1. History
- Founded by freed slaves from America
- British colony, early 19th century
- 1st parliamentary election- 1957
- Gained independence – 1961
- Three military coups- 1967-68
- One party state- 1968-1991
- Civil War 1991-2002
- Ebola outbreak 2014-present
2. Politics
- Constitutional republic with directly elected president
- Parliament with representatives from the 14 districts
- Current President: Ernest Bai Koroma
- Judiciary and Freetown city council dominated by Krio people (descendants of freed slaves)
3. Culture
- English is the official language
- Krio widely spoken
- 16 ethnic groups
- Temne and and Mende are the most influential
4. Religion
5. Economy
6. Geography
7. Education
- 9 years of required schooling
Millennium Development Goals
- HIV Prevalence 1.6%
- 5th highest maternal mortality rate
- 11th highest infant mortality rate
- 50% access to safe drinking water
- 88% of females have experienced genital mutilation
- 2/3 adults are illiterate, despite school requirements of 9 years