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Information
Full name: Sierra Leone.
Capital City: Freetown.
Language: Krio, Mende, Temne and Limba.
Currency: Leone.
Religion: Muslim, indigenous beliefs and Christian.
National Anthem: "High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free".
Newspaper: Daily Mail, Awareness Times Newspaper, Concord Times, Cocorioko, Pool News, Sierra Leone News, Sierrawatch and Standard Times Newspaper.
Places to Visit: Freetown, Kabala, Banana Islands, Mt Bintumani and Outamba-Kilimi National Park.
Transport: Airways: two flights in a week from SN Brussels fly from Brussels to Freetown. Two flights each in a week from Astraeus Airlines fly from Gatwick in London; while Bellview has flight services three times a week from Heathrow in London. Kenya Airways also has flights from Nairobi; Roadways: the land route is from Guinea; Waterways: with one of the world's best natural harbors, cargo and passenger ships, arriving mostly from Conakry and Banjul, dock at the Queen Elizabeth II quay.
Shopping: African and Sierran Leonean textiles called gaga; ttextile processing like tie dye and batik; traditional handcrafted jewellery; wood carvings; and cultural paintings.
Introduction
the name of the country "Sierra Leone" translates as 'Lion Mountain' in Portuguese; and was christened in then 15th century by a Portuguese explorer. Later in the 19th century, the British took over the territory of Sierra Leone and made it one of its colonies. The country regained freedom from the British in the year 1961, but soon fell into a spate of incessant civil war. After being ravaged for 10 long years, peace was finally restored in the year 2002 with the intrusion of UN peace keepers.
Location of Sierra Leone
the country of Sierra Leone is positioned in the western region of the continent of Africa.
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Its immediate political neighbors are Guinea to the north and northeast; and Liberia to the southeast. The western and the southern region of the country is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean.
Physical Map of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone being a coastal country, there are plenty of mangrove swamps lining the coasts. A portion of the coastal region also consists of the peninsula on which is the capital is situated. Inland, the terrain of Sierra Leone is primarily plateaus and mountains; and so, densely blanketed with forests. The highest region of the country is Loma Mansa. Rokel River is the most important river in the country.
Climate of Sierra Leone
the climate of Sierra Leone is tropical in nature. So, it is primarily hot and humid. The rainy season falls between the months of April and September, making the days extremely sweltering and unbearable. The most pleasant months are those between October and March; because though they may be hot they are comfortable and dry.
Flora and Fauna of Sierra Leone
Flora: the plant life in Sierra Leone is very diverse with Savannah grasslands, to bush vegetation; to swamplands; to rainforests. Some of the trees that the country is famous for is African teak, the Khaya - which is better known as the African mahogany - and fire-resistant palm tree.
Fauna: Sierra Leone has a limited but exotic fauna. While the swamps and marshlands are populated with crocodiles and hippopotamus; chimpanzees, Diana monkeys, red colobus, wild dogs, African elephants, African golden cat, Buettikofer's epauletted fruit bats, Jentink's duikers, lions, pygmy spotted-necked otters, West African manatees and zebra duikers dot the other vregions of the land. Avian fauna of the country of Sierra Leone includes the emerald cuckoo, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful birds in the world. Other birds include Senegal firefinch, bulbuls, little African swifts, didric cuckoos, bronze manakins and cattle egrets.
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