Sierra Leone, which means “Lion Mountains”, is a very diverse country located on the west coast of Africa. Sierra Leone is impressively known for the country’s wealth in diamonds, also known as “blood diamonds” because of the blood that is shed to get these diamonds. The country is home to approximately 6.3 million people. Although English is the country’s official language, the languages of Temne, Mende, and Krio are also spoken. Sierra Leone’s inhabitant history, first contact with the Portuguese and British, transition from imperialism to freedom, and its modern nation is what makes the country unique. Limba, Capez, and Sape are believed by scholars to be the first inhabitants of Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone consists of about 18 different…
In the case of Sierra Leone, the war was prolonged primarily by greed with regards to the diamond resource (mis)management. After a “golden era” of democracy and good governance in 1961 with Sir Milton Margai as first Prime Minister, the politics of mismanagement started in 1964 when his brother Albert took over power (Iro, 2009; Hirsch, 2001). He regarded the state as an instrument for personal power and this way of thinking prevailed in Sierra Leone, dominating the mind-set of the political…
Sierra Leone was inhabited by early Africans over two thousand years ago but became part of the United Nations in 1961 when they gained their independence from the British. Sierra Leone had been a colony of Britain ever since 1808. As like the entire world, there was a great influence that came from Africa. Britain actually used Sierra Leone as a great educational ground by establishing the only University in Sub-Saharan Africa. However the British tried to over step their boundaries by…
The name "Sierra Leone" goes again to 1462, when Portuguese wayfarer Pedro da Cintra, cruising down the West African coast, saw the tall mountains ascending on what is currently the Freetown Peninsula and called them the "Lion Mountains," or " Serra Lyoa ." Successive visits by English mariners and later British colonization changed the name to "Sierra Leone." Despite different local varieties in dialect and neighborhood customs, Sierra Leoneans today are united by numerous components, for…
Eleven years after the end of the civil war in Sierra Leone, the country is seen as a successful case of the United Nations and the international intervention: two peaceful national elections were held and the rebels of the United Revolutionary Front (URF) were demobilized. The war in Sierra Leone began in 1991, when URF members attacked cities near the border with Liberia. URF claimed that its mission was to overthrow the single party regime of the Congress of all people (in power since 1968)…
Sierra Leone is made up of some very harsh conditions in their country. The living conditions in this country are some of the worst in the world. The conditions, such as the housing, has not progressed in recent years. In fact, the so-called traditional house in Sierra leone is a clay and earth structure with a thatch roof (Henry). The houses are either round or rectangular with a veranda and two to three interior rooms (Henry). The kitchen is most often located outside of the house where the…
Sierra Leone is an ex-British colony in the West African region, located between Liberia and Guinea. Sierra Leone achieved independence on April 27, 1961 during the scramble for independence from western states. One of the first and oldest political party in the in the country - Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) headed by Sir Milton Margai attained legitimate power to rule from British control. There have been many changes in government and political system since the country's independence. In…
Archeologist have been able prove that Sierra Leone has been inhabited continuously for at least 2,500 years. Sierra Leone is a county is West Africa on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Guinea to the northeast and Liberia to the southeast. The center of the county is a region of the lowland plains which contain farmland and forests. Lowlands occupies about 43% of Sierra Leone’s land. The Northern region has forests and savanna and the south has rainforests. The climate of…
There are many reasons that could explain underdevelopment in Sierra Leone, and for that matter in many African countries with shared experiences and similar backgrounds. The eleven-year civil conflict in Sierra Leone resulted in a large scale devastation of the economy, and of basically everything else in the country. The conflict has been perceived as the most important cause of poverty and underdevelopment in the country today. However, a civil conflict doesn’t just simply boil up out of…
Introduction: Gender inequality towards women in Sierra Leone can be described as inequitable or impractical compared to the equality of women in developed/western countries. The roles women are expected to play are general expectations such as cooking, cleaning, and staying at home with the children, leaving women in Sierra Leone with very little to no chance of stepping out of these expected roles to prevent being stigmatized or possibly killed (Luna 2016). According to the Social Institutions…