Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa, on the Atlantic Ocean. It’s known for the white-sand beaches lining the Freetown Peninsula, and historical role in the transatlantic slave trade.

Freetown is a port city and the capital of Sierra Leon. 

The old town’s centuries-old Cotton Tree is a symbol of emancipation. On the waterfront is the King’s Yard Gate, through which former slaves walked to freedom. 

Sierra Leone is also known around the world for its blood diamonds (also commonly referred to as conflict or war diamonds) which were mined and sold for weapons during the country's violent civil war from 1991 to 2002.