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Sierra Leone
by Maggie
For several years, the UN has listed Sierra Leone as the world’s
‘least livable’ country, which sums up perfectly the country’s recent
history. From a brutal eleven year civil war (1991-2002), caused by
rival factions seeking to control the illegal diamond trade, to HIV/AIDS
to refugees pouring in from Liberia, Sierra Leone is deeply troubled.
In this presentation, we will explore Sierra Leone, and
learn about a country far away and very different from our own.
Where in the World is Sierra Leone...
Above, left: Map of Sierra Leone
Above, right: Sierra Leone (in green) in relation to Africa
The National Flag
-
Sierra Leone’s national flag (pictured
lower right) is comprised of three equal
horizontal bands colored light green,
white, and light blue.
-
When Sierra Leone gained
independence from Great Britain on
April 27th, 1961, it adopted its current
flag. Most experts agree the flag is
based off of the country’s coat of arms
(pictured upper right)
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The green stripe stands for agriculture,
wealth and mountains, the white stripe
symbolizes justice and unity and the
blue stripe represents the Atlantic
Ocean and the harbor of Freetown
(Sierra Leone’s capital)
The People
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Population: 5,132,138
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Life expectancy: 55.25 years
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38% of the people live in urban areas
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32nd highest rate of death in the world
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15th highest infant mortality rate in the world
(for every thousand live births, there are
almost eighty-two deaths, as compared to
eight deaths per every thousand in the USA)
-
55,000 people in Sierra Leone have
HIV/AIDS. That’s 1.7% of the adults (ranked 37th in the world).
In the USA, 0.6% of adults have HIV/AIDS (68th in the world)
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Religious beliefs: Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%
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35% of the population is literate
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3.8% of GDP spent on education
Government
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Sierra Leone is a constitutional democracy (“a system of
government based on popular sovereignty in which the structures,
powers, and limits of government are set forth in a constitution,”
definition from Dictionary.com)
-
President: Ernest Bai KOROMA (above, right)
-
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term)
-
Unicameral Parliament with 124 seats. Members serve five year
terms.
Geographically and
Environmentally
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Total area: 71,740 sq km
- Slightly larger than South Carolina
-
Climate: tropical, hot, humid
-
Current environmental issues: rapid population growth pressuring
the environment, deforestation as a result of overharvesting of
timber, expansion of cattle grazing and slash-and-burn agriculture,
overfishing, and natural resources depleted by recent civil war
-
Terrain: mangrove swamps along the coast, wooded hill country,
upland plateau and mountains in the east
Economy
- GDP per capita: $900 (ranked 217th in the
world)
- 70.2% of the population below Sierra
Leone’s poverty line
- The national debt is $1.61 billion (estimate
from 2003)
The Military
- The service age is 17 years and 6
months for voluntary military service
(younger with parental consent)
- No official conscription
- 1,454,708 citizens aged 16-49 are fit
for military service
- 2.8% of GDP (as of 2006) spent on
the military
Other Facts
- Radio stations: 1 AM, 9 FM, 1 shortwave
- 2 TV stations (as of 1999)
- 9 airports, only 1 of which has a paved runway
- 11,300 km of road, of which only 904 km are
paved
Remaking a Country:
The Aftereffects of Civil War
The civil war in Sierra Leone was one of the most brutal conflicts in
recent history. The rebels routinely hacked off people’s limbs with machetes
to intimidate people. The war displaced over 2 million people (about 40% of
the population). Fighters raped women and girls, often multiple times. About
10,000 children fought as full-fledged soldiers. Both the rebel and
government forces gave them drugs and guns, and told them to fight.
Today, the aftereffects of the war can be seen in the ruined villages, as well
as in the orphans and amputees who remain.
http://itdawnedonme.wordpress.com/2009/07/05/ishmael-beah-former-sierra-leone-child-soldier/
http://www.afrol.com/
http://allafrica.com/
http://www.history.com/
https://www.cia.gov/index.html
http://itdawnedonme.wordpress.com/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
http://www.worldflags101.com/
Pictures From...
http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/
http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/world.htm
http://itdawnedonme.wordpress.com/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
www.awarenesstimes.com
http://www.cvmcanada.org/Index.htm
http://sierra-leone.com/
http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/
http://www.sierra-leone.org/index.html
http://motty-randomness.blogspot.com/
Music Provided By...
Microsoft PowerPoint
What I Wouldn’t Give, by Holly Brook