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.
Sierra Leone is a predominantly Muslim country though with an influential Christian minority. Sierra Leone is regarded as one of the most religiously tolerant countries in the world.
Muslims and Christians collaborate and interact with each other peacefully in the country. Religious violence is very rare in Sierra Leone.
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 Leone's different ethnic groups, and is spoken by 90% of the country's population.
The Krio Language serves to unite the different ethnic groups, especially in their trade and daily interaction with each other.
In 1792 Freetown was founded as a colony for freed slaves who had fought on the British side during the American Revolutionary War. About 1,200 Black Loyalists were resettled from Nova Scotia on 11 March 1792; they were mostly African Americans from the former colonies, now the United States.
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 world's largest deposits of rutile. Sierra Leone is home to the third-largest natural harbour in the world.
( some photos were taken from the net )
é um país da África Ocidental. É delimitada com a Guiné ao norte e nordeste, a Libéria a sudeste, e com o Oceano Atlântico ao sudoeste.
O país possui um clima tropical, com um ambiente diversificado variando de savana para florestas tropicais.
A religião muçulmana é a predominante no país, que é classificado como um dos mais tolerantes no mundo, no quesito religioso.
A população serra-leonesa compreende cerca de 16 grupos étnicos, cada um com sua própria língua e dialetos. Os dois maiores e mais influentes são os Temnes e os Mendes. Embora o idioma inglês seja o oficial do país e o principal usado na educação e na administração do governo, a linguagem Krio (derivado do inglês e de várias línguas africanas tribais) é a principal língua de comunicação entre os diferentes grupos étnicos de Serra Leoa, sendo falado por cerca de 90% dos habitantes do país.
O país tornou-se um importante centro do comércio transatlântico de escravos até 11 de março de 1792, quando Freetown foi fundada pela Companhia de Serra Leoa, como forma de servir como um lar para ex-escravos do Império Britânico.
( algumas fotos foram retiradas da net )
Capital / Capital:
Freetown
Oficial Languages / Língua Oficial
English
Currency / Moeda
Leone