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 ( ), 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 27 th, 1961, it adopted its current flag. Most experts agree the flag is based off of the country’s coat of arms (pictured upper right) -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 -Population: 5,132,138 -Life expectancy: years -38% of the people live in urban areas -32 nd highest rate of death in the world -15 th 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 37 th in the world). In the USA, 0.6% of adults have HIV/AIDS (68 th in the world) -Religious beliefs: Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10% -35% of the population is literate - 3.8% of GDP spent on education

Government -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 -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 217 th 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 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.

Pictures From Music Provided By... Microsoft PowerPoint What I Wouldn’t Give, by Holly Brook