SIERRA LEONE

By: Ashleigh Goheen

INTRODUCTION
Capital: Freetown

Languages: English is the official language of Sierra Leone, but only an educated few can
speak it.
Government: Constitutional Democracy
Area: Often wood and clapboard in structure, the houses in Freetown, are noticeably
influenced by Krio and colonial English styles. Outside of Freetown, the "traditional" house in
Sierra Leone is a clay and earth structure, built with a thatch roof.
Major Cities: Freetown, Bo, and Kenema are a few of the big cities in Sierra Leone.
Religion: Islam is the largest religion present in Sierra Leone.

Currency: Sierra Leonean leone

Population: 6 million

PEOPLE OF SIERRA LEONE

The people of Sierra Leone are well known for their friendliness and hospitality and life is
taken at a very relaxed pace. Courteous and eloquent greetings are a way of life.

When Sierra Leoneans greet each other, it is acceptable to simply say Hello. Men and
women shake with the right hand. When greeting, it is polite to ask How are you? When
saying goodbye, most people say either A de go (Im going) or Nain dat (Thats all).
It is improper for a women to whistle.
The most common food there is rice. They usually eat rice twice a day and women and girls
prepare it.
When youre eating, you are not allowed to talk. It shows lack of respect for the food.
Rice is eaten with the hands by squeezing or rolling it into a ball, dipping it into the sauce,
and then popping it into the mouth. If rice falls from your fingers or mouth, you don't put it
back in the dish.

WHAT TO DO
Sierra Leones International Film Festival takes place in March and spans six days,
showcasing the talents of filmmakers from around the globe.
The Ballanta Music Festival spans two days in mid-March. Performances and lectures by local
musicians are enjoyed in the capital, Freetown.

Another popular event is the Lantern Festival that resembles their independence.
The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary is a point of interest in Freetown. Unfortunately, it is
closed to visitors at this time due to the Ebola outbreak.

Fishing is a popular activity done among Sierra Leoneans.

Sierra Leones climate is known to be tropical, hot and humid during the summer. The people
of Sierra Leone mainly buy clothes from secondhand stores known as junks. Some people
wear normal clothes just like anyone else in America.

HEALTH & ECONOMY

Recently, there has been the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone and surrounding countries
including Guinea and Liberia which is a very big health issue right now.
Common forms of transportation are taxis, mopeds, motorcycles, bicycles, and poda-podas.
A poda-poda is a small pickup fitted with seats and a roof; poda-podas carry people, goods,
and animals.

Even though Sierra Leone has such precious natural resources (diamonds, gold, and bauxite)
they are still one of the poorest countries. Government corruption and smuggling have
crippled the economy.

If you are planning on traveling to Sierra Leone, you would need Sierra Leonean leones
which is their currency.

GOVERNMENT
President: Ernest Bai Koroma

Vice President: Samuel Sam-Sumana

The Sierra Leone government is divided into three branches: the executive, legislative and the judicial just like
the United States. Executive power is exercised by the president. Legislative power is vested in by
the Parliament of Sierra Leone. Judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative.
The parliament of Sierra Leone is who makes the laws in the country.
The President of Sierra Leone is constitutionally commander in chief of the military which is also how it is in
America.
A new law was just passed by parliament that outlaws hiding Ebola patients. The consequence being up to
two years of jail time.
The National Revenue Authority (NRA) collects taxes in Sierra Leone.

The colors on Sierra Leones flag represent different things. Green represents the agricultural and natural
land and resources of the country, the white represents justice, and the blue is symbolic of Freetowns harbor.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Subscriber Area Only. CultureGrams Online Database:. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
Geography. Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
Biggest Cities Sierra Leone. Biggest Cities Sierra Leone. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
People & Culture. People & Culture | National Tourist Board of Sierra Leone. N.p., n.d.
Web.
The Sierra Leone Web. Sierra Leone Web. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.