SIERRA LEONE AND GUINEA An Overview of Sierra Leone and Guinea Land Both countries feature coastal swamps, savannas, cultivated plateaus, and lofty inland mountains. Guinea is the source of three of West Africa’s major rivers—the Gambia, the Niger, and the Senegal. People The Mende and the Temne are the largest of Sierra Leone’s 18 indigenous tribes. The Krio—descendants of freed African slaves—live mainly around Freetown. Guinea has over 30 ethnic groups, the largest of which are the Fulani, the Mandingo, and the Susu.* Religion About 60 percent of Sierra Leoneans are Muslim; the rest mostly claim to be Christian. Nearly 90 percent of the people in Guinea are Muslim. Most people in both countries also practice traditional African religions. Language Each ethnic group has its own language. The lingua franca of Sierra Leone is Krio—a blend of English, European, and African languages. The official language of Guinea is French. Roughly 60 percent of the people in each country are illiterate. Livelihood Most people are subsistence farmers. Alluvial diamonds account for nearly half of Sierra Leone’s export earnings. Guinea has one of the world’s largest bauxite reserves. Food A popular expression is “If I haven’t had my rice, I haven’t eaten today!” Fufu, boiled cassava pounded into sticky dough, is often eaten with meat, okra, and sour sauce. Climate Hot and humid on the coast. Cooler in the highlands. During the dry season, the harmattan, a parching Saharan wind, blows for days, dropping temperatures and blanketing the region in dust.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Apr 2014 09:33:23 +0000
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