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Wikipedia gives an interesting, succinct history of Sierra Leone; early governance by tribal groups, visitation by Portugese, Dutch, French and English traders, and, interestingly, perversion of a minor, cultural tradition of protective, voluntary "dependence" into the quite-different practice of European and American slavery.  The commonly-spoken Krio language is a mixture of English, native, and other languages.  The Krio language is closely related to the Gullah dialect which is spoken in some areas of the coastal lowlands and a few islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia in the USA.

More recently, Sierra Leone was torn by a civil war that was funded by the sale of "blood diamonds".  Vicious, terroristic amputations of arms and legs were perpetrated by warring factions, and amputees from the civil war era can still be seen along the coast road south of Freetown.

Since the end of the civil war in 2002, the country has been struggling to emerge from its listing near the bottom of the UN's list of "least developed countries". 

Corruption in government has been a major barrier to reconstruction, and the present government has made the elimination of official corruption a primary goal. 

Infrastructure (roads, wharves, water distribution systems, buildings, streets, etc.) is in dire need of upkeep.  The per capital income has been estimated as low as $200 US dollars, and is presently estimated at approximately $800 US dollars per year.  The national currency is the Leone; exchange rate is approximately 4,400 Leones to one US dollar.

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