Deforestation/Soil Degradation

*Mining
-Illegal small diamond mining degrades soil.
Indiscriminate digging clears vegetated area and triggers deforestation.
-Spreads diseases
Dug out grounds form pond where mosquitoes multiply to cause Malaria.
-Water contamination from diamond mining waste causes severe diarrhea.

*Overgrowing population
-Cutting down trees to satisfy the demand for more farmland.

*Civil War
-Depleted natural resources.
-The war consumes anout 75% of government's financial and meterial resources.

Only 57% of people have access to safe drinking water.

Soil Degradation
-Constant digging overexpose the soil to make it unsuitable for farming.

http://www.american.edu/TED/leone.htm
Encarta Reference Library.

Background Information of Sierra Leon

The Capital: Freetown

Mineral Resources: Diamond, chrome, bauxite, iron ore, gold and platinum...

Environmental Issues:
*Soil Degradation
*Deforestation

Population:
Predominantly composed of Africans of 20 different ethnicities.
Mende in the south and Temne in the north.
Creoles: Descendent of free slaves from America.

Education:

The lowest primary school enrollment among African countries.

Religion:
40% follow traditional beliefs
10% (most of the Creoles) are Chrisitians
50% (most of the Temne) are Muslims

Currency:
leone (2,099 leones equal U.S.$1; 2002 average)