Sierra Leone 🇸🇱
Sierra Leone gained independence from the UK on this day in 1961, and Milton Margai became the country’s first Prime Minister.
Interesting facts about Sierra Leone:
– One of the most historic and well-known symbols of Freetown (the capital) is the Cotton Tree. African settlers who had liberated themselves from American slavery were brought over from Nova scotia and built a new settlement, named Freetown. It is believed that they gathered around the giant cotton tree to pray for gaining their freedom.
– Between 1807 and 1864, when the last slave ship case was adjudicated in the Freetown courts, the British navy brought in more than 50,000 “recaptives,” also known as “liberated Africans.”
– Today, Sierra Leone is made up of the descendants of these early settlers and the indigenous tribes such as the Mende and Temne people.
– There are 16 ethnic groups in Sierra Leone. The largest of these is the Mende, found in the Southern and Eastern Provinces. Second largest is the Temne in the North.
– Mineral resources are fairly well distributed and include diamonds, chromite, and reserves of rutile that are among the world’s largest. Other minerals include iron, gold, platinum and many more.
– Sierra Leone is home to a giant snail called the Ghana Snail (or Achatina achatina).
– Due to factors such as its tropical climate and diverse habitats, Sierra Leone is well known as a country rich in wildlife. It is home to four wildlife reserves.
– One of the most outstanding feature of the country’s cultural life is its dancing. The internationally known Sierra Leone National Dance Troupe first won widespread acclaim at the 1964–65 New York world’s Fair and continues to perform in the 21st century
– In 1996 the national football squad reached the final rounds of the African nations cup after barely avoiding forfeiture because of a lack of travel funds. #afroempowermentcenter
Happy independence day Sierra Leone
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