Is Sierra Leone poor?
Poverty in Sierra Leone has a strong spatial component. While 60 percent of the rural population lives in poverty, 20 percent of the urban population is poor. Poverty is highest in the North region and lowest in the West. Despite, the improvement in poverty rates, inequality is rising.
Is there an African Disney princess?
Trivia. This will be the first Disney feature that is led by an African princess. Although Tiana from The Princess and the Frog is also of African descent, she is African-American and thus does not count.
Why is Sierra Leone so poor?
Factors Contributing to Poverty Experts believe that four primary factors contribute to Sierra Leone’s overwhelming levels of poverty: government corruption, a lack of an established education system, absence of civil rights and poor infrastructure. These factors make poverty difficult to beat.
Why are Sierra Leone’s diamond mines so corrupt?
The diamond mines have been the source of corruption and personal gain by government personnel since the 1930’s. The DeBeers diamond company once financed mining efforts in Sierra Leone and provided a legal export trade route for the valuable gems. They stopped their involvement in 1984, causing the government to lose revenue.
Why did the RUF take diamonds from Sierra Leone?
Civilians living in diamond mining zones were forcibly removed from their homes so that the RUF could maintain control over the mines. Many of the blood diamonds from Sierra Leone were traded to the Liberian president, Charles G. Taylor, in exchange for weapons and military training from the AFRC.
What are Sierra Leone’s blood diamonds?
In 1930, a British geologist discovered diamonds in the region. The gems became one of the greatest sources of Sierra Leone’s future conflict, earning them the name “ Blood Diamonds .” British companies and other foreign merchants quickly seized control of diamond mines to profit from the newfound market.
What was happening in Sierra Leone during the Sierra Leone civil war?
Also during this period, the Sierra Leone economy was being cheated out of millions of dollars in the form of illegal diamonds.