Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone, on the Atlantic Ocean in West Africa, is half the size of Illinois, with a area of 71,621 sq km and a total area of 71,740 sq km. It is bordered by Guinea to the northeast, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. It has large Mangrove swamps along the coast, lined with wooded hills and a plateau in the interior with a great mountainous show. The history of Sierra Leone dates back to at least 2,500 years ago when indigenous African people, The Bulom being were the very first, followed by Mende ,Temne then Fulani inhabited Sierra Leone.
In 1462 the first to explore the land was the Portuguese explorer Pedro da Cintra who mapped the hills surrounding the current Freetown Harbour, naming the oddly
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Sierra Leone belongs to the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) Group of countries. For 35 years, the ACP-EU relations have held strong. Sierra Leone signed the Joint country strategy paper, drafted in agreement with EU and UK Department for International Development (DFID). This JCS , aims at gaining a better understanding of priorities in the National Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) in the areas for promoting efficient Governance and the establishment of peace and security. Also, it recognises the need for pro-poor sustainable growth ,for food security and job creation along with economic growth and human development in Sierra Leone. The six-year National Indicative Programme for Sierra Leone under the 10th European Development Fund (2008-2013) , provided them with financial assistance (€242 million) .
Besides providing them aid, EU is a major trading partner of Sierra Leone. The major items imported are petroleum products, rice and other foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment. Whereas the top exported items are Diamonds, bauxite and cocoa. It is eligible for trade under the EU’s “Everything but arms” (EBA) and the USA’s African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA). EU provides a great opportunity for developing countries, 98% of exports from African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries entered the EU duty. This enables Sierra Leone to form a part of the global