It's
one of the top spots for diamonds in the world! There are diamonds in
several regions, just lying about in alluvial sands—accessible to
anyone with a shovel and sieve!
It's
also a major producer of gold. Other minerals important to modern
technology are mined in Sierra Leone, too, including titanium and
bauxite (Sierra Leone is a leader in production of both!).
Yet
Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world!
A
major reason for Sierra Leone's economic woes is that it suffered
from more than a decade of civil war. In the early 1960s, Sierra
Leone declared its independence from the United Kingdom (a.k.a.
Britain), and on this date in 1971, this West African nation became a
republic. But in 1991, the Revolutionary United Front tried to oust
the government, and shortly after there was a military coup
d'etat; armies fought over diamond-rich land, and so-called
“blood diamonds” were used to pay for more violence. Much of the
nation's infrastructure was destroyed, more than two million people
were displaced—mostly fleeing to other countries—and more than
fifty thousand people were killed!
Those
of us who live in countries that are ruled by law, that replace
governments through elections, and that enjoy internal peace should
not take these things for granted. Sierra Leone called itself a
republic, had democratic institutions with elected officials such as
a president and lawmakers, had a constitution that outlined the
powers and responsibilities of the three branches of
government—legislative, executive, and judiciary—but still, it
did not have a longstanding history of rule by law and free
elections. And despite the lip-service to democracy, it was ruled by
small groups of military leaders that fought each other and dragged
the whole country into battle. Since the civil war ended in 2002,
things have been getting better and better. Thank goodness!
People
who work in the tourist business in Sierra Leone are trying hard to
change the war-torn image in people's minds and to encourage travel
in their nation. Here is a video about this effort. Warning: there
are some brutal images of violence and war in the middle section of
the video, most from a movie called Blood Diamonds.
And
here is an official tourism video with some great shots of beaches,
chimpanzees, and jungle-covered mountains.
Also
on this date:
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