Sierra Leone (ⁱ/siːˌɛrə liːˈoʊn/), officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the northeast, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest. Sierra Leone is a constitutional representative democratic republic and covers a total area of 71,740 km² (27,699 sq mi) Sierra Leone has a tropical climate, with a diverse environment ranging from savannah to rainforests. As of 2011, Sierra Leone has an estimated population of 6 million[1] (2011 United Nations estimte). Freetown is the capital, largest city as well as its economic, commercial, educational, cultural and political centre. Bo is the country's second largest city and the second major economic and commercial centre.

Sierra Leone is divided into four geographical regions: the Northern Province, Eastern Province, Southern Province and the Western Area; which are subdivided into fourteen districts. The districts have their own directly elected local government known as district council, headed by a council chairman. The country's six municipalities of Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Makeni, Koidu Town and the coastal town of Bonthe have their own directly elected city councils headed by mayors.

Christopher Francis Ocean (born Christopher Breaux; October 28, 1987), better known by his stage name Frank Ocean, is an American singer-songwriter from New Orleans, Louisiana. Breaux made an early career as a ghost-writer for artists such as Justin Bieber, Bridget Kelly, Aramide Makinde and John Legend. In mid 2010 he became a member of OFWGKTA premiering on Domo Genesis' track, "SteamRoller". In February 2011, he released his debut mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra to critical acclaim. He released two singles; "Novacane" and "Swim Good". Both singles achieved chart success. Ocean went on a 7 show tour through North America and Europe promoting the mixtape. He is currently located in New York City.

The mixtape caught the interest of recording artists such as Kanye West, Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z, and he appeared on Watch the Throne. He co-wrote the popular track "Thinking About You" for Bridget Kelly. On January 5, 2012, the BBC announced that he had finished in second place in the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll. Ocean is currently working on his debut studio album, set to be released in the first half of 2012, while the same year he appeared at Coachella and he is scheduled to appear at Lollapalooza.

Major Phil Ashby QGM (born 1970) is a former Royal Marines Commando officer, notable for his escape and evasion in the jungles of Sierra Leone in 2000.

He was brought up in Helensburgh on the West Coast of Scotland and educated at Glenalmond College. Sponsored by the RM, he read Engineering at Pembroke College, Cambridge.

In January 2000, Ashby was deployed to Sierra Leone as part of the UN peacekeeping force, tasked with disarming the rebel fighters from the Revolutionary United Front led by Augustine Gbao. However, the situation became hostile and the house where Ashby and three other officers were staying was attacked. After a narrow escape, they sought refuge at the Kenyan army outpost where they helped defend the camp against several days of attacks. Eventually a decision was taken to escape through the jungle. Fighting dehydration and hunger, the 3 men survived close encounters with the enemy and, assisted by local tribesmen, were eventually rescued by the British Army. After returning, Ashby was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal.

The Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002) began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government. The resulting civil war lasted 11 years, enveloped the country, and left over 50,000 dead.

During the first year of the war, the RUF took control of large swathes of territory in eastern and southern Sierra Leone, which were rich in alluvial diamonds. The government's ineffective response to the RUF, and the disruption in government diamond production, precipitated a military coup d'état in April 1992 by the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC). By the end of 1993, the Sierra Leone Army (SLA) had succeeded in pushing the RUF rebels back to the Liberian border, but the RUF recovered and fighting continued. In March 1995, Executive Outcomes (EO), a South Africa-based private military company, was hired to repel the RUF. Sierra Leone installed an elected civilian government in March 1996, and the retreating RUF signed the Abidjan Peace Accord. Under UN pressure, the government terminated its contract with EO before the accord could be implemented, and hostilities recommenced.

Sir Milton Augustus Strieby Margai (December 7, 1895 - April 28, 1964) was a Sierra Leonean politician and the first prime minister of Sierra Leone. He was the main architect of the post-colonial constitution of Sierra Leone and guided his nation to independence in 1961.

Margai was born on December 7, 1895 in the small rural town of Gbangbatoke, in what is now part of Moyamba District in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone to Shabro parents. At the time of his birth his country was a British Protectorate. His father, M.E.S. Margai, hailed from Bonthe District and was an affluent businessman. Margai received his primary education at the Evangelical United Brethren School in Bonthe, Bonthe District. and his secondary education at St Edward's Secondary School in Freetown. He earned his bachelors degree in history and was the first Protectorate man to graduate from Fourah Bay College in 1921. Margai went to medical school in England and became doctor in 1926 at King's College Medical School, University of Durham . Margai also attended the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. He was the first Protectorate man to become a medical doctor.