Sierra Leone is a
small country in West Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and
Liberia. Formerly a British colony, Sierra Leone got its independence in April 1960.
Today, the country ranks among the world's least developed countries, and it finds itself
at the bottom of the 2000 UN's Human Development Index of 174 countries. Although blessed
with ample natural resources, the country has been impoverished by ethnic strife,
mismanagement, corruption and war.
Sierra Leone's economy
centers on substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources. Bauxite, rutile
(titanium oxide) and diamonds are the principal exports. However, the economic and social
infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper the
exploitation of these mineral resources. Most of the mines have been shut down by civil
strife. The return to multiparty politics was disrupted by the seizure of power by the new
Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) in May 1997 which led to UN sanctions. The
Economic Community of West African States Cease-Fire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) forces, led
by a strong Nigerian contingent, undertook the suppression of the rebellion. The
democratically elected president returned to office in March 1998 facing the task of
restoring order to a demoralized population and a disorganized and severely damaged
economy.
Sierra Leone's
telecommunications infrastructure has been heavily damaged by ethnic strife and
war. In 1999, the number of connected telephone lines was approximately 17,400 resulting
in a telephone density of 0.38 per hundred people.
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