Although graced with picturesque beaches, lush rain forests, and abundant diamond mines, the tiny West African nation of Sierra Leone is a land haunted by tragedy. It is the region from which the first slaves in North America were brought during the 1600s. A century later, thousands of freed slaves would establish a settlement called Freetown, which later became part of the British colony of Sierra Leone. Despite its diamond resources, Sierra Leone remained a poverty-stricken nation after achieving independence in 1961. During the 1990s, its people were devastated by horrific atrocities that occurred during a brutal civil war. Since peace came to the troubled nation in 2002, Sierra Leone has begun the slow process of rebuilding. However, much work must still be done before Sierra Leone can become a stable and prosperous nation.

 

This book is part of a book series called The Evolution Of Africas Major Nations .

This book has been graded for interest at 6+ years.

There are 80 pages in this book. This book was published 2014 by Start Publishing .

Judy L. Hasday, a native of Pennsylvania, received her B. A. in communications and her M. Ed. in instructional technologies from Temple University. She has written many books for young adults including an award-winning biography of James Earl Jones; a two-time New York Public Library ""Best for the Teen Age"" award-winning book on the Holocaust; and Extraordinary Women Athletes, a 2001 CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People. She lives in Philadelphia.