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Do not fill this in! == Demographics == {{Main|Demographics of Sierra Leone|Languages of Sierra Leone}} [[File:Sierra-Leone-demography.png|thumb|Sierra Leone's total population, from 1961 to 2013]] In 2019 Sierra Leone had a population of 7,813,215<ref name=Stat.sl>{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=SL|title = Population, total - Sierra Leone {{pipe}} Data}}</ref> and a growth rate of 2.216% a year.<ref name="CIA"/> The country's population is mostly young, with an estimated 41.7% under 15, and rural, with an estimated 62% of people living outside the cities.<ref name="CIA"/> As a result of migration to cities, the population is becoming more urban with an estimated rate of urbanisation growth of 2.9% a year.<ref name="CIA"/><ref name="Renner-Thomas 2010 5">{{Cite book |last =Renner-Thomas |first = Ade |title = Land Tenure in Sierra Leone: The Law, Dualism and the Making of a Land Policy |publisher =AuthorHouse |year =2010 |page = 5 |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=RiIpW6vWVPoC&pg=PA5|isbn=978-1-4490-5866-1|access-date=17 June 2014}}</ref> Population density varies greatly within Sierra Leone. The [[Western Area Urban District]], including Freetown, the capital and largest city, has a population density of 1,224 persons per square km. The largest district geographically, [[Koinadugu District|Koinadugu]], has a much lower density of 21.4 persons per square km.<ref name="Renner-Thomas 2010 5"/> English is the [[official language]],<ref name="Sierra Leone Overview">{{cite web |title =Sierra Leone Overview |website=[[United Nations Development Programme]] |url =http://www.sl.undp.org/sloverview.htm |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110511080815/http://www.sl.undp.org/sloverview.htm |archive-date =11 May 2011 |access-date =3 June 2008 |url-status =dead |df =dmy-all }}</ref> spoken at schools, government administration and in the media. [[Krio language|Krio]] (derived from English and several indigenous African languages, and the language of the [[Sierra Leone Creole people]]) is the most widely spoken language in virtually all parts of Sierra Leone. As the Krio language is spoken by 96% of the country's population,<ref name="CIA"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.language9.com/languages/translation/krio-translation.html |title=Krio Translation Services |publisher=Language9.com |access-date=20 May 2012}}</ref> it unites all the different [[Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone|ethnic group]]s, especially in their trade and interaction with each other.<ref name="https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/181">{{Cite book |last1 = Oyètádé |first1 = B. Akíntúndé |last2 = Fashole-Luke |first2 = Victor|title = Language and National Identity in Africa |place = Oxford |publisher = Oxford University Press |chapter = Sierra Leone: Krio and the Quest for National Integration |pages = 122–140 |chapter-url = https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/181|date = 15 February 2008 |isbn = 978-0-19-928675-1 }}</ref> Krio is the primary language of communication among Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad,<ref>Thompson, V. A. D. (2013). ''The Transformation of Freetown Christianity, 1960–2000.'' Doctoral Dissertation, University of London.</ref> and has also heavily influenced [[Sierra Leonean English]].<ref>Saidu Bangura, 2015 ''A Roadmap to Sierra Leone English: A Sociohistorical and Ecological Perspective'', Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, PhD thesis, p. 124, 222, 232-242.</ref> After the contribution made by the [[Bangladesh UN Peacekeeping Force]] in the [[Sierra Leone Civil War]] under the [[United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone]], the government of Ahmad Tejan Kabbah declared [[Bengali language|Bengali]] an honorary official language in December 2002.<ref>{{cite web|title=Recounting the sacrifices that made Bangla the State Language|url=http://thedailynewnation.com/news/125160/recounting-the-sacrifices-that-made-bangla-the-state-language|last=Ahmed|first=Nazir|date=21 Feb 2017|access-date=21 May 2020|archive-date=27 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827061400/https://thedailynewnation.com/news/125160/recounting-the-sacrifices-that-made-bangla-the-state-language|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927121835/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_29-12-2002_pg9_6|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_29-12-2002_pg9_6|date=29 Dec 2002|archive-date=27 September 2013|title=Sierra Leone makes Bengali official language|website=[[Daily Times (Pakistan)|Daily Times]]}}</ref> According to the ''World Refugee Survey 2008'', published by the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Sierra Leone had a population of 8,700 [[refugees]] and asylum seekers at the end of 2007. Nearly 20,000 Liberian refugees voluntarily returned to [[Liberia]] over the course of 2007. Of the refugees remaining in Sierra Leone, nearly all were Liberian.<ref name="World Refugee Survey 2008">{{cite news|title=World Refugee Survey 2008|publisher=U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants|date=19 June 2008|url=http://www.refugees.org/resources/refugee-warehousing/archived-world-refugee-surveys/2008-world-refugee-survey.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121228132236/http://www.refugees.org/resources/refugee-warehousing/archived-world-refugee-surveys/2008-world-refugee-survey.html|archive-date=28 December 2012}}</ref> {{Largest cities | name = Largest cities of Sierra Leone | country = Sierra Leone | stat_ref = Government of Sierra Leone 2004 Census<ref>{{Cite web | title = Final Results 2004 population and housing census | publisher = Government of Sierra Leone| year = 2006 | url =http://www.sierra-leone.org/Census/ssl_final_results.pdf| access-date = 26 February 2011}}</ref><!--These are the official figures; please do not change without discussion--> | list_by_pop = List of cities in Sierra Leone | div_name = District | city_1 = Freetown | div_1 = Western Area Urban District | pop_1 = 853,651 | img_1 = Freetown-aerialview.jpg | city_2 = Bo, Sierra Leone {{!}} Bo| div_2 =Bo District|pop_2 = 149,957 |img_2=Bo-City-Sierra-Leone.jpg | city_3 = Kenema| div_3 =Kenema District |pop_3 = 128,402|img_3=Kenema.jpg | city_4 = Makeni| div_4 = Bombali District|pop_4 = 82,940 | city_5 = Koidu {{!}} Koidu Town| div_5 = Kono District|pop_5 = 80,025|img_4=KoiduStreet.jpg | city_6 = Lunsar| div_6 = Port Loko District|pop_6 = 24,450 | city_7 = Port Loko| div_7 =Port Loko District |pop_7 = 23,195 | city_8 = Pandebu-Tokpombu |div_8 = Kenema District|pop_8 = 20,219 | city_9 = Kabala, Sierra Leone {{!}} Kabala| div_9 =Koinadugu District |pop_9 = 19,074 | city_10 =Waterloo, Sierra Leone {{!}} Waterloo| div_10 = Western Area Urban District|pop_10 = 18,579 }} The populations quoted above for the five largest cities are from the 2004 census. The figure for Freetown is for the Western Urban Area (Greater Freetown). Other figures are estimates from the source cited. Different sources give different estimates. Some claim that [[Magburaka]] should be included in the above list, but there is considerable difference among sources. One source estimates the population at 14,915,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://population-of.com/en/Sierra-Leone/02/Magburaka |title=Population of Magburaka |publisher=Population-of.com |access-date=22 August 2010}}</ref> whilst another puts it as high as 85,313.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.exaf.eu/exaf/page.php?pid=210 |title=Exaf |publisher=Exaf.EU |access-date=22 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720161721/http://www.exaf.eu/exaf/page.php?pid=210 |archive-date=20 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> "Pandebu-Tokpombu" is presumably the extended town of Torgbonbu, which had a population of 10,716 in the 2004 census. "Gbendembu" had a larger population of 12,139 in that census. In the 2004 census, Waterloo had a population of 34,079. {{Clear}} === Religion === {{main|Religion in Sierra Leone}} {{bar box |float=right |titlebar=#ddd |title=[[Religion in Sierra Leone]] (2020)<ref name=religions>{{cite web | url=http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/sierra-leone#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010®ion_name=All%20Countries&restrictions_year=2015 | title=Religions in Sierra Leone {{pipe}} PEW-GRF | access-date=9 December 2017 | archive-date=20 February 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220152154/http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/sierra-leone#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010®ion_name=All%20Countries&restrictions_year=2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref> |left1=Religion |right1=per cent |bars= {{bar percent|[[Islam]]|green|78.5}} {{bar percent|[[Christianity]]|Blue|20.4}} {{bar percent|Other faiths|black|1.1}} }} [[File: Pendemdu Mosque and Church.JPG|thumb|A mosque and a church in Sierra Leone]] Sierra Leone is officially a [[secular state]]. [[Islam]] and [[Christianity]] are the two main religions in the country. The constitution of Sierra Leone provides for [[freedom of religion]] and the Sierra Leone Government generally protects it. The Sierra Leonean Government is constitutionally forbidden from establishing a [[state religion]], though Muslim and Christian prayers are usually held in the country at the beginning of major political occasions, including presidential inaugurations and the official opening of the new session of Parliament. Surveys of the religious make up of Sierra Leone vary widely, though [[Muslims]] make up the majority of the population. Based on 2015 estimates of the population of Sierra Leone, 77% of the population are Muslims, 22% are [[Christians]], and 1% practise [[African traditional religion]]. According to 2020 estimates by the [[Pew Research Center]]<ref>[http://www.statesmansyearbook.com/entry?entry=countries_sl.RELIGION]{{dead link|date=August 2021}}</ref> 78.5% of Sierra Leone's population are Muslims (mostly [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]]), 20.4% are Christians (mostly [[Protestantism|Protestants]]) and 1.1% belong to a traditional African religion or other beliefs. The Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone estimated that 77% of Sierra Leone's population are Muslims, 21% are Christians, and 2% are followers of traditional African religions.<ref>[https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/171636.pdf Sierra Leone]. state.gov</ref> Most of Sierra Leone's ethnic groups are Muslim majority, including the country's two largest ethnic groups: the Mende and Temne. Sierra Leone is regarded as one of the most religiously tolerant countries in the world.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21603015-sierra-leone-bucks-west-african-trend-celebrating-its-religious-tolerance-all|title=All things happily to all men|newspaper=The Economist}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Major Religions of Sierra Leone|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-religions-are-practised-in-sierra-leone.html|access-date=2021-04-30|website=WorldAtlas|date=4 April 2018|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ayvnewspaper.com/index.php/k2-categories/politics/item/849-sierra-leone-hailed-for-religious-tolerance|title=Sierra Leone Hailed for Religious Tolerance|date=March 3, 2016|website=AYV Newspaper|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401123817/http://ayvnewspaper.com/index.php/k2-categories/politics/item/849-sierra-leone-hailed-for-religious-tolerance|archive-date=1 April 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> Most of the major Muslim and Christian holidays are officially [[Public holiday|national holidays]] in the country, and religious conflict is rare.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brima |first1=Abdul |title=Preventing religious conflict in Sierra Leone: a careful balancing act |url=https://www.peaceinsight.org/en/articles/preventing-religious-conflict-sierra-leone-careful-balancing-act/?location=sierra-leone&theme=mediation-dialogue |website=Peace Insight |publisher= |access-date=4 April 2021}}</ref> The country is home to the Sierra Leone Inter-Religious Council, which is made up of both Christian and Muslim religious leaders to promote peace and tolerance throughout the country.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.unicef.org/wcaro/2009_5743.html |title=Media Centre – In Sierra Leone, partnerships with religious leaders help combat child mortality |publisher=UNICEF |date=29 November 2010 |access-date=20 March 2014 |archive-date=22 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822014727/https://www.unicef.org/wcaro/2009_5743.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.religionsforpeaceinternational.org/what-we-do/stop-war/conflict-transformation |title=Conflict Transformation |publisher=Religions for Peace International |access-date=20 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228053733/http://www.religionsforpeaceinternational.org/what-we-do/stop-war/conflict-transformation |archive-date=28 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/emergency/ircsl.stm |title=Interreligious Community Advocates for Peace in Sierra Leone with photos |publisher=Gbgm-umc.org |access-date=20 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717070939/http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/emergency/ircsl.stm |archive-date=17 July 2013}}</ref> The Islamic holidays of [[Eid al-Fitr]], [[Eid al-Adha]] and [[Mawlid|Maulid-un-Nabi]] (Birthday of the [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]]) are observed as [[Public holidays in Sierra Leone|national holidays in Sierra Leone]]. The Christian holidays of [[Christmas]], [[Boxing Day]], [[Good Friday]] and [[Easter]] are also national holidays in Sierra Leone. In politics, the overwhelming majority of Sierra Leoneans vote for a candidate without regard of the candidate being a Muslim or a Christian.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}} All of Sierra Leone's Heads of State have been Christians except Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, who was a Muslim. The overwhelming majority of Sierra Leonean Muslims are adherent to the Sunni tradition of Islam in practice. Most of the Mosques and Islamic schools across Sierra Leone are based on Sunni Islam. [[Ahmadiyya Muslims]] make up about 10% of the country's Muslim population. Sierra Leone has a vibrant Ahmaddiya Muslim population, especially in the southern city of [[Bo, Sierra Leone|Bo]], which is home to a large Ahmadiyya Muslim population. There are five hundred Ahmadiyya Mosques across Sierra Leone.<ref>{{cite web |work=The Muslim Times |url=https://themuslimtimes.info/2014/01/12/progress-of-ahmadiyyat-in-sierra-leone/ |title=Progress of Ahmadiyyat in Sierra Leone |first=Abdul Shafi |last=Bharwana |date=12 January 2014 |access-date=28 August 2021 }}</ref> [[Shia Islam]] does not have a strong presence in Sierra Leone, and there are virtually no [[Shia Muslims]] in the country. Most Sierra Leonean Muslims of the Sunni and Ahmadiyya sect generally pray together in the same [[mosque]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sierraleone365.com/feature-stories/ahmadiyya-movement-goes-mainstream-in-sierra-leone|title=Ahmadiyya Movement Goes Mainstream in Sierra Leone|last=Bah|first=Hadi|website=sierraleone365.com|access-date=6 December 2016|archive-date=25 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425100138/http://sierraleone365.com/feature-stories/ahmadiyya-movement-goes-mainstream-in-sierra-leone|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160101131640/http://ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.com/2010/03/bo-ahmadiya-muslim-secondary-school.html Sierra Leone: Bo Ahmadiya Muslim Secondary School Golden Jubilee, Former Principal and Secretary-General Honoured]. ''Ahmadiyya Times'' (23 March 2010)</ref> The vast majority of Sierra Leonean Muslims are adherent to the [[Maliki school]] of Sunni Islam. The Maliki school is by far the largest and most dominant Islamic school of jurisprudence across Sierra Leone. Many Ahmadiyya Muslims in Sierra Leone also follow the Maliki Jurisprudence. The Sierra Leone Islamic Supreme Council is the highest Islamic religious organisation in Sierra Leone and is made up of the country's Imams, Islamic scholars, and other Islamic clerics across the country. Sheikh Muhammad Taha Jalloh is the president of the Sierra Leone Supreme Islamic Council.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sierraleoneislamicweb.com/2018/04/10/national-president-of-the-supreme-islamic-council-of-sierra-leone-congratulates-h-e-rtd-juilius-maada-bio-and-his-vice-dr-mohamed-juldeh-jalloh/|title=National President of the Supreme Islamic Council of Sierra Leone Congratulates H.E (Rtd) Juilius Maada Bio and his vice, Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh.|last=onedeentech|date=10 April 2018|website=Sierra Leone Islamic Web}}</ref> The United Council of Imams is an influential Islamic religious body in Sierra Leone that is made up of all [[imams]] of mosques throughout Sierra Leone. The president of the United Council of Imam is Sheikh [[Alhaji]] Muhammad Habib Sheriff.<ref>{{Cite web|title=*Sierra Leone Imams present new president to Hon. Minister responsible for Religious Affairs* – Cocorioko|url=https://cocorioko.net/sierra-leone-imams-present-new-president-to-hon-minister-responsible-for-religious-affairs/|access-date=2020-09-11|language=en-US}}</ref> The two largest mosques in Sierra Leone are the [[Freetown Central Mosque]] and the [[Ghadafi Central Mosque]] (built by former [[Libyan]] dictator [[Muammar Gaddafi]]), both located in the capital [[Freetown]]. The large majority of Sierra Leonean Christians are Protestant, of which the largest groups are the [[Wesleyan]] – [[Methodists]].<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5794273&ct=6470237¬oc=1 |title=United Methodists elect bishop for Sierra Leone |publisher=UMC.org |date=22 December 2008 |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100506164251/http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5794273&ct=6470237¬oc=1 |archive-date=6 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/methodist-church-sierra-leone |title=Methodist Church Sierra Leone — World Council of Churches |publisher=Oikoumene.org |date=28 January 2013 |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.xpointumc.org/missions/report-of-sierra-leone/ |title=Crosspoint United Methodist Church – Welcome » Sierra Leone |publisher=Xpointumc.org |access-date=23 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927081948/http://www.xpointumc.org/missions/report-of-sierra-leone/ |archive-date=27 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.efsl.evang.org/about-efsl/our-history |title=The History of the Evangelical Fellowship of Sierra Leone |publisher=Efsl.evang.org |date=24 August 1959 |access-date=23 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928003048/http://www.efsl.evang.org/about-efsl/our-history |archive-date=28 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tectsl.org/ |title=The Evangelical College of Theology Sierra Leone |publisher=Tectsl.org |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref> Other Christian Protestant [[Christian denomination|denominations]] with significant presence in the country include [[Presbyterians]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.epc.org/sierra-leone-presbytery-organization-wo-486/ |title=Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Sierra Leone Presbytery Organization [WO-486] |publisher=Epc.org |access-date=23 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20130923202604/http://www.epc.org/sierra-leone-presbytery-organization-wo-486/ |archive-date=23 September 2013}}</ref> [[Baptists]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tmbcdetroit.org/ministries/evangelism/sierra-leone |title=Sierra Leone ::: A Place to Belong, Not Just Attend |publisher=Tmbcdetroit.org |date=23 July 2010 |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref> [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventists]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sdachurchsierraleone.org/ |title=Seventh-day Adventist Church, Sierra Leone – HOME |publisher=Sdachurchsierraleone.org |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-date=27 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927095712/http://www.sdachurchsierraleone.org/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Anglicans]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.anglicancommunion.org/tour/diocese.cfm?Idind=732 |title=West Africa-Freetown (Sierra Leone) |publisher=Anglican Communion |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref> [[Lutherans]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://elcsl.weebly.com/ |title=elcsl.weebly.com |publisher=elcsl.weebly.com |access-date=20 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Global-Mission/Where-We-Work/Africa/Sierra-Leone.aspx |title=Sierra Leone – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |publisher=Elca.org |date=16 June 2010 |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017051518/http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Global-Mission/Where-We-Work/Africa/Sierra-Leone.aspx |archive-date=17 October 2013}}</ref> and [[Pentecostals]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200524820.shtml |title=Sierra Leone Christians Preparing for PilgrFile: Sierra Leone News |publisher=News.sl |access-date=17 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304145132/http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200524820.shtml |archive-date=4 March 2014}}</ref> The Council of Churches is the Christian religious organisation that is made up of Protestant churches across Sierra Leone. Recently there has been an increase of Pentecostal churches, especially in Freetown. In September 2017, a Sierra Leone-based Nigerian Pentecostal Christian pastor name Victor Ajisafe was arrested by the [[Sierra Leone Police]] and held in [[jail]] after he made controversial remarks against Islam and Sierra Leonean Muslims in particular at his church [[sermon]] in the capital Freetown. Ajisafe was apparently angry after a [[Zimbabwean]] Muslim [[cleric]] [[Mufti Menk]] had visited Sierra Leone and preached to large crowds.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ayvnews.com/AYVNews/index.php/news/item/4084-mufti-menk-s-visit-to-sierra-loenep |title=Archived copy |access-date=8 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401173250/http://ayvnews.com/AYVNews/index.php/news/item/4084-mufti-menk-s-visit-to-sierra-loenep |archive-date=1 April 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Many Christian organisations in Sierra Leone, including the Council of Churches, condemned Ajisafe's sermon against Islam and Muslims. Ajisafe's church was temporarily shut down by the Sierra Leone government and his church licence was temporarily suspended too. The incident brought religious tension in Sierra Leone, in a country known for its high level of religious tolerance, as many Sierra Leonean Muslims at home and abroad called for Ajisafe to be [[deported]] back to his home country of [[Nigeria]]. The pastor while in Sierra Leone [[Arrest|police custody]] apologised to Sierra Leonean Muslims and to the government of Sierra Leone. After several days in jail, Ajisafe was released, his church licence was given back to him, and his church was later reopened under strict government conditions during several months of [[probation]]. [[Nondenominational Christianity|Non-denominational Protestants]] form a significant minority of Sierra Leone's Christian population.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=11887 |title=Sierra Leone: in wake of brutal war, churches full: News Headlines |publisher=Catholic Culture |date=28 September 2011 |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref> [[Catholics]] are the largest group of non-Protestant Christians in Sierra Leone, forming about 8% of Sierra Leone's population and 26% of the Christian population in Sierra Leone.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.catholicchurchsl.org/ |title=catholicchurchsl.org |publisher=catholicchurchsl.org |access-date=20 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170504130803/http://www.catholicchurchsl.org/ |archive-date=4 May 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Jehovah's Witnesses]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/offices/sierra-leone/ |title=Visitors & Tours: Jehovahs Witnesses Office in Sierra Leone |publisher=Jw.org |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005142744/http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/offices/sierra-leone/ |archive-date=5 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/facts-and-statistics/country/sierra-leone |title=Sierra Leone – LDS Statistics and Church Facts {{pipe}} Total Church Membership |publisher=churchofjesuschrist.org |date=24 July 2007 |access-date=23 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Gerry |last=Avant |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765616902/Historic-milestone-Sierra-Leone-stake-marks-LDS-Churchs-3000th.html?pg=all |title=Historic milestone: Sierra Leone stake marks LDS Church's 3,000th |newspaper=Deseret News |date=2 December 2012 |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-date=27 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927114817/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765616902/Historic-milestone-Sierra-Leone-stake-marks-LDS-Churchs-3000th.html?pg=all |url-status=dead }}</ref> are the two most prominent [[Nontrinitarianism|non-Trinitarian]] Christians in Sierra Leone, and they form a small but significant minority of the Christian population in Sierra Leone. A small community of [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christians]] resides in the capital Freetown.<ref>{{cite web |last=Tsolakidou |first=Stella |url=http://world.greekreporter.com/2013/01/30/troubled-orthodox-mission-in-sierra-leone/ |title=Troubled Orthodox Mission in Sierra Leone |website=GreekReporter.com |access-date=24 February 2017 |date=January 30, 2013}}</ref> === Ethnic groups === {{Further|Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone}} [[File: Sierra Leone ethnic groups.svg|thumb|upright=1.6|The distribution of [[Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone|major ethnic groups within Sierra Leone]]]] {|class="wikitable infobox" style="margin-right:0; margin-left:1em;" |- |'''Ethnic groups<br />of Sierra Leone'''<ref name =Census2015/> |- |[[Temne people|Temne]] | 35.5% |- |[[Mende people|Mende]] | 33.2% |- |[[Limba people (Sierra Leone)|Limba]] | 8.4% |- |[[Fula people of Sierra Leone|Fula]] | 3.8% |- |[[Kono people|kono]] | 3.4% |- |[[Susu people|Susu]] | 2.9% |- |[[Loko people|Loko]] | 2.9% |- |[[Koranko people|Koranko]] | 2.8% |- |[[Sherbro people|Sherbro]] | 2.6% |- |[[Mandingo people of Sierra Leone|Mandingo]] | 2.4% |- |[[Sierra Leone Creole people|Creole/Krio]] | 1.3% |- |} Sierra Leone is home to about sixteen [[ethnic groups]], each with its own language. The largest and most influential are the Temne at about 35.5% and the Mende at about 33.2%. The Temne predominate in the [[Northern Province, Sierra Leone|Northern Sierra Leone]] and [[Western Area, Sierra Leone|some areas around the capital of Sierra Leone]]. The Mende predominate in [[Southern Province, Sierra Leone|South]]-Eastern Sierra Leone (with the exception of [[Kono District]]). The vast majority of Temne are Muslims at over 85%, with a significant Christian minority at about 10%. The Mende are also Muslim majority at about 70%, though with a large Christian minority at about 30%. Sierra Leone's national politics centres on the competition between the north-west, dominated by the Temne, and the south-east dominated by the Mende. The vast majority of the Mende support the Sierra Leone People's Party; while the majority of the Temne support the All People's Congress.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewpeople.com/national-news/politics/item/1764-sierra-leone-the-temnes-and-the-politics-of-the-all-peoples%E2%80%99-congress-apc |title=Sierra Leone: The Temnes and the Politics of the All Peoples' Congress (APC) |publisher=The New People |date=29 April 2012 |author= Mohamed Idriss Kanu |access-date=17 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017061941/http://www.thenewpeople.com/national-news/politics/item/1764-sierra-leone-the-temnes-and-the-politics-of-the-all-peoples%E2%80%99-congress-apc |archive-date=Oct 17, 2014}}</ref> The Mende, who are believed to be descendants of the [[Mane people|Mane]],{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} originally occupied the Liberian hinterland. They began moving into Sierra Leone slowly and peacefully in the eighteenth century. The Temne are said to have migrated from [[Futa Jallon]], which is in present-day [[Guinea]]. The third-largest ethnic group is the [[Limba people (Sierra Leone)|Limba]] at about 8.4% of the population. The Limba are [[indigenous peoples|native]] people of Sierra Leone. They have no tradition of origin, and it is believed that they have lived in Sierra Leone since before the European encounter. The Limba are primarily found in Northern Sierra Leone, particularly in [[Bombali District|Bombali]], [[Kambia District|Kambia]] and [[Koinadugu District]]. The Limba are about 60% Christian and 40% Muslim. The Limba are close political allies of the neighbouring Temne. Since independence, the Limba have traditionally been influential in Sierra Leone's politics, along with the Mende. The vast majority of Limba support the All People's Congress (APC) political party. Sierra Leone's first and second presidents, [[Siaka Stevens]] and [[Joseph Saidu Momoh]], respectively, were both ethnic Limba. Sierra Leone's former [[defense minister]] [[Paolo Conteh|Alfred Paolo Conteh]] is an ethnic Limba. One of the biggest minority ethnic groups are the [[Fula people of Sierra Leone|Fula]] at around 3.8% of the population. Descendants of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Fula migrant settlers from the [[Fouta Djalon]] region of Guinea, they live primarily in the northeast and the western area of Sierra Leone. The Fula are virtually all Muslims at over 99%. The Fula are primarily [[merchant|traders]], and many live in middle-class homes.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} Because of their trading, the Fulas are found in nearly all parts of the country. The other ethnic groups are the [[Mandingo people of Sierra Leone|Mandingo]] (also known as [[Mandinka people|Mandinka]]). They are descendants of traders from Guinea who migrated to Sierra Leone during the late nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries. The Mandinka are predominantly found in the east and the northern part of the country. They predominate in the large towns, most notably [[Karina, Sierra Leone|Karina]], in Bombali District in the north; [[Kabala, Sierra Leone|Kabala]] and [[Falaba]] in Koinadugu District in the north; and [[Yengema]], [[Kono District]] in the east of the country. Like the Fula, the Mandinka are virtually all Muslims at over 99%. Sierra Leone's third president, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, and Sierra Leone's first Vice-President, [[Sorie Ibrahim Koroma]], were both ethnic Mandingo. Next in proportion are the [[Kono people|Kono]], who live primarily in Kono District in Eastern Sierra Leone. The Kono are descendants of migrants from Guinea; today their workers are known primarily as diamond miners. The majority of the Kono ethnic group are Christians, though with an influential Muslim minority. Sierra Leone's former Vice-President [[Samuel Sam-Sumana|Alhaji Samuel Sam-Sumana]] is an ethnic Kono. The small but significant Creole or [[Krio people]] (descendants of freed African American, [[West Indian]] and Liberated African slaves who settled in Freetown between 1787 and about 1885) make up about 3% of the population. They primarily occupy the capital city of [[Freetown]] and its surrounding [[Western Area]]. Creole or Krio culture reflects the Western culture and ideals within which many of their ancestors originated – they also had close ties with British officials and colonial administration during years of development. The Creoles or Krio have traditionally dominated Sierra Leone's judiciary and Freetown's elected city council. One of the first ethnic groups to become educated according to Western traditions, they have traditionally been appointed to positions in the civil service, beginning during the colonial years. They continue to be influential in the civil service. The Creoles or Krios are virtually all Christians at about 99%. The [[Oku people]] are the descendants of liberated Muslim [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]]s from Southwest [[Nigeria]], who were released from slave ships and resettled in Sierra Leone as [[Liberated Africans in Sierra Leone|Liberated Africans]] or came as [[settlers]] in the mid-19th century. The Oku people primarily reside in the communities of Fourah Bay, Fula Town, and Aberdeen in Freetown. The Oku are virtually all Muslims at about 99%. Other minority ethnic groups are the [[Kuranko people|Kuranko]], who are related to the Mandingo and are largely Muslims. The Kuranko are believed to have begun arriving in Sierra Leone from Guinea in about 1600 and settled in the north, particularly in [[Koinadugu District]]. The Kuranko are primarily farmers; leaders among them have traditionally held several senior positions in the Military. The current Governor of the [[Bank of Sierra Leone]] [[Kaifala Marah]] is an ethnic Kuranko. The Kuranko are largely Muslim majority. The [[Loko people|Loko]] in the north are native people of Sierra Leone, believed to have lived in Sierra Leone since the time of European encounter. Like the neighbouring Temne, the Loko are Muslim majority. The [[Susu people|Susu]] and their related [[Yalunka people|Yalunka]] are traders; both groups are primarily found in the far north in Kambia and Koinadugu District close to the border with Guinea. The Susu and Yalunka kingdom was established in the early fifth seventh century{{clarify|fifth or seventh, or the entire range?|date=February 2022}} before the Mali empire, which was extended from Mali, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry to the northern part of Sierra Leone. They are the original owners of the Futa Djallon region covered by a vars land area both the Susu and Yalunka people are descendants of the Mande people. They are virtually all Muslims. The Yalunka also spelled Jallonke, Yalonga, Djallonké, Djallonka or Dialonké, are Mande people who have lived in the Djallon, a mountainous region in Sierra Leone, Mali, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, and Guinea Conakry West Africa over 520 years ago. The name Yalunka literally means "inhabitants of the Jallon (mountains)". Manga Sewa was born in Falaba, Solima chiefdom, in the Northern Province of British Sierra Leone to Yalunka parents. His father was a Yalunka paramount chief of Solima, a prosperous chieftaincy. Its capital, Falaba, was on the rich trading routes leading to the coast. Manga Sewa's father had several wives and dozens of children. are traders; both groups are primarily found in the far north in [[Kambia District|Kambia]] and Koinadugu District close to the border with Guinea. The Susu and Yalunka are both descendants of migrants from Guinea; they both are virtually all Muslims at over 99%. The [[Kissi people|Kissi]] live further inland in South-Eastern Sierra Leone. They predominate in the large town of [[Koindu]] and its surrounding areas in Kailahun District. The vast majority of Kissi are Christians. The much smaller [[Vai people|Vai]] and [[Kru people|Kru]] peoples are primarily found in [[Kailahun District|Kailahun]] and Pujehun Districts near the border with Liberia. The Kru predominate in the Kroubay neighbourhood in the capital of Freetown. The Vai are largely Muslim majority at about 90%, while the Kru are virtually all Christians at over 99%. On the coast in [[Bonthe District]] in the south are the [[Sherbro people|Sherbro]]. Native to Sierra Leone, they have occupied [[Sherbro Island]] since it was founded. The Sherbro are primarily [[fisherman]] and [[farmers]], and they are predominantly found in Bonthe District. The Sherbro are virtually all Christians, and their paramount chiefs had a history of intermarriage with British colonists and traders. A small number of Sierra Leoneans are of partial or full [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]] ancestry, descendants of traders who first came to the nation in the 19th century. They are locally known as Sierra Leonean-Lebanese. The Sierra Leonean-Lebanese community are primarily traders and they mostly live in middle-class households in the urban areas, primarily in Freetown, [[Bo, Sierra Leone|Bo]], [[Kenema]], [[Koidu|Koidu Town]] and [[Makeni]]. ===Gender equality=== ==== Household ==== Although women account for about 50 percent of the population in Sierra Leone, only 28 percent are household heads.<ref name=":03">{{Cite web|url=https://www.statistics.sl/images/StatisticsSL/Documents/Census/2015/sl_2015_phc_thematic_report_on_gender.pdf|title=Sierra Leone 2015 Population and Housing Census Thematic Report on Gender |author1=Fatou Taqi |author2=Marian Vinnie-Wilson |author3=Alimatu Vandi |date=2015}}</ref> As in the rest of the countries, education is a key factor in succeeding in aspects such as a well-paid job and covering the needs of a house. Rural areas are the most common to lack access to education having only male-headed four percent ahead of females with basic education and 1.2 percent more at the post-graduate level.<ref name=":03" /> In Sierra Leone, normally, men are automatically positioned as household heads; and their status does not change if their marital status changes over time.<ref name=":03" /> However, a female household does change depending on their marital status. A woman can be the head of the house only if she remains single for the rest of her life. But if a woman gets married, she will not be entitled to be the head of the house anymore.<ref name=":03" /> Females can take over the household head if they become widowed or divorced.<ref name=":03" /> In the labour field, it is expected that the household will financially provide for the needs of the family. However, females face gender discrimination making them the target of lower incomes and financial struggles.<ref name=":03" /> In numbers, females present a lower percentage (6.3) versus males (15.2) when it comes to being paid employees.<ref name=":03" /> ==== War ==== Children who have been forced to be part of a war have experienced severe mental and emotional damage in Sierra Leone. However, the damage and way to deal with the effects of war depends on the gender of the kids. Both genders experienced and were involved in high levels of violence. Females, experiencing higher levels of rapes, presented greater signs of depression and anxiety.<ref name=":12">{{Cite journal|date=2011-07-01|title=Sierra Leone's Child Soldiers: War Exposures and Mental Health Problems by Gender|journal=Journal of Adolescent Health|volume=49|issue=1|pages=21–28|doi=10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.09.021|pmid=21700152|pmc=3124662|issn=1054-139X|last1=Betancourt|first1=Theresa S.|last2=Borisova|first2=Ivelina I.|last3=de la Soudière|first3=Marie|last4=Williamson|first4=John}}</ref> Males, on the other hand, presented higher levels of anxiety and hostility.<ref name=":12" /> Males also showed to be more vulnerable to depression after losing a caregiver.<ref name=":12" /> ==== Female economy ==== Women face discrimination when it comes to obtaining financial, social, and cultural help to start a business.<ref name=":4"/> It is difficult to avoid the economic paralysis in Sierra Leone given that more than half of the population in the country is women.<ref name=":4" /> Due to the lack of access to basic education, women are the least prepared when it comes to processing business licences, registering names or contracting.<ref name=":4" /> Not having the capital to start a new business is the biggest barrier for women.<ref name=":4" /> With the lack of technology, mostly in all Sierra Leone<!--What does this bit mean exactly?-->, it is hard to help a business to function.<ref name=":4" /> === Education === {{Main|Education in Sierra Leone}} [[File:Classroom at a seconday school in Pendembu Sierra Leone.jpg|thumb|left|A secondary school class in [[Pendembu]], [[Kailahun District]]]] Education in Sierra Leone is legally required for all children for six years at [[primary education|primary level]] (Class P1-P6) and three years in junior secondary education,<ref>{{Cite book |last =Wang |first =Lianqin |year = 2007 |title =Education in Sierra Leone: Present Challenges, Future Opportunities |publisher=World Bank Publications |page =2|isbn = 978-0-8213-6868-8}}</ref> but a shortage of schools and teachers has made implementation impossible.<ref name="ilab">{{cite web |url=http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/tda2001/Sierra-leone.htm |title=Sierra Leone |work=2001 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor |publisher=[[Bureau of International Labor Affairs]], [[U.S. Department of Labor]] |year=2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102020941/http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/tda2001/Sierra-leone.htm |archive-date=2 November 2013}} ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [[public domain]].''</ref> Two thirds of the adult population of the country are illiterate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/20.html |title=Human Development Report 2009 – Proportion of international migrant stocks residing in countries with high levels of human development (%) |publisher=Hdrstats.undp.org |access-date=22 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090606071107/http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/20.html |archive-date=6 June 2009}}</ref> The [[Sierra Leone Civil War]] resulted in the destruction of 1,270 primary schools, and in 2001, 67% of all school-age children were out of school.<ref name="ilab"/> The situation has improved considerably since then with primary school enrolment doubling between 2001 and 2005 and the reconstruction of many schools since the end of the war.<ref>{{Cite book |last =Wang |first =Lianqin |year = 2007 |title =Education in Sierra Leone: Present Challenges, Future Opportunities |publisher=World Bank Publications |page =1 and 3 |isbn = 978-0-8213-6868-8 }}</ref> Students at primary schools are usually 6 to 12 years old, and in secondary schools 13 to 18. Primary education is free and [[Compulsory education|compulsory]] in government-sponsored [[Public school (government funded)|public schools]]. The country has three universities: [[Fourah Bay College]], founded in 1827 (the oldest university in West Africa),<ref>{{Cite book |editor=Jones-Parry, Rupert |title = Commonwealth Education Partnerships 2007 |publisher=Nexus Strategic Partnerships Ltd |year = 2006 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ID5XqeV4q10C&pg=PT326 |isbn = 978-0-9549629-1-3 |access-date = 17 June 2014}}</ref> University of Makeni (established initially in September 2005 as The Fatima Institute, the college was granted university status in August 2009, and assumed the name University of Makeni, or UNIMAK), and [[Njala University]], primarily located in [[Bo District]]. Njala University was established as the Njala Agricultural Experimental Station in 1910 and became a university in 2005.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |date =July 2007 |title =Njala University College (Nuc) |location =Sierra Leone |encyclopedia =Sierra Leone Encyclopedia |url =http://www.daco-sl.org/encyclopedia/1_gov/1_7njala.htm |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070311011418/http://www.daco-sl.org/encyclopedia/1_gov/1_7njala.htm |archive-date =11 March 2007 |access-date =25 June 2008 |url-status =dead |df =dmy-all }}</ref> Teacher training colleges and religious seminaries are found in many parts of the country. Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). 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