Sierra Leone - Facts

Sierra Leone Country Updates

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Sierra Leone Facts for Sailors

• Sierra Leone was finally declared Ebola-free on 7 November 2015 by the WHO.  Sadly, another case was identified two months later, but by March 2016, there were no more reported incidents.
• Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa, has some 400 kms (249 miles) of Atlantic coastline. The coast has areas of low-lying Guinean mangroves swamp. The national capital Freetown sits on a coastal peninsula, situated next to the Sierra Leone Harbour, the world's third largest natural harbour.
• The country has a special significance in the history of the transatlantic slave trade as the departure point for thousands of West African captives. The capital, Freetown, was founded as a home for repatriated former slaves in 1787.
• In the 1970s, Sierra Leone was sold by high-street travel agents alongside the Gambia as a blissful escape. However, the outbreak of civil war in 1991 left the economy in tatters and Sierra Leone’s tourism industry destroyed.
• The civil war ended in 2002 with the help of Britain, the former colonial power, and a large United Nations peacekeeping mission.
• Sierra Leone is often described as a diamond in the rough as the country is also rich in diamonds and other minerals. The trade in illicit gems, known as "blood diamonds" for their role in funding conflicts, perpetuated the civil war.