Sierra Leone
Geography
Sierra Leone is a country (about the size of South Carolina) in West Africa bordering Liberia and Guinea. The capital (Freetown) is on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Sierra Leone has a tropical climate, cycling through two seasons: hot and dry. The terrain consists of mountains, plateaus, wooded areas, and swamps.
History
People have been living in Sierra Leone for thousands of years. Historians believed that certain tribes, including the Bulom, Themne and Limba, have been settled on the coast in Sierra Leone for quite some time, while others - the Mende, Vai, and Loko - settled primarily inland.
As colonialism began, the Portuguese, British, Dutch, and others started exploring and trading in Sierra Leone. The name Sierra Leone, in fact, comes from Portuguese for "lion mountain", named by the explorer Pedro da Cintra. Trading began with tools and utensils in exchange for beeswax and ivory wax, but in the mid-1500s the trading of slaves was added to the trading of items. In 1787 the Province of Freedom was founded by British philanthropists as a British colony to suppress the slave trade. In 1792 there were 1200 freed slaves from Nova Scotia, who were joined by more freed slaves from Jamaica in 1800. The total number of freed slaves living in Freetown amounted to over 50,000 by the year 1855; this people group and their descendants are known as the Krio, speaking an English based creole. Sierra Leone became an official British colony in 1808.
On April 27th, 1961 Sierra Leone gained their independence from Great Britain, attaining republican status eight days prior. Unfortunately, a civil war terrorized Sierra Leone in the 1990s.
The War
The civil war in Sierra Leone began in 1991 and continued until 2002. The conflict was between rebel forces (Revolutionary United Front) and the government, the victims were the civilians. The RUF accused the government of corruption and mismanagement of the countries resources, including diamonds. As with many wars, though people begin with what they believe to be a noble cause, they become the people they despise - using diamonds to source bloodshed and terror. The rebels raped and amputated victims and told them to go to the capital, showing them the wrath of the rebels (they did go to the capital, but for medical assistance). The war was not just brutal because of what happened to the bystanders, but also because of who the soldiers were. Children changed for life because they were recruited into a cause in order to survive - both in the government's army and the RUF. British forces and UN forces assisted in ending the war. Near the end of the war, banning of mining diamonds was also put into effect. In all, over 50,000 people were killed, and half the population was displaced.
Freetown - Capital of Sierra Leone
Post-War Sierra Leone
The first elections after the civil war were held in May 2002, electing Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of the Sierra Leone People's Party who was both elected and exiled during the civil war. Since the end of the civil war work has been done for reconciliation, economic recovery and reform, and reaching a higher standard of living for Sierra Leoneans. Though efforts are being made, Sierra Leone is still one of the poorest countries. Elections in 2007 resulted in Ernest Bai Koroma of the All People's Congress to be elected, and then again in 2012.
Bibliography
Visit Sierra Leone. 2015. History. Accessed 14 July 2016. https://www.visitsierraleone.org/background-information/history/
Anup Shah. 200. Sierra Leone. Global Issues. Accessed 24 July 2016. http://www.globalissues.org/article/88/sierra-leone
Shekou M. Sesay. 2016. Sierra Leone. Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed 24 July 2016. https://www.britannica.com/place/Sierra-Leone/Civil-war
Books to learn more..
Bite of a Mango by Mariatu Kamara
This book tells the story of a young girl who falls victim to the evils of the Sierra Leone civil war. Her story is not easy to read, but her strength and perseverance is inspiring. Because this is a real story at a challenging time for Sierra Leone, please be aware that there is violence of various kinds.
Come back later for more book suggestions!