The Republic of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone in west African region

Sierra Leone is a West African country. The country was named after the 15th-century Portuguese navigator Pedro de Sintra, who was the first European to see and map Freetown Harbour. Serra Lyoa (“Lion Mountains”) was the ancient Portuguese name for the range of hills that surrounded the bay. Freetown, the capital, has one of the world’s largest natural harbours.

Sierra Leone is a mining centre, despite the fact that the majority of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture. Diamonds, gold, bauxite, and rutile (titanium dioxide) are found on its property. Internal turmoil plagued the country beginning in the late 1980s and culminated in a devastating civil war that lasted from 1991 to 2002. Sierra Leone’s administration has been tasked with restoring the country’s physical and social infrastructure while also fostering reconciliation after the war’s end.

The Capital - Freetown

Population 9,528,000 (2023)

Religion -60% Muslim, 40% Christianity

Urban: 42.9% •
Rural: 57.1%

Currency: Leone (Le)

Language:
English

People - Ethnic Group

There are around 18 ethnic groups that share cultural characteristics such as secret societies, chieftaincy, patrilineal descent, and farming traditions. The two main groups are the Mende, which can be found in the east and south, and the Temne, which can be found in the centre and northwest.

The Limba, Kuranko, Susu, Yalunka, and Loko are in the north; the Kono and Kisi are in the east; and the Sherbro are in the southwest. Minority groups include the coastal Bullom, Vai, and Krim, as well as Fulani and Malinke immigrants from Guinea who live in the north and east. Creoles—descendants of freed blacks who colonised the coast from the late 18th to the mid-nineteenth centuries—are primarily found in and around Freetown. Blacks from the United States and the West Indies settled in Sierra Leone throughout the nineteenth century. The presence of Lebanese and Indian traders in urban areas adds to the ethnic mix.

Languages of Sierre Leone

Krio, a language developed from English and other African languages, is the Creoles’ mother tongue and the country’s lingua franca. The Mande group, which includes Mende, Kuranko, Kono, Yalunka, Susu, and Vai, is the largest of the Niger-Congo languages. Temne, Krim, Kisi, Bullom, Sherbro, and Limba make comprise the Mel group. The official language, English, is utilised in administration, education, and commerce. Arabic is widely spoken among Lebanese traders and Muslims. Indigenous languages such as Mende and Temne are used to create school textbooks, information bulletins, and folktale collections.

NigeriaTrade

Foreign commerce has grown significantly since independence, yet its character still reflects the economy’s colonial past. A disproportionate amount of reliance is put on a few key products, the majority of which are exported to Belgium, the United States, and Switzerland. The majority of exports are mineral and agricultural items. Imports, on the other hand, have become more diverse, including machinery, vehicles, petroleum, and food products. The main importers are Côte d’Ivoire, Canada, and the Netherlands.

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