rice farming.jpg|[[Rice]] farming in the village of Rolako in Bombali district|thumb|right]]
Sierra Leone is slowly emerging from a protracted civil war and is showing signs of a successful transition. [[investor|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 perhaps best known for its 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 [[political corruption|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 is [[Smuggling|smuggled]], where it is 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 [[hotel]]s.
[[Credit card]] use is limited in Sierra Leone, though they may be used at some hotels and [[restaurant]]s. Visitors should check in advance with local managements. Sierra Leone does not have internationally linked [[automated teller machine]]s (ATM).
==Demographics==
[[Image:School destroyed by Sierra Leone Civil War.jpg|thumb|right|Sierra Leonean children in [[Koindu]], [[Kailahun District]]]]
The 2008 [[CIA]] estimate of Sierra Leone's population is 6,294,774 [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sl.html]. 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 100,000 are [[Kenema]], [[Koidu|Koidu Town]] and [[Makeni]].
Although [[English language|English]] is the [[official language]]<ref>{{Cite web | title =Sierra Leone Overview | publisher = United Nations Development Programme Sierra Leone | url =http://www.sl.undp.org/sloverview.htm | accessdate =2008-06-03}}</ref> spoken at [[school]]s and government administration, [[Krio language|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 group]]s, especially in their trade and interaction with each other.
According to the ''World Refugee Survey 2008'', published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Sierra Leone had a population of 8,700 [[refugees]] and asylum seekers at the end of 2007. Nearly 20,000 Liberian refugees voluntarily returned to [[Liberia]] over the course of 2007. Of the refugees remaining in Sierra Leone, nearly all were Liberian.<ref name="World Refugee Survey 2008">{{cite news|title=World Refugee Survey 2008|publisher=U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants|date=2008-06-19|url=http://www.refugees.org/survey}}</ref>
==Ethnic groups==
[[Image:Sierra Leone village woman.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A [[Mende people|Mende]] woman in the village of Njama in Kailahun District]]
The population of Sierra Leone comprises fifteen [[ethnic groups]], each with its own language and costume. The two largest are the [[Mende people|Mende]] and [[Temne people|Temne]], each comprises about 30% of the population. The Mende predominate in the South Province and in [[Kailahun District|Kailahun]] and [[Kenema District]] in the Eastern province; the Temne likewise predominate in the Northern Province. The third largest are the [[Limba people (Sierra Leone)|Limba]] and they represent about 9% of the population. Like their close [[ally|ally]] the Temne, the Limba live mostly in the Northern Province. The fourth largest are the [[Kono people|Kono]], they make up about 8% and live mostly in the Eastern Province, particularly in the [[diamond]]-rich [[Kono District]], where the form by far the largest ethnic group. The fifth largest are the [[Krio people|Krio]] (descendants of freed [[West Indians]] slaves from the [[West Indies]] and freed [[African American]] slaves from the [[United States]] which landed in Freetown between [[1787]] and about [[1885]]) make up about 5.9% of the country's population and they are primarily found in the capital city of [[Freetown]] and its surrounding [[suburbs]]. The sixth largest are the [[Mandinka people|Mandingo]], they make up about 5% and they predominate in [[Kabala, Sierra Leone|Kabala]], the capital and largest city of [[Koinadugu District]] in the Northern Province. The remaining 13% is split between nine smaller ethnic groups: the [[Sherbro people|Sherbro]], [[Kissi people|Kissi]], [[Kuranko people|Kuranko]], [[Loko people|Loko]], [[Fula people|Fula]], [[Susu people|Susu]], [[Yalunka people|Yalunka]], [[Vai (ethnic group)|Vai]] and the [[Sierra Leonean-Lebanese]] (descendants of [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]] [[settlers]] who settled in Sierra Leone during the late [[19th century]]).
In the past, Sierra Leoneans were noted for their [[education]]al achievements, trading activity, entrepreneurial skills, and [[art]]s and [[craft]]s 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.<ref name="statedept">{{cite web |url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5475.htm |title="Sierra Leone (02/08)" |accessdate=2008-02-17 |format= |work="U.S. Department of State" }}</ref>
[[List of Sierra Leoneans]]
===Religion===
{{see|Islam in Sierra Leone|Roman Catholicism in Sierra Leone|Hinduism in Sierra Leone}}
{{bar box
|title=Sierra Leone Religion
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=religion
|right1=percent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Islam]]|blue|60}}
{{bar percent|[[Christianity]]|green|30}}
{{bar percent|[[African traditional religion]]|gray|10}}
}}
[[Islam]] comprised 60% of Sierra Leone's population, [[Christianity]] at 30%, and [[African traditional religion]] at 10% [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2003/23750.htm].
The Sierra Leone constitution provides [[freedom of religion]] and the government generally protects this right and does not tolerate its abuse. Unlike many other African countries, the religious and ethnic mix of Sierra Leone rarely cause religious or tribal conflict.
==Media==
{{main|Media in Sierra Leone}}
[[Image:Radio listener in Sierra Leone.jpg|thumb|right|Radio listener in [[Kailahun]]]]
Media in Sierra Leone began with the introduction of the first [[printing press]] in [[Africa]] at the start of the nineteenth century. A strong [[journalist]]ic tradition developed with the creation of a number of [[newspaper]]s. In the 1860s the country became a journalist hub for Africa with professional travelling to the country from across the continent. At the end of the nineteenth century the industry went into decline and when radio was introduced in the 1930's this became the primary communication media in the country. The [[Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service]] (SLBS) was created by the government in 1934 making it the earliest [[English language]] [[radio]] broadcaster service in West Africa. The service began broadcasting television in 1963, with coverage extended to all the districts in the country in 1978.
Print media is not widely read in Sierra Leone, especially outside [[Freetown]], partially due to the low levels of [[literacy]] in the country. There are 15 daily newspapers in the country as well as those published weekly. Among newspaper readership young people are likely to read newspapers weekly and older people daily. The majority of newspapers are privately run and are often critical of the government. The standard of print journalism tends to be low due to lack of training and people trust the information published in newspapers less than that found on the radio. Radio is the most popular and most trusted media in Sierra Leone, with 85% of people having access to a radio and 72% of people in the country listening to the radio daily. These levels do vary between areas of the country with the [[Western Area]] having the highest levels and [[Kailahun]] the lowest. Stations mainly consist of local commercial stations with a limited broadcast range combined with a few stations with national coverage. The [[United Nations]] Mission in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL)runs one of the most popular stations in the country broadcasting programs in a rang of languages. Content includes news of UN activities and human rights information, as well as music and news. The UN missions will withdraw in 2008 and the UN Radio's future is uncertain. There is also a government station run by the SBLS that transmits on [[FM]] and short-wave. FM relays of [[BBC World Service]], [[Radio France Internationale]] and [[Voice of America]] are on the air.
[[Image:Isata Mahoi radio editor and actress.jpg|thumb|left|Isata Mahoi, Sierra Leonean radio editor and actress]]
Outside the capital Freetown [[television]] is not watched by a great many people. There are two national free [[terrestrial television]] stations in Sierra Leone one run by the government SBLS and the other a private station ABC Television-Africa (ABC). In 2007 a pay-per-view service was also introduced by GTV as part of a pan-African television service. [[Internet]] access in Sierra Leone has been low but is on the increase, especially since the introduction of [[wireless internet|wireless]] services across the country. There are nine [[Internet Service Providers]] (ISPs) operating in the country. Freetown has a city wide wireless network and [[Internet cafes]] and other businesses offering internet access. Problems experienced with access to the Internet include an intermittent electricity supply and a slow connection speed in the country outside Freetown.
The Sierra Leone constitution guarantees [[freedom of speech]], and [[freedom of the press]]; however, the government maintains strong control of media, at times restricts these rights in practice. Some subjects are seen as taboo by society and members of the political elite, imprisonment and violence has been used by the political establishment against journalists.<ref>{{Citation
| last =Wilson
| first =Harry
| publication-date =2005
| title =Press Freedoms and Human Rights:2005 Year End Press Freedom Brief
| publisher =Commonwealth Press Union
| url =http://www.cpu.org.uk/pf_2005_review.html
| accessdate =2008-04-20
}}</ref> <ref>{{Citation | publication-date =2006 | title =Sierra Leone - Annual report 2006 | publisher =Reporters without Borders:For Press Freedom | url =http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17400
| accessdate =2008-04-20}}</ref> Under legislation enacted in 1980, all newspapers must register with the Ministry of Information and pay sizable registration fees. The Criminal [[Libel]] Law, including Seditious Libel Law of 1965, is used to control what is published in the media.<ref name="Annual06">{{Citation | publication-date=2006 | title=Sierra Leone - Annual report 2006| publisher =Reporters without Borders:For Press Freedom | url=http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17400 | accessdate =2008-04-20}}</ref> In 2006 President [[Ahmad Tejan Kabbah]] committed to reforming the laws governing the press and media to create a freer system for journalist to work in<ref name="Annual06"/> but in 2007 Sierra Leone was [[Reporters Without Borders#Worldwide Press Freedom Index Ranking|ranked]] as having the 121st least free press in the world, with the press less free, in comparison to other countries, than in 2006.<ref>{{Citation | publication-date =2007 | title =Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007| publisher =Reporters without Borders:For Press Freedom | url =http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=24025 | accessdate =2008-04-20}}</ref>
==Education==
{{main|Education in Sierra Leone}}
[[Image:Second grade class in Koidu Sierra Leone.jpg|right|thumb|Second grade class in [[Koidu|Koidu Town]]]]
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 education|compulsory]] in government-sponsored [[public school]]s.
[[Image:Classroom at a seconday school in Pendembu Sierra Leone.jpg| A seconday school class in [[Pendembu]], [[Kailahun District]]|right|thumb]]
The country's two main Universities are the [[Fourah Bay College]] in Freetown, the oldest university in West Africa, founded in [[1827]], and [[Njala University]] in [[Njala]] in Bo, founded in [[1963]]. Teacher training colleges and religious seminaries are found in many parts of the country.
===Notable secondary schools in Sierra Leone===
{|class="wikitable"
!School!!founded!!City
|-
| [[Bo School|Bo Government Secondary School]] ||1906||[[Bo, Sierra Leone|Bo]]
|-
| [[Albert Academy]] ||[[1904]]||[[Freetown]]
|-
| [[Harford School for Girls]] ||[[1897]]||[[Moyamba]]
|-
| [[St. Edwards Secondary School]] ||[[1866]]||Freetown
|-
| [[St. Francis Secondary School]] ||[[1949]]||[[Makeni]]
|-
| [[Koidu Secondary School]]||[[1942]]||[[Koidu|Koidu Town]]
|-
| [[Annie Walsh Memorial Girls Secondary School]] ||[[1848]]||Freetown
|-
| [[Government Secondary School for Boys|Magburaka Government Secondary School for Boys]]||[[1946]]||[[Magburaka]]
|-
|| [[Methodist Boys High School]] ||[[1874]]||Freetown
|-
| [[Prince of Wales Secondary School]] ||[[1842]]||[[Freetown]]
|-
| [[Kenema Government Secondary School]] ||[[1950]]||[[Kenema]]
|-
|| [[Kono Model Academy]] ||[[1950]]||Koidu Town
|-
| [[Sierra Leone Grammar School]]||[[1845]]||Freetown
|-
| [[Yengema Secondary School]]||[[1946]]||[[Yengema]]
|-
| [[Koidu Girls Secondary School]]||[[1952]]||Koidu Town
|-
| [[St. Joseph Secondary School]]||[[1954]]||Makeni
|}
{{clear}}
==Transportation==
{{main|Transport in Sierra Leone}}
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 airport]]s in Sierra Leone, and one [[international airport]]. The [[Lungi International Airport]] located in the [[coastal]] town of [[Lungi, Sierra Leone|Lungi]] in Northern Sierra Leone is the primary airport for domestic and international travel to or from Sierra Leone. Passengers cross the river to Aberdeen [[Heliport]]s in Freetown by [[hovercraft]], [[ferry]] or a [[helicopter]]. Helicopters are also available from the airport to other major cities in the country. 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==
{{main|Sport in Sierra Leone}}
===Football===
{{Main|Football in Sierra Leone}}
[[Football (soccer)|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 African Cup of Nations|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, [[nickname]]d 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 [[Premier League|English Premier League]], [[Italy|Italian]] [[Serie A]], and [[Spain]] [[La Liga]]. Cinema are often overcrowed as fans gather to watch the likes of [[Manchester United]], [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]], [[AC Milan]], [[Real Madrid]], [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]], [[Liverpool F.C.|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]].{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
===Cricket===
{{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]]. 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===
{{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 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 [[bird]]s, 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 film]]s have 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 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 (film)|Blood Diamond]]'' (2006, [[Leonardo DiCaprio]], [[Jennifer Connelly]] and [[Djimon Hounsou]]) is about [[conflict diamonds]] mined in Sierra Leone, [[Angola]] and [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|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 diamond]]s 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]]''<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-weapon]]s 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 writers include 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'') Aminata Fornah (''Ancestor's Stones'', and Ishmael Beah ("A Long Way Gone").
Finally, the [http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/kroobay/ Kroo Bay project]provides sketches about the reality of life for thousands of people living in slum communities in the capital, Freetown.
==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}
==Book references==
===Primary sources===
* {{cite web |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=SEz1PCvILHUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Conflict+%26+Collusion+in+Sierra+Leone&lr=&as_brr=3&sig=TngWWzDTOOGYh5Ec9-OELvdKAss| title=''Conflict and Collusion in Sierra Leone'' |author=Keen, David|publisher=Oxford: James Currey. ISBN 0-85255-883-X|year= 2005}}
* {{cite book|author=Kup, Alexander Peter|title= A History of Sierra Leone, 1400-1787|year= 1961|publisher=Cambridge University Press |location= Cambridge|isbn= 0786418141}}
* {{cite book|author=Sillinger, Brett|title= Sierra Leone: Current Issues and Background|year= 2003|publisher=Nova Science Publishers |location= New York|isbn= 1590336623}}
* {{cite book|author=Utting, Francis A|title= The Story of Sierra Leone|year= 1931|publisher=Ayer Company Publishers |location=|isbn= 0836967046}}
===Secondary sources===
* {{cite book|author=Room, Adrian|title= Placenames of the World|year= 1995|publisher=McFarland |location= Jefferson, NC|isbn= 0786418141}}
* {{cite book|author=Levinson, David|title= Ethnic Groups Worldwide: A Ready Reference Handbook|year= 1998|publisher=Oryx Press |location= Phoenix|isbn= 1573560197}}
==Further reading==
* {{cite book|author=Abraham, Arthur|title=Mende Government and Politics under Colonial Rule
|location=Freetown and London|year=1978}}
* {{cite book|author=Abraham, Arthur|title=Cultural Policy in Sierra Leone|publisher=UNESCO|year=1978}}
* {{cite journal|author=Abraham, Arthur|title=Sengbe Pieh: A Neglected Hero?|journal=Journal of the Historical Society of Sierra Leone|volume=II|issue=2|year=1978}}
* {{cite book|author=Abraham, Arthur|title=Topics in Sierra Leone History: A Counter-Colonial Interpretation|publisher=Leone Publishers|location=Sierra Leone|year=c. 1976}}
* {{cite book|author=Bah, M. Alpha|title=Fulbe Migration in Sierra Leone: A Case History of Twentieth-Century Migration and Settlement Among the Kissi of Koindu|publisher=Peter Lang Publishing|location=New York|year=1998}}
* {{cite book|author=Berger, Daniel|title=In the Land of Magic Soldiers: A Story of White and Black in West Africa|publisher= Farrar, Straus and Giroux|year=2003}}
* {{cite book|author=Blyden, Nemata Amelia|title='In Her Majesty' Service: West Indians in British Colonial Government, Sierra Leone, 1808-1880: Race, Class and Ethnicity in a British West African Colony}}
* {{cite book|author=Clarke, J.I., Nelson, S.J.A. and Swindell, K.|title=Sierra Leone in Maps|location= London|year=1966}}
* {{cite book|author=Cole, Bernadette|title=Mass Media, Freedom and Democracy in Sierra Leone|location=Freetown|year=1995}}
* {{cite book|author=Conteh-Morgan, Earl and Dixon-Fyle, Mac|title=Sierra Leone at the End of the Twentieth Century: History, Politics and Society|publisher=Peter Lang Publishing|location=New York|year=1999}}
* {{cite book|author=Cox-George, N. A.|title=Finance and Development in West Africa: The Sierra Leone Experience|publisher=D. Dobson|location=London|year=1961}}
* {{cite book|author=Foray, Cyril P.|title=Historical Dictionary of Sierra Leone|publisher=The Scarecrow Press|location=Metuchen and London|year=1977}}
* {{cite book|author=Forna, Aminatta|title=The Devil that danced on the Water: A daughter’s memoir|location=London|year=2002}}
* {{cite book|author=Fyfe, Christopher|title=A History of Sierra Leone|publisher=Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press|year=1962}}
*{{cite book|author=Fyle, Christopher|title=Sierra Leone Inheritance|location=London|year=1964}}
* {{cite book|author=Fyfe, Christopher|title=Africanus Horton, 1835-1883 : West African Scientist and Patriot|location=Aldershot|year=1992}}
* {{cite book|author=Gberie, Lansana, Smillie, Ian and Hazleton, Ralph|title=The Heart of the Matter: Sierra Leone, Diamonds and Human Society|publisher=Partnership Africa Canada|month=January|year=2000}}
* {{cite book|author=Global Witness|title=Conflict Diamonds, Possibilities for the Identification, Certification and Control of Diamonds|month=June|year=2000}}
* {{cite book|author=Hirsch; John L.|title=Sierra Leone: Diamonds and the Struggle for Democracy|publisher=Lynne Rienner Pub|year=2000}}
* {{cite journal|author=Jalloh, Alusine|title=African Entrepreneurship: Muslim Fula Merchants in Sierra Leone|journal=Monographs in International Studies, Africa Series|issue=71|publisher=Ohio University Center for International Studies|year=1999}}
* {{cite book|author=Jalloh, S. Balimo|title=Sierra Leone|publisher=Länderbericht, Bergisch Gladbach|year=1991}}
* {{cite journal|author=Jalloh, S. Balimo|title=Conflicts, Resources and Social Instability in Subsahara Africa – The Sierra Leone Case|journal=Internationasles Afrikaforum|issue=37|month= February|year=2001|pages=166–180}}
*{{cite journal|author=Jalloh, S. Balimo|title=Subsahara Africa – Trade Expansion Through Countertrade|journal=Internationales Afrikaforum|month=April|year=1995|pages=365–374}}
* {{cite book|author=Jones, Durosimi Eldred|title=Othellos Countrymen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1965}}
* {{cite book|author=Jones, Durosimi Eldred and Eustace Palmer|title=African Literature Today Africa World Press|location=London|year=1995}}
* {{cite book|author=Jones, Howard|title=Mutiny on the Amistad: The Saga of a Slave Revolt and its Impact on American Abolition, Law and Diplomacy|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York|year=1986}}
* {{cite book|author=Kabba, Muctaru, (Editor)|title=Sierra Leonean Heroes, Fifty Great Men and Women Who Helped to Build Our Nation|location=Freetown|year=1988}}
* {{cite book|author=Koroma, Abdul K.|title=Sierra Leone – The Agony of a Nation|publisher=Andromeda Publications|location=Freetown|year=1996}}
* {{cite book|author=Kpundeh, Sahr John|title=Politics and Corruption in Africa: A Case Study of Sierra Leone|publisher=University Press of America|location=Lanham}}
* {{cite book|author=Lewis, Damien|title=Operation Certain Death - The Inside Story of the SAS'S Greatest Battle|publisher=Arrow Books|year=2005}}
* Nicol, Davidson, ''Regionalism and the New International Economic Order''; UNITAR-CEESTEM-Club of Rome conference at the United Nations, Pergamon Press, 1981.
* {{cite book|author=Opala, Joseph|title=The Gullah: Rice, Slavery, and the Sierra Leone-American Connection|publisher=U.S. Information Service|year=1987}}
* {{cite book|author=William Reno|title=Corruption and State Politics in Sierra Leone|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1995}}
* {{cite book|author=Paul Richards|title=Fighting for the Rain Forest – War Youth & Resources in Sierra Leone|publisher=James Currey Publishers|location=London|year=1996}}
* {{cite book|author=Sawyerr, Harry|title=God, Ancestor or Creator? Aspects of Traditional Belief in Ghana, Nigeria & Sierra Leone|location=Harlow|publisher=Longmans|year=1970}}
* {{cite book|author=Turay, Harry|title='Land Tenure Systems in Sierra Leone|publisher=unpublished project report|location=Njala University College|year=1980}}
* {{cite book|author=H.L. van der Laan|title=The Sierra Leone Diamonds, An Economic Study covering the years 1952-1961|location=Oxford|year=1965}}
* {{cite book|author=Wyse, Akintola J.G. and Deveneaux, Gustav H.K.|title=The Sierra Leone-German connection, 1787-1987, An Overview|publisher=The German Embassy|location=Freetown|year=1993}}
* {{cite book|author=Wyse, Akintola J. G.|title=H. C. Bankole-Bright and Politics in Colonial Sierra Leone, 1919-1958|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge, New York|year= 1990}}
*Mwakikagile, Godfrey (2001). ''The Modern African State: Quest for Transformation'', Chapter Two: Anarchy and Mercenaries in Sierra Leone: The Powerless African State, pp. 19 - 72. Nova Science Publishers, Inc., Huntington, New York; Mwakikagile, Godfrey, ''Military Coups in West Africa Since The Sixties'', Chapter Twelve: Sierra Leone, pp. 183 - 196, Nova Science Publishers, 2001.
==External links==
'''Government and Diplomacy'''
* [http://www.statehouse-sl.org/ The Republic of Sierra Leone] official government site
* [http://www.slhc-uk.org.uk/ Sierra Leone High Commission in London]
* [http://www.slhc-uk.org.uk/envoys.htm Diplomatic Representations of Sierra Leone]
* [http://www.britishhighcommission.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1041606243868 British High Commission in Sierra Leone]
* [http://freetown.usembassy.gov/index.html US Embassy in Sierra Leone]
'''Tourism and Travel'''
* {{wikitravel}}
* [http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/religious_studies/aysesierraleone/home.html Aisha's Eye on Sierra Leone] a photo documentary
* [http://www.welcometosierraleone.org/ National Tourist Board of Sierra Leone] official site
* [http://www.visitsierraleone.org Visit Sierra Leone] Travel and Tourism information
* [http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1016.html US Department of State travel information]
'''Economy and Business'''
* [http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/country.cfm?id=SierraLeone Index of Economic Freedom] - Sierra Leone is 48.4% free
* [http://www.leonedirect.com Sierra Leone Business Directory]
*[http://www.fadugu.com Fadugu]Sending Money to Sierra Leone
* (pdf) [http://www.buyusainfo.net/docs/x_3887831.pdf Doing Business in Sierra Leone] - A Commercial Guide for US Companies
* [http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/SIERRALEONEEXTN/0,,menuPK:367849~pagePK:141132~piPK:141109~theSitePK:367809,00.html World Bank Data & Statistics on Sierra Leone]
'''News Media and Discussion'''
* [http://allafrica.com/sierraleone/ allAfrica.com - ''Sierra Leone''] News Aggregator
* [http://awarenesstimes.com Awareness Times] Newspaper
* [http://www.thenewpeople.com The New People] The New People Newspaper
* [http://www.irinnews.org/Africa-Country.aspx?Country=SL IRIN Sierra Leone] humanitarian news and analysis
* [http://www.enciss-sl.org ENCISS] civil society and governance
* [http://www.sierraeye.net Sierra Eye] Sierra Leone News Portal
'''Other Resources'''
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sl.html CIA World Factbook - Sierra Leone]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1061561.stm BBC Country profile: Sierra Leone]
* [http://dmoz.org/Regional/Africa/Sierra_Leone Open Directory Project - ''Sierra Leone''] directory category
* [http://www.sierra-leone.org Sierra Leone Web]
* [http://www.sc-sl.org War Crimes Trials in Sierra Leone]
{{Countries of Africa}}
{{Member states of the African Union}}
{{South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone}}
{{Niger-Congo-speaking}}
{{Commonwealth of Nations}}
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[[Category:Sierra Leone| ]]
[[Category:African Union member states]]
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[[af:Sierra Leone]]
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