Sierra Leone Research Paper

1378 Words6 Pages
In the west coast of Africa the Republic of Sierra Leone is comprised of 250 miles. It was initially named “Serra Lyoa” or “Lion Mountain” by a Portuguese explorer named Pedro da Cintra due to the tall mountains that resemble a Lion. English sailors and later British settlers changed the name to "Sierra Leone." In an attempt to rid of slavery the colony of Sierra Leone was established by British humanitarian. The leader of the movement Granville Sharp planned it as a home for African slaves freed in England. He sent out the first settlers to what he called “The Province of Freedom” in 1787. The British Parliament passed an act making the slave trade illegal in 1807, the new colony was used as a base from which the act could be implemented.…show more content…
There are two distinct religions in Sierra Leone, Christianity and Islam. Very few people believe in the traditional worship, but nobody is forced to follow any of these religions. People from both of these religious backgrounds live and work together peacefully. Sierra Leone is the Sierra Leone is a primary example of religious acceptance. Muslims and Christians live side by side and intermarry, and children usually learn both Muslim and Christian prayers in school. The phrase ‘God Bless Islam’ is one that you will often see written on local buses (poda podas) exemplifying the integration of the two religions. In Sierra Leone the population is composed of sixty percent are Muslims, thirty percent are Christians and ten percent are the Traditional or Animist…show more content…
However, English is primarily only used for business, governmental, and media purposes. Krio is the language that the majority of people in Sierra Leone speak, which is a form of Pidgin English spoken with African words as well as Mende, Temne and other local languages. All together there exist 23 active languages that are spoken in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone's many different tribes have their native languages or versions of languages which they primarily speak. Within the urban areas, English is most widely used and recognized. Because Sierra Leone is a high context society, many things in the language are not expressed, instead interpreted through nonverbal cues or cultural norms. Unlike in highly industrialized countries, everything in the language is not said. There is a sense of gratification and acceptance in understanding language in a high context culture like Sierra Leone's. Language used by the media. English is a better known language in regard to international affairs. Contrary to other countries that are far more technologically advanced, the media play a much larger role in their
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