Sierra Leone Facts
You can view a brief history of Sierra Leone in wikipedia.
Country Facts and Statistics
SIERRA LEONE
Has a lush tropical climate on the west coast of Africa, with a population estimated at 5.2 million. They boast of beautiful beaches, picturesque mountains, and some of the riches natural resources and mineral deposits (including diamonds) in the world. It is among the top 10 diamond producing nations in the world. It is also the largest producers of titanium and bauxite and major producer of gold. Ironically, it is also one of the poorest countries in the world with tremendous inequality in income distribution. It ranks 158 (out of 169) in the world by the Human Development Index (HDI) a standard which measures opportunity for education, healthcare, income, employment, etc., and thirteenth in the world for infant mortality (children dying before reaching age 5). More women die in childbirth in Sierra Leone than anywhere else (21,000 deaths per 100,000 successful births). Malaria is widespread and malnutrition especially among the children is rampant.
With this overwhelming poverty and hopelessness, from 1991-2000 Sierra Leone was center stage to a devastating ten-year rebel war in which tens of thousands of people were killed and an estimated one million people were forced from their homes and villages-many raped, tortured, and/or conscripted into rebel forces. The war destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure and has left its indelible scars, most notably on the children-leaving over 350,000 children orphaned and less that 1,800 in care centers.
Population:
5,245,695 (About 3.6% of the population is over 65 years old.) (July 2010 est.)
Government:
Constitutional democracy
Official name: Republic of Sierra Leone
President: Ernest Bai Koroma
Capital: Freetown
Independence Day: April 27, 1961 (from UK)
Religions:
Muslim 60%, Christian 30%, Indigenous beliefs 10%
Exports:
Diamonds, rutile, cocao, coffee, fish
Currency:
Leone (SLL); USD equivalent = 4,200 leones (2011)
Population below the Poverty Line:
53.4% (2011)
This statistic is based upon the UNHDP’s figures of Sierra Leoneans living below an income poverty line of $1.25, adjusted for purchasing power parity. However, this is just one way of measuring poverty, and UNHDP suggests that in fact 81.5% of Sierra Leoneans live in multidimensional poverty.
Education:
In Sierra Leone, primary school is free, however parents are expected to pay for books, uniforms, shoes, school supplies and ceremonies. Secondary school is not free. Typical Secondary School Fees: $50–250 per term (3 terms)
Literacy Rate: (definition: age 15 and over can read and write) total population: 39.8% (2008 est.) On average, the adult population has had just under 3 years at school. Today’s children are expected to be in school for, on average, 7 years. Just 49.4% of Primary School teachers have been trained.
Health:
Infant mortality: about 123/1,000 births
Births per woman: about 5
Life expectancy: about 48 years
Physicians per 1,000 people: Less than .5. (The World Health Organization’s most up-to-date figure comes from 2008, and stated that there were a total of 95 physicians in the whole country.)
Health Expenditures per capita: $32 (US was $7,285) (2007)
People living with HIV/AIDS: 55,000; 1.7% adults (2007)
People undernourished: 46%
Climate:
Tropical; hot, humid; summer/rainy season (May through December); winter/dry season (December through April)
Other Facts:
Airports: 10
Airports with paved runways: 1
Internet Users: 13,900 people (2008)
Telephone landlines: 31,500 (2008)
Cell Phones: 1,009,000 (2008)
Environmental Issues: Rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil exhaustion; civil war depleted natural resources; overfishing
Staple Food: Cassava (a plant that is used to make a variety of dishes) and rice.
Refugees and internally displaced people: 32,500 (mostly from Liberia)
The Way of Life
Most of the population lives in rural farming communities. A typical family dwelling in Sierra Leone is a mud hut with a dirt floor and a thatched roof. Cooking is done by outdoor fire over wood or charcoal, laundry, washing, and bathing are done in the nearest river or with water hauled from the closest water source. Running water and electricity are non-existent for the overwhelming majority of the population.
Most people survive on rice which is complemented occasionally by fish, chicken, or “bushmeat” (miscellaneous wild game ranging from mice or rats to monkey or larger game). A typical family’s diet consists of rice, cassava root, and leafy greens.
Polygamy, the practice of one man marrying multiple wives, is still common in Sierra Leone, resulting in some families having many children. In a family it is not uncommon to share a home with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and/or in-laws. There is great respect in this culture for elders (and wisdom) in the family and community.
The Challenges
Since most families are barely able to grow enough food to feed their families let alone produce a surplus to sell and generate an income, malnutrition is rampant, especially among the children. Half of the population is chronically undernourished.
The high orphan population has created an undue burden on extended families which are barely able to provide for their own children, let alone children of their deceased relatives. Any child who has lost one parent is considered orphaned. If double-orphaned (a loss of both parents), generally the child will go to live with any relative willing to take them in. This situation can cause relatives to be overburdened. Widows and elderly grandparents are often left no choice but to take in a dozen or more children that they cannot properly support. Many orphans are taken advantage of, abandoned, raped, rejected, and in some cases left to fend for themselves.
Sierra Leone has one of the lowest average household incomes in the world with over half of the population living on $1.25 per day, which leaves few resources to purchase basic necessities. As income is only one measure of poverty, the UN suggests that in fact over 80% of Sierra Leoneans live in poverty.
Access to healthcare is severely limited, especially in rural areas—completely non-existent in some communities. Every day, children and adults die from non-life-threatening diseases (e.g. diarrhea, syphilis, measles) or treatable/preventable conditions that have turned fatal (flu, malaria, respiratory infections, child birth).
Education is faced with a two-fold dilemma in most Sierra Leonean communities: First, it is not readily accessible, either due to distance or lack of financial means (for school fees, uniforms, etc.). And second because it is not necessarily valued by the culture, especially for girls.
* All facts and information stated has been taken from: www.CIA.gov, www.worldbank.com and www.state.gov.