Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Political System
Sierra Leone is a presidential republic in the Commonwealth. The unicameral
parliament consists of 112 members who are elected every five years. The
president is also elected every five years. According to Digopaul.com,
the official name of the country is:
National anthem
"High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free" has been the national anthem of
Sierra Leone since 1961. The lyrics are by Clifford Nelson Pyle, the music was
composed by John Joseph Akar.
It reads in English:
| High we exalt thee, realm of the free;
Great is the love we have for thee;
Firmly united ever we stand,
Singing thy praise, O native land.
We raise up our hearts and our voices on high,
The hills and the valleys re-echo our cry;
Blessing and peace be ever thine own,
Land that we love, our Sierra Leone.
One with a faith that wisdom inspires,
One with a zeal that never tires;
Ever we seek to honor your name,
Ours is the labor, thine the fame.
We pray that no harm on thy children may fall,
That blessing and peace may descend on us all;
So may we serve thee ever alone,
Land that we love, our Sierra Leone.
Knowledge and truth our forefathers spread,
Mighty the nations whom they led;
Mighty they made thee, so too may we
Show forth the good that is ever in thee.
We pledge our devotion, our strength and our might,
Thy cause to defend and to stand for thy right;
All that we have be ever thine own,
Land that we love, our Sierra Leone. |
And in the English translation
| We praise you, kingdom of the free,
great is our love for you,
firmly united we stand,
sing your praises, oh fatherland.
We lift up our hearts and our voices,
the hills and valleys echo our call,
blessings and peace be eternal for you,
our beloved land, our Sierra Leone.
United in faith that awakens wisdom,
united in zeal that never tires,
we always want to honor your name,
ours is work, yours is fame.
We pray that the children will not suffer harm,
that blessings and peace will descend on us all,
so we will serve you alone forever,
our beloved country, Sierra Leone.
Our ancestors spread knowledge and truth,
the nations that led them were
mighty, they made you mighty, and so do we,
continue to show the good that is eternally in you.
We dedicate our dedication, strength and power
to defending your cause, standing up for your rights;
everything we have, be yours forever,
our beloved country, our Sierra Leone. |
National flag
The national flag (national flag) of Sierra Leone was written into the
constitution on April 27, 1961. Based on flag descriptions by
Countryaah.com, the three colors of the flag are interpreted as
follows:
- Green symbolizes the agriculture and natural resources of the country.
- White stands for unity and justice
- blue symbolizes the sea and the sky
Sierra Leone: Known People
Roda Antar (born 1980)
The well-known Lebanese soccer player was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone in
1980. He was active as a midfielder and is one of the biggest sports stars in
his country.
Eunice Barber (born 1974)
The French athlete was born in 1974 in Freetown, Sierra Leone. At the 1999 World
Athletics Championships in Seville she was world champion, as well as at the
2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris - in the long jump.
Gaston Bart-Williams (1938-1990)
Born in Freetown in 1938, the oppositionist also excelled as a journalist,
director, artist and writer.
Ishmael Beah (born 1980)
Beah is a Sierra Leonean author whose 2007 book A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a
Boy Soldier was a harrowing testimony to his own experience as a child soldier
during the civil war drops.
Edward Wilmot Blyden (1832-1912)
Blyden was a Liberian politician who was a leading figure in Pan-Africanism and
West African nationalism. Blyden died in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1912.
Samuel "Sam" Moskito "Bockarie (1964-2003)
In 2003 the general of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), also known as
General Mosquito, died in his exile in Liberia " had.
Syl Cheney Coker (born 1945)
The Freetown-born writer from Sierra Leone wrote his most important work with
the novel The Nubian (1996). The book was recognized as one of the best 100
novels in Africa.
Dixon Denham (1786-1828)
In 1828, Dixon Denham, a famous English explorer of Africa, died in Freetown and
made it to the position of governor of Sierra Leone.
FannyAnn Eddy (1974-2004)
The lesbian and gay activist who died very young was not only
active in her home country Sierra Leone, but also in many other countries in
Africa. Her fight even led her to the United Nations, where she also campaigned
for the human rights of lesbians and gays. On September 28, 2004, FannyAnn Eddy
was attacked by several men in her office, raped and beaten so brutally that her
neck was broken.
John Albert Musselman Karefa-Smart (1915-2010)
Karefa-Smart was initially a doctor and university lecturer before he became a
politician. Between 1996 and 2002 he ran as a presidential candidate.
Morris Kallon (born 1964)
The rebel leader from Bo, also known as Bilai Karim, stood and “fought” on the
side of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). In February 2009 he was found
guilty of crimes against humanity in 16 out of 18 cases by the Special Court for
Sierra Leone.
Mohamed Ajay Kallon (born 1979)
The current striker from Sierra Leone was born in 1979 in the city of Kenema.
Ernest Bai Koroma (born 1953)
In 1953 the current President and Commander-in-Chief of Sierra Leone was born in
Makeni. The former leader of the opposition is also chairman of the All People's
Congress (APC).
Francis Zapa Koroma (born 1975)
The Sierra Leonean football player, who was born in Koidu, was active as a
defender for the Leone Stars, for the Diamond Stars (Sierra Leone) and for
Allsvenskan (Sweden).
Patricia Piccinini (born 1965)
The Australian artist Patricia Piccinini also came from Freetown and addresses
ethical issues in her work.
Mohamed Saccoh (born 1984)
The rapper from Koidu in Sierra Leone, better known by his stage name K-Man, is
one of the most famous musicians in his country. He performs his raps mainly in
English and in Krio, more rarely in Mandinka.
Foday Sankoh (1937-2003)
Foday Sankoh cannot be given a worthy obituary because the military man who died
of a stroke in Freetown in 2003 was the leader of the Revolutionary United Front
(RUF), through which he started the devastating civil war in Sierra Leone and a
cruel one Waged war against the civilian population. Sankoh was convicted of his
crimes by the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
Siaka Probyn Stevens (1905-1988)
The politician who died in Freetown in 1988 served as President of Sierra Leone
between 1971 and 1985. His reign was marked by allegations of corruption, a
desolate economic situation, and several coup and assassination attempts.
Rodney Strasser (born 1990)
The Freetown footballer played as a midfielder for AC Milan. Strasser was
discovered in 2007.
Sierra Leone: animals
Mammals
Note
The animals linked in the following text can be found in detail at Goruma.
Bongos
The bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus) is a species of antelope from the horned
family.
The animals reach a shoulder height of about 1.25 m and have coiled horns with a
length of about 100 cm. The diurnal animals live in dense forests or in dense
bamboo.
Elephants
Defassa waterbuck
The Defassa waterbuck (Kobus defassa) is one of the two types of waterbuck
(Kobus) next to the elliptical waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus). These antelopes
with a shoulder height of around 1.30 m and a light brown, relatively thick fur
and a white mirror at the base of the tail. The animals are pure herbivores.
The Defassa waterbuck can be found from Senegal to Sudan and from there
southwards across the Congo to Angola. In contrast, the elliptical waterbuck can
be found in South Africa and northeastern Namibia, in Botswana and Mozambique
and in the savannahs from East Africa to Ethiopia and Somalia.
Hippos
Yellow-bridged duiker
The yellow-bridged duiker or giant duiker (Cephalophus silvicultor) is a species
of the horn-bearer family (Bovidae). There are six subspecies of the species.
The animals have a shoulder height of about 80 cm and a weight of up to about 65
kg. He has a dark, gray-brown coat with a yellow-brown stain on his back. The
animals live in densely forested areas and usually alone.
Its diet mostly consists of fruits, berries and mushrooms.
Giraffes
Jentink-Ducker
The Jentink-Ducker (Cephalophus jentinki) belongs to the tribe of the Ducker
(Cephalophini) in the family of the horned bearers (Bovidae). The animals reach
a head-trunk length between 130 and 140 cm, with a shoulder height of about 80
cm. Their tail is relatively short at 10 to 15 cm. The head and neck area of
the animals are colored black, while the lips and nose area are whitish. The
rest of the body is colored gray, with a darker longitudinal stripe on the
belly. The animals are solitary animals that are active at night and at dusk and
eat exclusively vegetarian.
Leopards
Manatees
Brush-eared pig
The brush-eared pig or river pig (Potamochoerus porcus) is a mammal from the
family of real pigs (Suidae). The animals reach a head-trunk length of 100 to
150 cm, with a shoulder height of 55 to 80 cm. The brush ear pigs are colored
quite conspicuously, their basic color being reddish, brown, with a white line
on their back. The face is colored black with white circles under the eyes and a
whitish trunk. Their long whiskers and the black or white tufts on their ears
are striking. Both the males and the females have tusks.
The relatively long and thin tail is - apart from the tassel - hairless.
The animals feed on plants as well as insects, small vertebrates and carrion.
Red buffalo
The red buffalo or forest buffalo (Syncerus nanus) is a species of mammal from
the tribe of cattle (Bovini) in the family of the horned buffalo (Bovidae). The
animals have a head-torso length between 180 to 220 cm with a shoulder height
between 100 and 130 cm. Their tail reaches a length between 60 and 90 cm. This
makes them much smaller than their relatives, the Cape buffalo. The animals are
colored red-brown according to their name and are pure herbivores.
Chimpanzees
Spotted hyenas
Forest elephants
Warthogs
Zebra duiker
The zebra duiker (Cephalophus zebra) is a relatively small forest antelope from
the tribe of Ducker (Cephalophini) in the family of Bovidae (Bovidae).
The animals reach a head-trunk length of 70 to 90 cm, with a shoulder height of
about 40 to 50 cm. Their tail is relatively short with a length of 10 to 15
cm. Their horns, which both males and females have, are short. Their fur is
colored brown-orange. It is named after the black zebra-like pattern, which
consists of twelve to fifteen stripes and extends vertically from the back down
the flanks. The underside can be white to almost black. The diurnal animals are
pure herbivores and live hidden in the thick bushes of primary forests with a
closed canopy of leaves.
Dwarf hippo
The pygmy hippo (Choeropsis liberiensis) is a family of hippos
(Hippopotamidae). Except for its size, the pygmy hippopotamus resembles hippos.
It has a shoulder height between 75 and 85 cm with a head-torso length of about
150 to 175 cm. They are pure herbivores. Their skin is greenish-black to
black-brownish-black skin. The animals can be found in the rivers of the
rainforests of Ivory Coast, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone
Reptiles
Nile crocodile
Common crocodile
West African armored
crocodile The West African armored crocodile (Mecistops cataphractus) belongs to
the family of real crocodiles (Crokodylidae). It must not be confused with the
Central African armored crocodile (Mecistops leptorhynchus). The West African
armored crocodile has a conspicuously pointed snout and usually reaches a length
of 2.50 to 3 m, rarely more.
Their diet consists mainly of fish or aquatic invertebrates. Rarely do they
prey on mammals such as smaller ungulates. Attacks on people are considered very
rare.
African house snake
The African house snake is a non-poisonous and about 2m long snake
African spitting cobra
Boom slang
Rock python
Striped house snake
The striped house snake (Boaedon lineatus) is a non-poisonous snake with a
length of 1.50 to 2 m
Ordinary puff adder
Green mamba
Hallowell's house snake
The Hallowell's house snake (Boaedon virgatus) is a non-poisonous snake with a
length of m
Ball python
Sierra Leone: plants
Over 2,000 different plant species grew in Sierra Leone, of which around 75
are endemic, meaning that they only occur here.
Mangroves predominantly grow on the coast of the Atlantic - especially red
mangroves.
In the savannah in the north, during the rainy season, you can find elephant
grass, sometimes over 4 m high.
Rainforests are still growing in the southeast of the country and on the
Freetown Peninsula, but some of them are threatened with deforestation. Oil
palms, kapok trees and the up to 30 m high red iron tree are relatively
widespread.
About 6% of the country's area, that is around 4,305 km², is used for
agriculture.
The useful plants include guava, mango and papaya trees, as well as coffee,
palm kernel and cocoa plants. Rice, millet and cassava are mostly grown for
personal use.
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