Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Story of Mining in Sierra Leone
    The Story of Mining in Sierra Leone
    The Story of Mining in Sierra Leone
    Ebook72 pages40 minutes

    The Story of Mining in Sierra Leone

    By Winston Forde

    5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Sierra Leone is a country rich in natural resources. This relatively small country of only 29, 925 square miles with a population of approx 4.5 million people is mostly underlain by an Achaean terrain that holds enormous exploitation potential. The Story of Mining started in early 20th Century with Diamonds, Gold, Iron Ore, Bauxite and Rutile being mined to varying degrees over the years. Following the civil war from 1991 to 2002 the country is now poised for further exploitation, including the discovery of Oil. How could Sierra Leone continue to be regarded as one of the poorest countries in the World? If she is, who benefits from all this wealth that has been taken by others, for so long? More importantly, when are its people going to start deriving the full benefits of the natural wealth of this beautiful country? This story is a measured attempt to raise mining awareness, in hope!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherXlibris UK
    Release dateJan 24, 2011
    ISBN9781456828301
    The Story of Mining in Sierra Leone
    Author

    Winston Forde

    The Author served at RAF Khormaksar in Aden from July 1965 – June 1967 where these letters were written As a precursor, on 27February 1963, he wrote to his then girlfriend these words that have proved her lasting, and favourite quote: [Dear Gloria neigh Patience, How time flies! “These days one needs to muster all the vigilance possible to keep abreast of the ever escaping minutes and days”. When I promised to write to you over the phone on Monday, I really meant to get down and do it that evening, but one thing led to another, and here am I now on Wednesday still trying to do it!] Later that year, they were to have a serious row that threw them apart for the next two years until he decided to renew contact by writing the enclosed amazing letter on 3rd December 1965. The rest is History!

    Read more from Winston Forde

    Related to The Story of Mining in Sierra Leone

    Related ebooks

    Action & Adventure Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Nigeria definitives 1936

      Sep 8, 2023

      Nigeria definitives 1936
      5 min read

    • Article

      Rooted In Nature

      Dec 28, 2020

      Rooted In Nature
      3 min read

    • Article

      Agriculture Versus Mining: A Historical Perspective

      Mar 2, 2020

      The rise of the mining industry in South Africa has had a significant negative impact on agriculture, particularly for black farming communities. While to some extent agriculture and mining rely on each other to prosper, conflict between these two im

      2 min read

    • Article

      The WATSON FILES

      Jun 1, 2017

      What if there were a blueprint for climate adaptation that could end Somalia’s civil war? An English scientist spent his life developing one—then he vanished without a trace.

      18 min read

    • Article

      Sustainable COSTA RICA

      Apr 12, 2023

      Sustainable COSTA RICA
      16 min read

    • Article

      Tanzania Is Ahead Of Schedule

      Oct 1, 2020

      Since 2015, the Tanzanian Fifth Phase Government, under reform-minded President Dr John Pombe Magufuli, has set an ambitious industrialisation agenda in pursuit of the goals articulated in its National Development Vision 2025. To achieve that, and in

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Nuclear Option

      Jun 2, 2023

      The Nuclear Option
      4 min read

    • Article

      THE KIMBERLEY is a Girl’s Best Friend

      Jul 18, 2019

      WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S Kimberley region has become one of the iconic destinations for those who love the idea of touring the Australian outback, especially those with a camper trailer. Grand vistas of steep escarpments, spectacular scenery, fantastic we

      4 min read

    • Article

      Digging Deep

      Nov 3, 2023

      Digging Deep
      4 min read

    • Article

      Study Seeks Source Of Silver For Roman Coins

      Mar 28, 2022

      The United States proudly trumpets that our Gold and Silver American Eagle coins are made from precious metals exclusively mined domestically. Have you ever wondered just how much metal that goes into minting coins may have originated somewhere other

      2 min read

    • Article

      Digging For Black Gold

      Jul 3, 2022

      Digging For Black Gold
      1 min read

    • Article

      Explore A Salt Mine

      Oct 6, 2022

      Explore A Salt Mine
      2 min read

    • Article

      Local Colour

      Apr 13, 2022

      Local Colour
      9 min read

    • Article

      Ceylon definitives, 1935

      May 13, 2022

      Ceylon definitives, 1935
      4 min read

    • Article

      Gold and Methods of Mining It

      Nov 10, 2023

      Gold and Methods of Mining It
      6 min read

    • Article

      Mining Diamond

      Feb 17, 2022

      Mining Diamond
      3 min read

    • Article

      Big Country

      Apr 23, 2024

      Big Country
      6 min read

    • Article

      Bothersome Blue Pebbles

      Nov 27, 2018

      Bothersome Blue Pebbles
      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Story of Mining in Sierra Leone

    5/5

    1 rating0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      The Story of Mining in Sierra Leone - Winston Forde

      Copyright © 2011 by Winston Forde.

      ISBN: Softcover    978-1-4568-2829-5

      ISBN: Ebook        978-1-4568-2830-1

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

      This book was printed in the United States of America.

      To order additional copies of this book, contact:

      Xlibris Corporation

      0-800-644-6988

      www.xlibrispublishing.co.uk

      Orders@xlibrispublishing.co.uk

      301018

      CONTENTS

      Preface

      Introduction

      Birth of a Mining Industry

      Platinum

      Chrome Ore

      Gold

      Iron Ore

      Diamonds

      Bauxite and Rutile

      The future

      Glossary

      Preface

      Looking back in order to go forward

      I, simply, could not reconcile myself with Sierra Leone’s Finance Minister’s acknowledgement that the Government had virtually no control over illicit diamond mining in the Country. As I read those words on the Internet in late March 2002, I also took into account the relevant significant events of the start of a new Millennium and the recent declaration of peace between combatants. With the prolonged period of internal conflict at an end, one was looking forward, once again, to a return to normal activities of State and the rejuvenation of Sierra Leone within the wider Region of West Africa. Judging from all the international support and interest, which was unprecedented in our history even at Independence, it seemed a period of intense hope providing the greatest opportunity for national planning and development across the whole spectrum of government.

      And yet I found myself reading about the frustrations of the Minister. Faced with the enormous and complex problems flowing from the continuing lack of control in the mining of diamonds, he seemed to be at a loss for what to do next. How was it that a natural resource, which should normally bring prosperity to the people of Sierra Leone, remained a problem that was perceived to be unsolvable?

      It is often the case that a difficult problem requires a simple solution. And the more difficult the problem, the more it seems inconceivable that nothing other than a complicated solution would apply. Equally, I believe that in most situations it is wise and most effective to return to basic principles. I, therefore, concluded that much would be gained by looking back to examine what had been achieved before in mining, prior to our Independence in 1961. There is much to be gained by doing so, including the raising of awareness amongst young Sierra Leoneans of the potential that still lies beneath the ground surface of our Country, as is the case for much of Africa. These latent resources may well prove of great value when deposits are exhausted elsewhere, and Africa eventually becomes the focus of production on it’s own terms.

      Above all, this would be in line with the Minister’s subsequent view that Sierra Leone should try to develop other sectors of its economy, which had been battered by more than a decade of civil war. We should put our minds on certain other areas of developing the economy of Sierra Leone rather than relying exclusively on diamonds, he concluded.

      I write this book from the perspective of a geographer, and mainly for the benefit of our student minds. It seems appropriate, therefore, to dedicate it to my sister, the late Dr Enid Forde BA MA PhD, Professor in Geography and one of our eminent scholars of the period.

      Introduction

      From the earliest days

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1