Guestling Bradshaw CE Primary School

Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa, has a special significance in the history of the transatlantic slave trade as the departure point for thousands of West African captives taken across the Atlantic. The capital, Freetown, was founded as a home for former slaves in 1787.

A former British colony, Sierra Leone became an independent republic in 1961.

From 1991 Sierra Leon was ravaged by civil war. Child soldiers took part in the fighting. Thousands were killed during the war and millions more were displaced. The war ended in 2002 with the help of British forces and a large UN peacekeeping mission.

And in 2014 the country was hit by the Ebola virus, resulting in more than 11,000 deaths in Sierra Leone and its neighbouring countries over two years.

Today the country is still trying to recover.

Located on the West African coast, Sierra Leone is a relatively small country on mainland Africa. It has a total size 71,740 square km (about the same size as the Republic of Ireland). It lies just above the equator and is bordered by Guinea to the North and Northeast, Liberia to the South and Southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the West.

The country has three distinct geographical regions. In the east, the plateau is interspersed with high mountains. Mount Bintumani, the highest point reaches 1,948 metres. The centre of the country is a region of lowland plains, containing forests, bush and farmland. In the west, Sierra Leone has around 400 km of coastline, giving it both marine resources and tourist potential. The coast also has areas of low-lying mangrove swamp. The capital Freetown sits on a coastal peninsula on the edge of the world's third largest natural harbour.

Sierra Leone has a tropical climate, with a hot summer rainy season from May to November with temperatures up to 36 oC, and a cooler dry season from December to May, which includes the Harmattan, a dry and dusty north-easterly trade wind blown in from the Sahara Desert, when the night-time temperature can be as low as 16 °C. The average temperature is 26 °C.

Sierra Leone has a population of just over 6 million people. The average life expectancy is just 48 years.

While the birth rate is high, the maternal and infant death rate is also high, partly as a result of the Ebola crisis (with falling numbers of women attending health centres to give birth in case they catch Ebola or are accused of having it).

The literacy rate for people over the age of 15 is only 40%.

Sierra Leone is home to about sixteen ethnic groups, each with its own language. The largest and most influential are the Temne at about 35% (thought to have originally come from Liberia) and the Mende at about 31% (thought to have originally come from what is now Guinea). The third-largest ethnic group are the Limba at about 8% of the population, native people of Sierra Leone. Other groups include the Fula, Kuno, Krio, Mandingo and Loko.

English is the official language spoken at schools, government administration and in the media. Krio (a Creole language) is the most widely understood in virtually all parts of Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone is a predominantly Muslim country, with a significant Christian minority. It is estimated that 77% of Sierra Leone's population are Muslims, 21% are Christians, and 2% are followers of traditional African religion.

Many young to middle-aged Sierra Leoneans (25-35 years old), the people needed by business, government, and civil society, remain victims of the war and poverty. Few have more than four years of education, fewer are trained in a vocational skill, and even fewer have management skills.  Over 70 per cent of Sierra Leoneans live on less than $1 per day.

The country is rich in diamonds and other minerals, but the trade in illegal gems, known as "blood diamonds" (because of their role in funding conflicts) helped prolong the civil war. The government has tried to crack down on diamond trafficking and persuade foreign investors that blood diamonds are a thing of the past.

Since the end of the civil war, outside assistance has helped Sierra Leone begin to recover. Fishing and tourism are becoming increasingly important.

The currency is the Leone; at the time of writing (May 2016) £1 is worth over 5,700 Leones.

Agriculture is the main occupation; more than two thirds of the population are directly involved with subsistence farming. Rice is the most important staple crop with 85 per cent of farmers cultivating it during the rainy season, and an annual consumption of 76 kg per person. Cocoa beans are becoming an important export crop.

Education in Sierra Leone is legally required for all children for six years at primary level (usually from the ages of 6 – 12) and three years in junior secondary education (up to 18), but a shortage of schools and teachers has made this difficult.

The civil war destroyed hundreds of primary schools, and by its end two thirds of children were out of school. Many new schools have since been built and primary education is free in government-sponsored schools.

The country has three universities, including the oldest university in West Africa.

Rice is the staple food of Sierra Leone, prepared in numerous ways, and topped with a variety of sauces. Stews are often served: groundnut stew is a national dish, consisting of chicken and vegetables flavoured with groundnuts such as cashews and peanuts. Other popular foods are fired fish, okra soup and cassava bread. Cassava is an important cash crop. The leaves and the roots are used in cooking.

Poyo is a popular Sierra Leonean drink. It is a sweet, lightly fermented palm wine and is found in bars in towns and villages across the country, with ginger beer as a non-alcoholic alternative. Poyo bars are areas of lively informal debate about politics, sport and other issues!