Sierra Leone is also a member of the United Nations and its specialised agencies, the African Union, the African Development Bank (AFDB), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). About 2% of the country's population are Creole people, descendants of freed African-American and Afro-Caribbean slaves. [176] Most of Sierra Leone's ethnic groups are Muslim majority, including the country's two largest ethnic groups: the Mende and Temne. The three least populated districts are Karene, Falaba, and Koinadugu with 3.8%, 2.2%, and 2.7% respectively of the total population. In 1808, Sierra Leone became a British crown colony, ruled under a colonial governor. The Military of Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), are the unified armed forces of Sierra Leone responsible for the territorial security of Sierra Leone's border and defending the national interests of Sierra Leone within the framework of its international obligations. [103] The country's population is mostly young, with an estimated 41.7% under 15, and rural, with an estimated 62% of people living outside the cities. [25], Archaeological finds show that Sierra Leone has been inhabited continuously for at least 2,500 years;[27] populated successively by societies who migrated from other parts of Africa. Within hours after taking office, Stevens was ousted in a bloodless military coup led by Brigadier General David Lansana, the commander of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces. One of the first ethnic groups to become educated according to Western traditions, they have traditionally been appointed to positions in the civil service, beginning during the colonial years. The current speaker of the Sierra Leone parliament is Abass Bundu, who was elected by members of parliament on 21 January 2014. Different sources give different estimates. 4043. With the emergence of the slave trade, human trafficking became the major commodity and indigenes were sold as slaves. [66] Bureh surrendered on 11 November 1898 to end the destruction of his people's territory and dwellings. Covering a total area of 71,740km2 (27,699sqmi),[12] Sierra Leone has a tropical climate, with diverse environments ranging from savanna to rainforests. The figure for Freetown is for the Western Urban Area (Greater Freetown). Western Area Rural: Waterloo - Hastings Urban Area: pop. [16] Muslims make up about three-quarters of the population, though with an influential Christian minority. In early August 2014 Sierra Leone cancelled league football (soccer) matches because of the Ebola epidemic. The Temne are said to have migrated from Futa Jallon, which is in present-day Guinea. Football is the most popular sport in this city, and its home to the Kamboi Eagles professional football club. Next in proportion are the Kono, who live primarily in Kono District in Eastern Sierra Leone. After 11 years, the country conducted another census in 1974, in that headcount, the population grew to two million, seven hundred and thirty-five thousand one hundred and fifty-nine (2,735,159) and after another 11 years in 1985, the census report recorded a population of three million five hundred and fifteen thousand, eight hundred and twelve (3,515,812). "[132], Within the context of local governance, the districts are governed as localities. [68] A notable event in 1935 was the granting of a monopoly on mineral mining to the Sierra Leone Selection Trust, run by De Beers. The average temperature is 26C (78.8F) and varies from around 26 to 36C (78.8 to 96.8F) during the year. There are four districts in the Northern Province: The Southern Province of Sierra Leone has the most coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. Bio is the leader of the Sierra Leone People's Party, the current ruling party in Sierra Leone. Unpublished master's dissertation (London: Open University, 2013), pp. Stevens is generally criticised for dictatorial methods and government corruption, but on a positive note, he kept the country stable and from collapsing into civil war. Other minority ethnic groups are the Kuranko, who are related to the Mandingo and are largely Muslims. The candidate was Major General Joseph Saidu Momoh, head of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces and Stevens' own choice to succeed him. [201] Many Christian organisations in Sierra Leone, including the Council of Churches condemned Ajisafe's sermon against Islam and Muslims. [51], The Sierra Leone Company, controlled by London investors, refused to allow the settlers to take freehold of the land. A strong free journalistic tradition developed with the creation of several newspapers. The Military of Sierra Leone also has a Chief of the Defence Staff who is a uniformed military official responsible for the administration and the operational control of the Sierra Leone military. [210] Males, on the other hand, presented higher levels of anxiety and hostility. For several months, Bureh's fighters had the advantage over the vastly more powerful British forces but both sides suffered hundreds of fatalities. He was neither corrupt nor did he make a lavish display of his power or status. Sierra Leone, [note 1] officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. Kushe O! Sierra Leone has one of the world's largest deposits of rutile, a titanium ore used as paint pigment and welding rod coatings. [256], Print media is not widely read in Sierra Leone, especially outside Freetown and other major cities, partially due to the low levels of literacy in the country. They reinstated the constitution and returned power to Stevens, who at last assumed the office of Prime Minister. The Lungi International Airport located in the coastal town of Lungi in Northern Sierra Leone is the primary airport for domestic and international travel to or from Sierra Leone. Until 1906, Madam Yoko ruled as a paramount chief in the new British Protectorate. On 5 July 1994 SAJ Musa, who was popular among the general population, particularly in Freetown, was arrested and sent into exile after he was accused of planning a coup to topple Strasser, an accusation SAJ Musa denied. In response, the NPRC hired the services of South African-based private military contractor Executive Outcomes for several hundred mercenary fighters in order to strengthen the response to the advances of the RUF rebels. When the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was abolished in 1806, the freed slaves from Britain and the Americas were repatriated to the capital which was named Freetown. Each one of Sierra Leone's sixteen administrative districts (with the exception of the Western Area Urban District) is governed by a directly elected district council headed by a council chairman. [29] Over time, the climate changed considerably, altering boundaries between different ecological zones, affecting migration and conquest. [79] [156] Part of the reason for this was due to the import duties and taxes and the lack of quality control. The current Inspector General of Police is Brima Acha Kamara, who was appointed to the position by former president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. Its capital and economic hub is Port Loko, and it is divided into three districts. Accordingly, they began to consider Sir Albert a threat to the ruling houses across the country. The SLPP, which was then the most popular political party in the colony of Sierra Leone as well as being supported by the powerful paramount chiefs in the provinces, won the most seats in Parliament and Margai was re-elected as Chief Minister by a landslide. Sir Albert resorted to increasingly authoritarian actions in response to protests and enacted several laws against the opposition All People's Congress, whilst attempting to establish a one-party state. The country can be divided into four distinct physical regions: the coastal swamp, the Sierra Leone Peninsula, the interior plains, and the interior plateau and mountain region. However, females face gender discrimination making them the target of lower incomes and financial struggle. Sierra Leone is a country in the western region of Africa bordering Liberia, Guinea, and the Atlantic Ocean. 113,185 (2015); Katu Town Urban Area: pop. The Paramount Chiefs are influential, particularly in villages and small rural towns. After the return to civilian rule, by-elections were held (beginning in autumn 1968) and an all-APC cabinet was appointed. [156], As of 2012, Sierra Leone has 3 main hydroelectric plants. Waterloo is part of Freetown metropolitan area. 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 hotels. Sierra Leone is a West African country near the Atlantic Ocean. The country is divided into five administrative regions, which are subdivided into 16 districts. In the south, the plains comprise a rolling wooded country where isolated hills rise abruptly to more than 1,000 feet (300 metres). Sierra Leone appears on the EU list of prohibited countries with regard to the certification of airlines. However, no presidential candidate won the 50% plus one vote majority stipulated in the constitution on the first round of voting. [248][249][250][251][252][253] Some subjects are seen as taboo by society and members of the political elite; imprisonment and violence have been used by the political establishment against journalists. [108] There are concerns that heavy logging continues in the Tama-Tonkoli Forest Reserve in the north. Each one of Sierra Leone's 14 districts is headed by a district police commissioner who is the professional head of their respective district. The APC currently has 68 of the 132 elected parliamentary seats and the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) has 49 of the elected 132 parliamentary seats. There are several main internet service providers (ISPs) operating in the country. The SLPP leadership, led by Sir Milton Margai, negotiated with the British and the educated Krio-dominated colony based in Freetown to achieve independence. Several organisations planned to operate digital terrestrial subscription TV services, with Multichoice's Go TV having built infrastructure ahead of getting a licence and ultimately failing to get a licence. Based on 2015 estimates of the population of Sierra Leone, 77% of the population are Muslims, 22% are Christians, and 1% practise African traditional religion. The airport has paved runways longer than 3,047 metres (9,997 feet). Association football is by far the most popular sport in Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone cricket team represents Sierra Leone in international cricket competitions and is among the best in West Africa. The Creoles, a descendant from the Nova Scotia, Maroons and Recaptives. [80] Although possessing the full backing of the country's security forces, he called for free and fair elections. Most of the proposals came from leaders of the Protectorate, whose population far outnumbered that in the colony. [203] The Jehovahs Witnesses[204] and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[205][206] are the two most prominent non-Trinitarian Christians in Sierra Leone, and they form a small but significant minority of the Christian population in Sierra Leone. They did not maintain relationships even with longstanding allies, such as Bai Bureh, who was later unfairly portrayed as a prime instigator of the Hut Tax War.[65]. They have no tradition of origin, and it is believed that they have lived in Sierra Leone since before the European encounter. The Eastern Province is located on the eastern side of Sierra Leone and borders Guinea and Liberia as well as two other Sierra Leone provinces. The AWC- Aberdeen Women's Centre in Freetown, the second busiest hospital in Sierra Leone, delivering up to 3000 babies each year. One source estimates the population at 14,915,[173] whilst another puts it as high as 85,313. The centre provides a variety of maternal and child health services and is supported by not for profit organisations such as Freedom from Fistula,[231] The Aminata Maternal Foundation,[232][bettersourceneeded] and UNFPA. The Limba are primarily found in Northern Sierra Leone, particularly in Bombali, Kambia and Koinadugu District. After a trial that lasted a few months, Bangura was convicted and sentenced to death. There are ten regional airports in Sierra Leone, and one international airport. Before 2017, this province included the area that is now the North West Province of Sierra Leone. In October 1999, the United Nations agreed to send peacekeepers to help restore order and disarm the rebels. It works to prevent crime, protect life and property, detect and prosecute offenders, maintain public order, ensure safety and security, and enhance access to justice. The park is home to elephants, hippos, buffaloes, and many chimpanzees its also listed as a protected area by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). DuBois, Marc, and Caitlin Wake, with Scarlett Sturridge and Christina Bennett (2015). The monopoly was scheduled to last 98 years. Nyagua also resisted the British. He, like Bai Bureh, resisted the British. The majority of the Kono ethnic group are Christians, though with an influential Muslim minority. In 1924, the UK government divided the administration of Sierra Leone into Colony and Protectorate, with different political systems constitutionally defined for each. Odelay mask by Temne people. The Oku people are related to the Krio and primarily reside in the communities of Fourah Bay, Fula Town, and Aberdeen in Freetown. Freetown was known as the "Athens of Africa" due to the large number of excellent schools in Freetown and surrounding areas. Below you can find a map of Sierra Leone provinces: Sierra Leone is divided into five units as the highest level administrative division. [1] [2] Previously, the country was divided into 14 districts. The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which is located within the peninsula's vast rainforest reserve, just a few kilometres from the centre of Freetown, has a collection of rare and endangered chimpanzees. He removed the SLPP party from competitive politics in general elections, some believed, through the use of violence and intimidation. The Krio have traditionally dominated Sierra Leone's judiciary and Freetown's elected city council. [78] Sir Albert Margai took power and sought to make the army homogeneously Mende. All of Sierra Leone's Heads of State have been Christians except Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, who was a Muslim. The land was also home to the Temee and Loko peoples, whose presence predates the arrival of Europeans. This is due to substandard safety standards.[154]. On 28 December 1992, an alleged coup attempt against the NPRC government of Strasser, aimed at freeing the detained Colonel Yahya Kanu, Colonel Kahota M.S. The Sierra Leone constitution guarantees freedom of speech, and freedom of the press; however, the government maintains strong control of media, and at times restricts these rights in practice. Only 20% of the urban population and 1% of the rural population had access to piped drinking water in their home. Its capital and largest town is Bendugu. Sierra Leone, along with Liberia, Ivory Coast and Guinea, form the Mano River Union (MRU). In May 1962, Sierra Leone held its first general election as an independent nation. Is due to substandard safety standards. [ 154 ] the 50 % plus vote. The Nova Scotia, Maroons and Recaptives slave trade, human trafficking became major. Association football is the most popular sport in this city, and Caitlin Wake, with Scarlett and. 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