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Sierra Leone |
Sierra Leone, which is officially known as the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a constitutional republic nation in the Western part of the continent of Africa. The geographical area of Sierra Leone also comprises a special geographical region and three provinces. Sierra Leone shares its borders with Liberia in the South, Guinea, Liberia in its South and Southeast in the North and Atlantic Ocean in its West. Sierra Leone covers a geographical area of 71,740 square kilometers. Though Sierra Leone is not a large country, it is quite well developed compared to other countries located in the Western part of Africa and is quite well populated.
While speaking about Sierra Leone it is very important to mention something about its history. In the 18th century Sierra Leone served as one of the major hubs for transatlantic trade for enslaved Africans. Slave trading began in Sierra Leone during 1700s and at that time the major trading base was Bunce Island, which is located on Sierra Leone River. At present Bunce Island is known as Freetown Harbor.
| Freetown, the capital of the country was founded in the year 1787 by Sierra Leone Company and the city became the home for enslaved African American and people of the Caribbean islands who played an important role in the Great American Revolution against the British which started in the year 1772.Later in the year 1808, Freetown was converted into one of the British Crown colonies and in the year 1896, the country became a British Protectorate. It was finally in the year 1961 that Sierra Leone gained its independence. Speaking about the history of Sierra Leone it can also be mentioned here that in the mid 15th century, Sierra Leone was the first country to develop contacts with the Europeans.
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Portuguese explorer Pedro da Cintra first reached the region, mapped the hills that surrounds Freetown, the present capital of the country and named the place as Serra Lyoa, which is the Portuguese word for Lyon Mountains and its Italian version is Sierra Leone.
Though a part of the African continent, Sierra Leone has got a strong economy which is mainly based on its mining sector. The country is very rich in minerals and is very well known for its jewelry. Apart from the other industries tourism is also one of the leading industries in Sierra Leone. Large number of tourists from all other parts of Africa and even from intercontinental countries comes to visit Sierra Leone throughout the year especially to enjoy the wildlife safari tours. Places like Turners Peninsula, Sulima, Turtle Islands, Banana Islands, Ricketts Islands and Dublin Islands also attract lot of tourists for their breathtaking scenic beauty.
While writing about the economy and tourism in Sierra Leone it is also very important to mention that the well developed network of transportation has played a major role in the trading operation and tourism of the country. Sierra Leone is also very well connected with many other countries in West Africa and other parts of the continent. Sierra Leone is served by 10 regional airports and one international Airport. Located in the city of Lungi, the Lungi International Airport is served by several domestic and international airlines.
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