The country is home to the Sierra Leone Inter-Religious Council, which is made up of both Christian and Muslim religious leaders to promote peace and tolerance throughout the country. The Sierra Leonean Government is constitutionally forbidden from establishing a state religion, though Muslim and Christian prayers are usually held in the country at the beginning of major political occasions, including presidential inaugurations and the official opening of the new session of Parliament. The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which is located within the peninsula's vast rainforest reserve, just a few kilometres from the centre of Freetown, has a collection of rare and endangered chimpanzees. This condition often drives women into poverty and isolation.[229]. [158] There have been strong pushes for both solar and hydropower to become the dominant sources of energy in Sierra Leone because of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goal number seven (affordable and clean energy). In 2014, an Ebola virus epidemic in Sierra Leone began that widely affected the country,[96] including forcing Sierra Leone to declare a state of emergency. Stevens reorganised the country's oil refinery, the government-owned Cape Sierra Hotel, and a cement factory. [149], Agriculture is the largest employer with 80 per cent of the population working in the sector. The Christian holidays of Christmas, Boxing Day, Good Friday and Easter are also national holidays in Sierra Leone. Reference Location: Bombali District, Sierra Leone. In 2007, a pay-per-view service was also introduced by GTV as part of a pan-African television service in addition to the nine-year-old sub-Saharan Digital satellite television service (DStv) originating from Multichoice Africa in South Africa. [28] The use of iron was adopted by the ninth century, and by 1000 AD, agriculture was being practised along the coast. Bo is closely behind Kenema with 10.0%, whilst Western Rural, Kono and Western Area Urban with 8.8%, 8.2%, and 8.1% are third, fourth and fifth respectively. The Western Area Urban District, including Freetown, the capital and largest city, has a population density of 1,224 persons per square km. Brooklyn Museum. The other airports have unpaved runways, and seven have runways from 914 to 1,523 metres (2,999 to 4,997 feet) long; the remaining two have shorter runways. The Yalunka also spelled Jallonke, Yalonga, Djallonk, Djallonka or Dialonk, are Mande people who have lived in the Djallon, a mountainous region in Sierra Leone, Mali, Senegal, Guinea Bissau and Guinea Conakry West Africa over 520 years ago. In June 2005, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and BirdLife International agreed to support a conservation-sustainable development project in the Gola Forest in south eastern Sierra Leone,[113] an important surviving fragment of rainforest in Sierra Leone. It works to prevent crime, protect life and property, detect and prosecute offenders, maintain public order, ensure safety and security, and enhance access to justice. In 1967, riots broke out in Freetown against Margai's policies; in response he declared a state of emergency across the country. The ratio of men and women in Koinadugu District, Sierra Leone. In response, the NPRC hired the services of South African-based private military contractor Executive Outcomes for several hundred mercenary fighters in order to strengthen the response to the advances of the RUF rebels. Each district has both major and small cities and towns. It is by far the most populous district in the country with a population of 1,050,301 and is located in the Western Area of the country. [20] Lansana was later tried and found guilty of treason, and sentenced to death in 1975. [248][249][250][251][252][253] Some subjects are seen as taboo by society and members of the political elite; imprisonment and violence have been used by the political establishment against journalists. [103] As a result of migration to cities, the population is becoming more urban with an estimated rate of urbanisation growth of 2.9% a year. The candidate was Major General Joseph Saidu Momoh, head of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces and Stevens' own choice to succeed him. The six municipalities include Freetown, which functions as the local government for the Western Area Urban District, and Bo, Bonthe, Kenema, Koidu, and Makeni.[133][135][136]. Although women account for about 50 per cent of the population in Sierra Leone, only 28 per cent are household heads. Koroma was re-elected president for a second (and final) term in November 2012. Soon after Albert Margai was sworn in as Prime Minister, he fired several senior government officials who had served in his elder brother Sir Milton's government, viewing them as a threat to his administration, including Karefa-Smart. Lieutenant Sandy was given a state funeral and his funeral prayers service at the cathedral church in Freetown was attended by many high-ranking soldiers of the NPRC junta, including Strasser himself and NPRC deputy leader Sergeant Solomon Musa. It borders the country of Guinea as well as three other provinces in Sierra Leone. It is the fifth-largest city in Sierra Leone, and the Tenme people make up the largest ethnic group in the city. Be the first to get the latest news, music and videos trending in Sierra Leone. Bombali became one of the most heavily affected districts in Sierra Leone, with 873 confirmed patients with Ebola during July-November 2014. The arts in Sierra Leone are a mixture of tradition and hybrid African and western styles.[259][260][261]. Margai was popular among Sierra Leoneans during his time in power, mostly known for his self-effacement. Many Liberated Africans were treated poorly and even abused because some of the original settlers considered them their property. This is where Freetown is located, and its also the smallest district in size by a large margin. [24], The country takes its name from the Lion Mountains near Freetown. Bonthe is one of the sixteen districts of Sierra Leone. The three least populated districts are Karene, Falaba, and Koinadugu with 3.8%, 2.2%, and 2.7% respectively of the total population. They founded Birchtown, but faced harsh northern winters and racial discrimination from nearby Shelburne. agreement & 5 others, Sierra Leone admits to low supply of fuel, Sierra Leone: Audit reveals corrupt practice in defence, agriculture, education, police, Sacked Sierra Leone VP takes case to ECOWAS Court, Sierra Leone detains top football officials, Sierra Leone electoral commission to start boundary delimitation, Sierra Leone Parliament challenges Disaster Bill, Sierra Leone Court Martial, defence rejects president, SANUSI COVID-19 indices update (09/12/20). Bo is located in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone, and the whole urban center is commonly known as Bo Town. One traditional leader from each district occupies a seat in Sierra Leone's parliament. The Colony was Freetown and its coastal area; the Protectorate was defined as the hinterland areas dominated by local chiefs. These included Nigerians, Ghanaians, Ivorians and many more, especially in the fields of theology and education. The Temne are said to have migrated from Futa Jallon, which is in present-day Guinea. Explanation: Boundaries of districts and chiefdoms according to the administrative reorganization of 2017. His father was a Yalunka paramount chief of Solima, a prosperous chieftaincy. Brigadier General Bangura, who had reinstated Stevens as Prime Minister, was widely considered the only person who could control Stevens. A runoff election was held in September 2007, and Ernest Bai Koroma, the candidate of the main opposition APC, was elected president. Black settlers were captured by unscrupulous traders and sold as slaves, and the remaining colonists were forced to arm themselves for their own protection. Several mudslides occurred in the early hours of 14 August 2017 in and near the country's capital Freetown. The British administration favoured a policy of indirect rule whereby they relied on slightly reorganized indigenous institutions to implement colonial policies and maintain order. As the Krio language is spoken by 90% of the country's population,[103][167] it unites all the different ethnic groups, especially in their trade and interaction with each other. In April 1971, a new republican constitution was adopted under which Stevens became president. They are descendants of traders from Guinea who migrated to Sierra Leone during the late nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries. Later, Margai used the same skills to win over opposition leaders and moderate Krio elements to achieve independence from the UK.[70]. [126][127] The RSLMF remained a single-service organisation until 1979, when the Sierra Leone Navy was established. The highlands rise up to 700 feet, and are the highest in Sambaia Bendugu chiefdom. 49,839; Regent Urban Area: pop. On the coast in Bonthe District in the south are the Sherbro. The interior plateau and mountain region, encompassing roughly the eastern half of the country, is composed mainly of granite with a thick laterite (iron-bearing) crust; to the west, it is bounded by a narrow outcrop of mineral-bearing metamorphic rocks known as the Kambui Schists. English is the official language used in schools and government administration. On 20 April 1960, Milton Margai led a 24-member Sierra Leonean delegation at constitutional conferences that were held with the Government of Queen Elizabeth II and British Colonial Secretary Iain Macleod in negotiations for independence held in London. [228], One of the consequences women in Sierra Leone face after a prolonged and obstructed labour that would have required a c-section is obstetric fistula. After taking over, President Kabbah immediately opened dialogue with the RUF and invited their leader Foday Sankoh for peace negotiations.[22]. 113,185 (2015); Katu Town Urban Area: pop. Formal exports have dramatically improved since the civil war, with efforts to improve the management of them having some success. The presidential election, in which neither candidate reached the required threshold of 55%, went to a second round of voting, in which Julius Maada Bio was elected with 51% of the vote. Sierra Leone's third president, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, and Sierra Leone's first Vice-President, Sorie Ibrahim Koroma, were both ethnic Mandingo. Male same-sex sexual activity is illegal under Section 61 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861, and imprisonment for life is possible. In total, there are 20 cities in Sierra Leone. Mineral exports remain the main currency earner. The army was devoted to Bangura, and this made him potentially dangerous to Stevens. Found inside - Page 93The Kissi are one of the oldest ethnic groups in Sierra Leone, . Rising above the plateau are a number of mountain masses; in the northeast, the Loma Mountains are crowned by Mount Loma Mansa (Mount Bintimani) at 6,391 feet (1,948 metres), and the Tingi Mountains rise to 6,080 feet (1,853 metres) at Sankanbiriwa Peak. Sierra Leone, [note 1] officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. Next in proportion are the Kono, who live primarily in Kono District in Eastern Sierra Leone. Kenema is the most populated district in Sierra Leone, according to the preliminary report of the final result of the Mid-Term Census report released by Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) last week. In October 1999, the United Nations agreed to send peacekeepers to help restore order and disarm the rebels. The Mende are also Muslim majority at about 70%, though with a large Christian minority at about 30%. Prior to conducting the election, Sierra Leoneans and international stakeholders were involved in a major debate on whether the nation should focus on trying to end the long running civil war, or to conduct elections and hence returning governance back to a civilian-led administration with a multi-party system of parliament that would provide the foundation for long-lasting peace and national prosperity. Many of the Sierra Leone national team footballers play for teams based in Europe although virtually all of them started professional football in the Sierra Leone National Premier League. The northern section of this has been categorised by the World Wildlife Fund as part of the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic ecoregion, while the south is rain-forested plains and farmland. Sierra Leone has a population of more than 7 million people and has some major cities that subdivide the country. President Momoh appointed his former military colleague and key ally, Major General Mohamed Tarawalie to succeed him as the head of the Sierra Leone Military. The city was established by Lieutenant John Clarkson, African American ex-slaves and free people known as the Nova Scotian Settlers on March 11th, 1792, making Freetown the oldest capital created by African Americans. The district has the highest percentage, a total of 10.2%, making it the most populated in the country. Dumbuya and former inspector general of police Bambay Kamara, was foiled. Female. Accordingly, they began to consider Sir Albert a threat to the ruling houses across the country. Though according to Professor C. Magbaily Fyle, this might have been a misinterpretation from historians. 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