Intro
Contents
Sierra Leone was a British Crown Colony from 1808 to April 27, 1961 when it achieved independence, but periods of political turbulence have marked its recent history. On 19 April 1971, Siaka Stevens’ government abolished Sierra Leone’s parliamentary government system and declared Sierra Leone a presidential republic, creating a one party state from 1978 to 1985. The current multiparty democratic constitution of Sierra Leone was adopted in 1991 by the government of President Joseph Saidu Momoh, just as the rebel group Revolutionary United Front, led by former imprisoned Sierra Leone army officer Foday Sankoh, launched a brutal civil war.
On April 29, 1992, the military overthrew President Momoh, and Sierra Leone was under Military rule from 1992 to 1996. Sierra Leone returned to a democratically elected government when the military Junta under Brigadier General Julius Maada Bio handed the presidency to Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of the SLPP after his victory in the 1996 Sierra Leone presidential election. However, on May 25, 1997, the military overthrew President Kabbah. In February 1998, a coalition of West African Ecowas armed forces led by Nigeria reinstated President Kabbah, and executed the leaders of the coup after a trial by military court. In January 2002, President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah announced the ending of the civil war with the help and support of Ecowas, the British government, the African Union, and the United Nations. Sierra Leone has had an uninterrupted democratic government from 1998 to present.
Sixteen ethnic groups inhabit Sierra Leone, each with its own language and customs. The two largest and most influential are the Temne and Mende. The Temne are predominantly found in the northwest of the country, and the Mende in the southeast. Comprising a small minority, about 2%, are the Krio people, who are descendants of freed African-American and West Indian slaves. Although English is the official language, used in schools and government administration, Krio, an English-based creole, is the most widely spoken language across Sierra Leone. Spoken by 98% of the population, Krio unites all the ethnic groups in the country, especially in their trade and social interaction.
Sierra Leone is a Muslim-majority country 78%, with an influential Christian minority at 21%.[13] Sierra Leone is regarded as one of the most religiously tolerant states in the world. Muslims and Christians collaborate and interact with each other very peacefully, and religious violence is very rare. The major Christian and Muslim holidays are officially public holidays in the country, including Christmas, Easter, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
Sierra Leone has relied on mining, especially of diamonds, for its economic base. It is also among the largest producers of titanium and bauxite, is a major producer of gold, and has one of the world’s largest deposits of rutile. Sierra Leone is home to the third-largest natural harbour in the world. Despite this natural wealth, 53% of its population lived in poverty in 2011. Sierra Leone is a member of many international organisations, including the United Nations, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Mano River Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, the African Development Bank and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Motto:
“Freedom and Justice”
Anthem: “High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free”
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| High we exalt thee, realm of the free; Great is the love we have for thee; Firmly united ever we stand, Singing thy praise, O native land. We raise up our hearts and our voices on high, The hills and the valleys re-echo our cry; Blessing and peace be ever thine own, Land that we love, our Sierra Leone. One with a faith that wisdom inspires, One with a zeal that never tires; Ever we seek to honour thy name, Ours is the labour, thine the fame. We pray that no harm on thy children may fall, That blessing and peace may descend on us all; So may we serve thee ever alone, Land that we love, our Sierra Leone. Knowledge and truth our forefathers spread, Mighty the nations whom they led; Mighty they made thee, so too may we Show forth the good that is ever in thee. We pledge our devotion, our strength and our might, Thy cause to defend and to stand for thy right; All that we have be ever thine own, Land that we love, our Sierra Leone. |
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