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People
Demography and Society
Eighteen ethnic groups make up the indigenous population of Sierra Leone. The Temne in the north and the Mende in the south are the largest of the groups, each comprising just under a third of the population. About one-tenth of the population is "Krio" or Creole -- descendents of freed slaves who returned to Sierra Leone from Great Britain and North America. Various other African groups, such as the Yimba and Maninka, together make up about one-fifth of the population. In addition, there are small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese and Asian Indians residing in Sierra Leone.
The Temne and Mende cultures both have a long and diverse history with first feudal then monarchal systems dating back to their arrival to the region in the 15th century. A complex and eclectic culture, the Mende embed notable forms of medicine, ancestral worship, a belief in a creator God, masked spirit manifestations, and secret societies into the social structure. Out of the feudal system was born an extensive riziculture (rice growing) system to provide a regular food staple and a system of laws.
Prior to the British influence in the region, the Mende Kingdom established a certain level of dominance over the Temne. As early as the 16th century, the Mende invaded, subordinated, and sometimes ruled Temne fiefdoms. Later, the Temne were further subjugated by Islamic forces moving down from the North. As a result of these incursions, the Temne became able to adapt and adopt external influences with great agility. They were thus able to cope with British imperialism better than many of their West African counterparts. In turn, between 1825 and 1896, as the British sought the adoption of the Temne political system for the purposes of indirect rule, they found it was possible to achieve with relative ease. The perseverance of the Temne culture makes it a study in the resiliency of a flexible social structure.
Centuries of slave trade and British colonialism led to the rise of distinct "Krio" (Creole) culture and language in Sierra Leone, while the addition of non-Africans now residing in Sierra Leone has complicated the ethnic, cultural and linguistic dynamics.
The official language in Sierra Leone is English, however, its usage is limited to the literate minority. Corresponding with the ethnic and geographic divisions, Mende is the principal language in the south of the country, while Temne is the principal language of the north. As noted above, "Krio," is also spoken among the Krio or Creole population. The use of Arabic has been recorded among the Muslim population.
In terms of religion, as much as 60 percent of the population hold indigenous belief systems, such as animism. Islam is practiced by 30 percent of the population and affiliates of Christianity make up 10 percent.
Human Development
While ethnic pluralism has created certain challenges, the greater threats to the people of Sierra Leone today lie in the war, and the rise of HIV/AIDS. According to the World Health Organization, the war has made it difficult to gather accurate data on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Sierra Leone. However, recent estimates suggest that the HIV/AIDS prevalance rate is 7 percent. The regularized taking of sex slaves, continued use of sex as a weapon of war, and the lack of health facilities, products, or education, combined with the alarming trend in the West Africa region as a whole, give rise to great concern about the increasing prevalence of the disease.
At 40 years of age, life expectancy in Sierra Leone is one of the lowest in the world, while the infant mortality rate is one of the highest at 143.64 deaths per 1,000 live births. Literacy is also quite low at 30 percent for the total population. That statistic, however, belies the wide gender gap by which 40 percent of males are literate and only 20 percent of women are literate. Clearly the low literacy rate among women affects their prospects throughout life.
About 13.1 percent of GDP in this country is spent on health expenditures. About 4.3 percent of GDP in this country is spent on educational expenditures.
One notable indicator used to measure a country's quality of life is the Human Development Index (HDI), which is compiled annually since 1990 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The HDI is a composite of several indicators, which measure a country's achievements in three main areas of human development: longevity, knowledge and education, as well as economic standard of living. In a ranking of 169 countries and territories, the HDI places Sierra Leone at 158th place in the low human development category. Note: Although the concept of human development is complicated and cannot be properly captured by values and indices, the HDI, which is calculated and updated annually, offers a wide-ranging assessment of human development in certain countries, not based solely upon traditional economic and financial indicators.
Written by Dr. Denise Youngblood Coleman, Editor in Chief at CountryWatch.com; see Bibliography for research sources.
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