REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE SHORT HISTORY: Flag Coat of Arms Motto: Unity, Freedom, Justice Anthem: High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free. Capital and largest city Freetown Official languages English Vernacular languages Temne Mende Krio Ethnic groups (2008) 35% Temne 31% Mende 8% Limba 7% Kono 2% Krio (Creole) 2% Mandingo 2% Loko 15% others Demonym Sierra Leonean, Sierra Leonese Government Presidential constitutional republic -President Ernest Bai Koroma (APC) -Vice-President Samuel Sam-Sumana (APC) - Speaker of Parliament Abel Nathaniel Bankole Stronge (APC) -Chief Justice Umu Hawa Tejan-Jalloh Legislature Parliament Independence -from the United Kingdom 27 April 1961 -Republic declared 19 April 1971 Area - Total 71,740 km2 (119th) 27,699 sq mi - Water (%) 1.1 Population - 2013 estimate 6,190,280[1] - Density 79.4/km2 (114tha) 205.6/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2012 estimate - Total $8.276 billion[2] - Per capita $1,344[2] GDP (nominal) 2012 estimate - Total $3.777 billion[2] - Per capita $613[2] Gini (2011) 35.4[3] medium HDI (2011) Increase 0.336 low · 180th Currency Leone (SLL) Time zone GMT Calling code +232 ISO 3166 code SL Internet TLD .sl a.Rank based on 2007 figures. b.Since 1 March 1971. Sierra Leone officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa that is bordered by Guinea to the northeast, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest. Sierra Leone is a constitutional republic with a directly elected president and a unicameral legislature. The country has a tropical climate, with a diverse environment ranging from savannah to rainforests. The country covers a total area of 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi)[5] and with an estimated population of 6 million (2011 United Nations estimate).[6][7] Sierra Leone is divided into four administrative regions: the Northern Province, Eastern Province, Southern Province and the Western Area; which are subdivided into twelve districts. Each district has its own directly elected local government known as district council, headed by a council chairman, in whom local executive authority is vested. Freetown is the capital, largest city as well as its economic, commercial and political centre. Bo is the second largest city. Other major cities with a population above 100,000 are Kenema, Makeni and Koidu Town. Since Independence to present, Sierra Leones politics has been dominated by two major political parties: the Sierra Leone Peoples Party and the All Peoples Congress.[8][9] Sierra Leone has relied on mining, especially diamonds, for its economic base. It is also among the largest producers of titanium and bauxite, a major producer of gold, and has one of the worlds largest deposits of rutile. Sierra Leone is home to the third-largest natural harbour in the world. Despite this natural wealth, 70% of its people living in poverty.[10] Sierra Leone is a predominantly Muslim country,[11][12][13] though with an influential Christian minority. Sierra Leone is ranked as one of the most religiously tolerant nations in the world.[14][15][16]Muslims and Christians collaborate and interact with each other peacefully[1]. Religious violence is very rare in the country. The population of Sierra Leone comprises about sixteen ethnic groups, each with its own language and custom. The two largest and most influential are the Temne and the Mende.[17] The Temne are predominantly found in the north of the country; while the Mende are predominant in the south-east. Although English is the language of instruction in schools and the official language in government administration, the Krio language (derived from English and several indigenous African languages) is the primary language of communication among Sierra Leones different ethnic groups, and is spoken by 90% of the countrys population.[18] The Krio Language unites all the different ethnic groups, especially in their trade and interaction with each other.[19] In 1462, the area that is now Sierra Leone was visited by the Portuguese explorer Pedro de Sintra, who named it Serra Leoa, meaning Lioness Mountains.[20][21] Sierra Leone later became an important centre of the transatlantic trade in slaves until 11 March 1792, when Freetown was founded by the Sierra Leone Company as a home for former slaves enslaved or freed by from the British Empire.[22] Freetown became a destination for freed slaves from various parts of the world including other parts of Africa. In 1808, Freetown became a British Crown Colony, and in 1896, the interior of the country became a British Protectorate.[23] Between 1991 and 2002, the Sierra Leone Civil War devastated the country. It resulted in more than 50,000 people dead, much of the countrys infrastructure destroyed, and over two million people displaced as refugees in neighbouring countries. Contents [hide] 1 History 1.1 Early history 1.2 Early colonies 1.3 Colonial era 1.4 1960 Independence Conference 1.5 Independence 1.6 Three military coups, 1967–1968 9 Health 10 Military 11 Law enforcement 12 Transportation 13 Drinking water supply 14 Food and customs 15 Culture 15.1 Arts 15.2 Sports 16 See also 17 References 18 Bibliography 18.1 Primary sources 18.2 Secondary sources 19 External links History[edit] Main article: History of Sierra Leone Early history[edit] Fragments of prehistoric pottery from Kamabai Rock Shelter An 1835 illustration of liberated Africans arriving in Sierra Leone. The colony of Freetown in 1856 Archaeological finds show that Sierra Leone has been inhabited continuously for at least 2,500 years,[24] populated by successive movements from other parts of Africa.[25] The use of iron was introduced to Sierra Leone by the 9th century, and by 1000 A.D. agriculture was being practised by coastal tribes.[26] Sierra Leones dense tropical rainforest largely protected it from the influence of any pre-colonial African empires[27] and from further Islamic influence of the Mali Empire. The Islamic faith, however, became common in the 18th century.[28] European contacts within Sierra Leone were among the first in West Africa. In 1462, Portuguese explorer Pedro de Sintra mapped the hills surrounding what is now Freetown Harbour, naming shaped formation Serra de Leão (Portuguese for Lion Mountains).[21] The Italian rendering of this geographic formation is Sierra Leone, which became the countrys name. Soon after Portuguese traders arrived at the harbour and by 1495 a fort that acted as a trading post had been built.[29] The Portuguese were joined by the Dutch and French, all of them using Sierra Leone as a trading point for slaves.[30] In 1562, the English joined the human trade when Sir John Hawkins shipped 300 enslaved people – acquired by the sword and partly by other means – to the new colonies in America.[31] Early colonies[edit] In 1787 a settlement was founded in Sierra Leone in what was called the Province of Freedom. A number of Black Poor arrived off the coast of Sierra Leone on 15 May 1787, accompanied by some English tradesmen. Many of the black poor were African Americans, who had been given their freedom after seeking refuge with the British Army during the American Revolution, but also included other West Indian, African and Asian inhabitants of London. After establishing Granville Town, disease and hostility from the indigenous people eliminated the first group of colonists and destroyed their settlement. A second Granville Town was established by 64 remaining colonists.[32] Through the impetus of Thomas Peters, the Sierra Leone Company was established to relocate Black Loyalists, who had escaped enslavement in the United States by seeking protection with the British Army during the American Revolution. They had been given land in Nova Scotia and founded Birchtown, Nova Scotia but faced harsh winters and racism. Led by Thomas Peters and British abolitionist John Clarkson, 1196 of the Black Loyalists from Nova Scotia crossed the Atlantic to build the second (and only permanent) Colony of Sierra Leone and the settlement of Freetown on 11 March 1792. In Sierra Leone they were called the Nova Scotian Settlers, the Nova Scotians, or the Settlers. The Settlers built Freetown and introduced North American architectural styles from the American South as well as Western fashion and American manners. In the 1790s, the Settlers voted for the first time in elections, as did women.[33] The Sierra Leone Company refused to allow the settlers to take freehold of the land. Some of the Settlers revolted in 1799. The revolt was only put down by the arrival of over 500 Jamaican Maroons, who also arrived via Nova Scotia. In 1800, Jamaican Maroons from Trelawny Town, Jamaica were settled via Nova Scotia. After sixteen years of running the Colony, the Sierra Leone Company was formed into the African Institution. The Institution met in 1807 to achieve more success by focusing on bettering the local economy, but it was constantly split between those British who meant to inspire local entrepreneurs and those with interest in the Macauley & Babington Company which held the (British) monopoly on Sierra Leone trade.[34] Beginning in 1808 (following the abolition of the slave trade in 1807), thousands of formerly enslaved Africans were liberated in Freetown. Most of these Liberated Africans or Recaptives chose to remain in Sierra Leone. Cut off from their homes and traditions, the Liberated Africans assimilated the Western styles of Settlers and Maroons and built a flourishing trade of flowers and beads on the West African coast. These returned Africans were from many areas of Africa, but principally the west coast. During the 19th century, freed black Americans, Americo Liberian refugees, and particularly West Indians, immigrated and settled in Freetown, creating a new ethnicity called the Krio people. Colonial era[edit] Bai Bureh, leader of the 1898 rebellion against British rule In the early 20th century, Freetown served as the residence of the British governor who also ruled the Gold Coast (now Ghana) and the Gambia settlements. Sierra Leone also served as the educational centre of British West Africa. Fourah Bay College, established in 1827, rapidly became a magnet for English-speaking Africans on the West Coast. For more than a century, it was the only European-style university in western Sub-Saharan Africa. Bai Bureh seen here in 1898 after his surrender, sitting relaxed in his traditional dress with an handkerchief in his hands, while a Sierra Leonean Royal West African Frontier soldier stands guard next to him During Sierra Leones colonial history, indigenous people mounted several unsuccessful revolts against British rule. The most notable was the Hut Tax war of 1898. The Hut Tax War consisted of a Northern front, led by Bai Bureh, and Southern front that were sparked at different times and for different reasons. Burehs fighters had the advantage over the vastly more powerful British for several months of the war. Hundreds of British troops and hundreds of Burehs fighters were killed.[35] Bai Bureh was finally captured on 11 November 1898 and sent into exile in the Gold Coast, while 96 of his comrades were hanged by the British. British West African Campaign troops in Freetown, c. 1914–1916. Published caption: British expeditionary force preparing to embark at Freetown to attack the German Cameroons, the main object of the attack being the port of Duala. Auxiliary native troops were freely used in African warfare. The defeat in the Hut Tax war ended large-scale organised resistance to colonialism; however resistance continued throughout the colonial period in the form of intermittent rioting and chaotic labour disturbances. Riots in 1955 and 1956 involved many tens of thousands of natives in the protectorate.[36] One notable event in 1935 was the granting of a monopoly on mineral mining to the Sierra Leone Selection Trust run by De Beers, which was scheduled to last 98 years. In 1924, Sierra Leone was divided into a Colony and a Protectorate, with separate and different political systems constitutionally defined for each. Antagonism between the two entities escalated to a heated debate in 1947, when proposals were introduced to provide for a single political system for both the Colony and the Protectorate. Most of the proposals came from the Protectorate. The Creoles, led by Isaac Wallace-Johnson, opposed the proposals, the main effect of which would have been to diminish their political power. It was due to the astute politics of Sir Milton Margai, an ethnic Mende, that the educated Protectorate elite was won over to join forces with the paramount chiefs in the face of Krio intransigence. Later, Sir Milton used the same skills to win over opposition leaders and moderate Krio elements for the achievement of independence[2]. In November 1951, Margai oversaw the drafting of a new constitution, which united the separate Colonial and Protectorate legislatures and – most importantly – provided a framework for decolonisation.[37] In 1953, Sierra Leone was granted local ministerial powers, and Sir Milton Margai, was elected Chief Minister of Sierra Leone.[37] The new constitution ensured Sierra Leone a parliamentary system within the Commonwealth of Nations.[37] In May 1957, Sierra Leone held its first parliamentary election. The Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), which was then the most popular political party in the colony of Sierra Leone, won the most seats in Parliament. Margai was also re-elected as Chief Minister by a landslide. 1960 Independence Conference[edit] On 20 April 1960, Sir Milton Margai led the twenty four members of the Sierra Leonean delegation at the constitutional conferences that were held with Queen Elizabeth II and British Colonial Secretary Iain Macleod in the negotiations for independence held at the Lancaster House in London.[38][39] All of the twenty four members of the Sierra Leonean delegation were prominent and well-respected politicians including Sir Milton himself, his younger brother lawyer Sir Albert Margai, the outspoken trade unionist Siaka Stevens, SLPP strongman Lamina Sankoh, outspoken Creole activist Isaac Wallace-Johnson, Dr John Karefa-Smart, Paramount chief and first female member of parliament Ella Koblo Gulama, educationist Mohamed Sanusi Mustapha, Creole dominated UPP party leader Cyril Rogers-Wright,[40] professor Kande Bureh, Creole diplomat Edward Wilmot Blyden III, lawyer Sir Banja Tejan-Sie, educationist Amadu Wurie, former Freetowns Mayor Eustace Henry Taylor Cummings, Paramount Chief Tamba Songu Mbriwa, second female member of parliament Constance Cummings-John, and Creole diplomat Hector Reginald Sylvanus Boltman.[41][42][43] On the conclusion of talks in London on 4 May 1960, Britain agreed to grant Sierra Leone Independence on 27 April 1961. However, the outspoken trade unionist Siaka Stevens was the only delegate who refused to sign Sierra Leones declaration of Independendence on the grounds that there had been a secret defence pact between Sierra Leone and Britain; another point of contention by Stevens was the Sierra Leonean governments position that there would be no elections held before independence which would effectively shut him out of Sierra Leones political process.[44] The delegates received a heros welcome on their return to Freetown. While back in Freetown, Stevens was promptly expelled from the Peoples National Party (PNP). The All Peoples Congress is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, the other is the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP). The party was founded in March 20th 1960 by a breakaway group from the Sierra Leone Peoples Party who vehemently opposed the idea of election before independence, but instead supported the idea of independence before elections., the All Peoples Congress (APC),was formed at 5,ELBA Street,Freetown, and they consisted of the late Alhaji Chief Mucktarru Kallay, Allieu Badarr Koroma,Alhaji Sheik Gibril Sesay C A Kamara-Taylor, S A T Koroma, AbuBakarr S Bangura,may their souls rest in perfect peace and bliss. these were the first seven and founders members of the All Peoples Congress Party.The next Members are Siaka probyn Stevens, Nancy Steele, S.I.Koroma, Bob Allen, Mohamed Bash-Taqui and Ibrahim Bash-Taqui. Sir. Albert Margai who would later return to the SLPP and become Prime Minister, and Siaka P. Stevens who would also later become Prime Minister and subsequently President of Sierra Leone. The APC governed the country from 1968 to 1992, and became the ruling party again in 2007, after the party presidential candidate Ernest Bai Koroma won the 2007 Sierra Leone presidential election. Independence[edit] On 27 April 1961, Sir Milton Margai led Sierra Leone to independence from Great Britain and became the countrys first Prime Minister. Thousands of Sierra Leoneans across the newly independent nation took to the street in celebration of independence. Sierra Leone retained a parliamentary system of government and was a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The leader of the main oppositon APC, Siaka Stevens, along with outspoken critic of the SLPP government, Isaac Wallace-Johnson, were arrested and placed under house arrest in Freetown, along with sixteen others charged with disrupting the independence celebration.[45] In May 1962, Sierra Leone held its first general election as an Independent nation. The Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) won plurality of seats in parliament and Sir Milton Margai was re-elected as prime minister. An important aspect of Sir Miltons character was his self-effacement. He was neither corrupt nor did he make a lavish display of his power or status. Sir Miltons government was based on the rule of law and the notion of separation of powers, with multiparty political institutions and fairly viable representative structures. Margai used his conservative ideology to lead Sierra Leone without much strife. He appointed government officials with a clear eye to satisfy various ethnic groups. Margai employed a brokerage style of politics by sharing political power between political groups and the paramount chiefs in the provinces. Upon Sir Miltons unexpected death in 1964, his half-brother, Sir Albert Margai, was appointed as Prime Minister by parliament. Sir Alberts leadership was briefly challenged by Sierra Leones Foreign Minister John Karefa-Smart, who questioned Sir Alberts succession to the SLPP leadership position. Karefa-Smart received little support in Parliament in his attempt to have Margai stripped of the SLPP leadership. Soon after Margai was sworn in as Prime Minister, he immediately dismissed several senior government officials who had served under his elder brother Sir Miltons government, as he viewed them as a threat to his administration. Unlike his late brother, Sir Milton, Sir Albert resorted to increasingly authoritarian actions in response to protests and enacted several laws against the opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) whilst attempting to establish a single-party state. Unlike his late brother Milton, Sir Albert was opposed to the colonial legacy of allowing the countrys Paramount Chiefs executive powers, many of whom where key allies of his late brother Sir Milton; and he was seen as a threat to the existence of the ruling houses across the country. In 1967, Riots broke out in Freetown against Sir Alberts policies; in response Margai declared a state of emergency across the country. Sir Albert was accused of corruption and of a policy of affirmative action in favour of his own Mende ethnic group.[46] Although Sir Albert had the full backing of the countrys security forces, he called for free and fair elections. Three military coups, 1967–1968[edit] The APC, with its leader Siaka Stevens, narrowly won a small majority of seats in Parliament over the SLPP in a closely contested 1967 Sierra Leone general election and Stevens was sworn in as Prime Minister on 21 March 1967. Within hours after taking office, Stevens was ousted in a bloodless military coup led by the commander of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces Brigadier General David Lansana, a close ally of Sir Albert Margai who had appointed him to the position in 1964. Brigadier Lansana placed Stevens under house arrest in Freetown and insisted the determination of office of the Prime Minister should await the election of the tribal representatives to the house. On 23 March 1967, a group of senior military officers in the Sierra Leone Army led by Brigadier Andrew Juxon-Smith overrode this action by seizing control of the government, arresting Brigadier Lansana, and suspending the constitution. The group constituted itself as the National Reformation Council (NRC) with Brigadier Andrew Juxon-Smith as its chairman and Head of State of the country.[47] On 18 April 1968, a group of senior military officers who called themselves the Anti-Corruption Revolutionary Movement led by Brigadier General John Amadu Bangura overthrew the NRC junta. The ACRM juntas arrested many senior NRC members. The constitution was reinstated, and power was returned to Stevens, who at last assumed the office of Prime Minister.
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