Sierra Leone by Caleb Hopkins

History

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Democracy is slowly being reestablished after the civil war from 1991 to 2002 that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about a third of the population). The military, which took over full responsibility for security following the departure of UN peacekeepers at the end of 2005, is increasingly developing as a guarantor of the country's stability. The armed forces remained on the sideline during the 2007 and 2012 national elections, and over the past year have deployed over 850 peacekeepers in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). As of January 2014, Sierra Leone also fielded 122 staff for five UN peacekeeping missions. In March 2014, the closure of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) marked the end of more than 15 years of peacekeeping and political operations in Sierra Leone. The government's priorities include furthering development, creating jobs, and stamping out endemic corruption.

Capital

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Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city in the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country

Languages

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English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)

relegions

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Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%

Currency

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leones (SLL) per US dollar - 4,320.8 (2013 est.) 4,344 (2012 est.) 3,978.1 (2010 est.)

Major Cities

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Freetown

Kenema wikipedia article, Eastern Province Koidu wikipedia article, Eastern Province Makeni wikipedia article, Northern Province

Population

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5,743,725 (July 2014 est.)

Climate

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tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)

Flag

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Place of interest Free town

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Place of interest Bo

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Place of interest Kenema

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Interesting Facts

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1.) rainfall can reach 195 inches a year

2.) Sierra Leone highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m

3.) About 8% of Sierra Leone's land is arable.