About Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is among the poorest countries in the world. This is confirmed by the development report from the United Nations released on 27 November 2007. Sierra Leone was ranked 177, last place, on the list comparing countries in relation to national income per capita, life span, level of education, etc. Iceland, on the other hand, was ranked number one for the first time since the UN began compiling the list.
Sierra Leone is situated in West Africa facing the Atlantic Ocean, and shares a border with Guinea and Liberia. Long a British colony, it declared its independence in 1961 and formed a republic in 1971. Civil war existed in Sierra Leone from 1991-2002, which brought incalculable hardship: tens of thousands of people died and over one-third of the population lost their homes.
About six million people live in Sierra Leone. The country measures 71,740 km2 in size, and has a population density of about 83 people per km2. In comparison, Iceland is 103,000 km2 in size and has a population density of 3 per km2.
Up to one-third of children in Sierra Leone do not live to see their fifth birthday, which is one of the highest death rates in the world. A great number of children die due to a dreadful standard of living, and do not enjoy the rights that are considered a matter of course in many parts of the world, including the right to an education. This is the reason why the Aurora Foundation is focusing its energy on providing support to education and training in the country.
