Statistical Overview
According to (CIA).The World Fact Book: Sierra Leone (2003) Sierra Leone has a population of 5,732,681 (July 2003 est.), with a growth rate of 2.94 percent, and 51percent of the population are women. The majority of the population is between the ages of 15-64 at 52 percent, and the 0-14 year old age group makes up 44 percent, but the population in the 65 years and over category only consists of 3.2 percent.  The median age in of Sierra Leone is 17.5 years old, among females and 17.8 years among males, averaging 17.2 years old among both genders (2002).  Sierra Leoneans have a total life expectancy of 42.84 years: for males, it is 40.33 years for females, 45.42 years. The average number of people per household is 5.7, and, as of 1999, only 6 percent of women between the ages of 15--19 are married between. There are 6.1 childbirths on the average in Sierra Leone, which is huge compared to most other parts of the world.  Sierra Leone is one of the top 10 countries with the most disparity between men and women according to the GDI (The Gender Development Index is based on key development indicators, including life expectancy, educational attainment and income) (Seager, 2002).

Location and Climate
Majority of the geographical information comes from (CIA).The World Fact Book: Sierra Leone, (2003). Sierra Leone is located in Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia.  It is slightly smaller than South Carolina, and its capital is Freetown. Sierra Leone has a tropical, hot, humid climate with a summer rainy season that lasts from May to December and a winter dry season that lasts from December to April.  The terrain consists of a coastal belt of mangrove swamps, forested hill country, upland plateaus and mountains in the east.  Sierra Leone is very fortunate in its climate and its abundance of rain compared to the surrounding areas, and it appears that few Sierra Leoneans don’t realize how fortunate they are. Maybe it is because the everyday people do not reap the benefits.  Its rainfall along the coast can reach 495cm (195 inches a year), making it one of the wettest places along coastal Western Africa.  The highest point in Sierra Leone is Loma Mansa (Bintimani) at 1,948 m and the lowest point is Atlantic Ocean which is 0 m.  The location and climate provide Sierra Leone with the natural resources to be both economically profitable and a global participant in world trade.  Unfortunately, however, Sierra Leone has yet to reach its full potential. One of the many ramifications of colonization by the British is the self hatred and depreciation of utilizing the country’s own local agricultural and products.  Citizens of the country believe that their own products are not as good as those made from Western imports.  Items such as bread, butter and apples are looked at as better than local fruits or carbohydrates from rice or certain vegetables. These items are far more expensive and are not ordinarily produced locally. This creates even more pressure on wives and women in general to have enough money to buy these expensive imports (Apena, 2005).    

Historical Overview

According to the United Nations, 2003, before the outbreak of war, corruption and mismanagement in the diamond sector was one of the main reasons why Sierra Leone became the poorest country in the world.  With the breakdown of state structures and the effective suppression of civilian opposition, wide corridors were opened for trafficking arms, ammunition and drugs, all of which eroded national/regional security and facilitated crime within the country and between Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.  Sierra Leone is especially known for its abundance in natural resources.  They consist of diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, and chromate.  The people of Sierra Leone face some environmental concerns such as rapid population growth, over- harvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing and the slash-and-burn agriculture technique that has resulted in deforestation and soil depletion.  Also, the civil war and over fishing are depleting the natural resources as well.

Cultural Makeup
The wealth of information was obtained from the Ethnologue Report for Sierra Leone, 2003.  There are many ethnic groups, which include 20 native African tribes 90% (Tempe 30%, Mendes 30% and other 30%); Creole (Krio), 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in Freetown area in the late 18th-century); refugees from Liberia’s recent civil war; and small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians who also make up the cultural mixtures and call Sierra Leone their home.   The Sierra Leoneans’ religion is 60% Muslim, 30 % indigenous beliefs and 10% Christians.  Even though Sierra Leone is small, its population speaks 23 different languages, with four considered “major.”  English is the official language, but its regular use is limited to the literate minority.  Mende is the principal vernacular in the south and Temne in the north.  The fourth language is Krio or (the English based-Creole), which is spoken by the freed Jamaican slaves that occupy Freetown.  It is the first language for only 10% of the population but is understood by 95%.  The list of languages, according to the Ethnologue Report for Sierra Leone, 2003, are Bassa, Bom, Bullom So, Fuuta Jalon, Gola, Kisi-Northern, Kisi -Southern, Klao, Kono, Krim, Kuranko, Limba-East, Limba-West and Central, Loko, Maninka, Kankan, SherboSusu, Vai and Yalunka.  Could you imagine how confused everyone would be in South Carolina if there were 23 different languages spoken there?  You can see that colonization by European countries continues to affect this country today by creating many language barriers that are difficult to overcome when trying to develop a stable government and nation state.