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The Republic of Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa. It is bordered on the north by Guinea, on the south by Liberia and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The name "Sierra Leone" comes from the Portuguese name of the country Serra Leoa, which means Mountain Range of the Lions.
During the 18th century, Sierra Leone was a strategic port for the intercontinental slave trade. It was founded by the Sierra Leone Company as the residence of the needy Blacks of London in 1791.
The first settlement was the capital, Freetown. In 1808 Freetown became a colony of the British Crown and in 1896 the interior of the country became a British protectorate.
The country gained its independence in 1961, while in 1991 2000 suffered from a catastrophic civil war.
To put an end to the civil war, the United Nations and British forces disarmed 17,000 soldiers and guerrillas.