We headed to Sierra Leone next on our Cooking Around the World Adventure . On the Map Sierra Leone is located on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Guinea to the north and northeast, Liberia to the south and southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. from LonelyPlanet.com A Few Fun Facts Sierra Leone gained its independence from Great Britain on April 27th, 1961. The name of the country, from the Portuguese Serra Leao , means "Lion Mountain Range." English is the official language of Sierra Leone; however Krio, a language derived from English and several African languages, is widely spoken in all parts of the country. On February 14, 1972, the country made headlines when the world's third-largest gem-quality diamond – called the Star of Sierra Leone – was discovered in Koidu. Over two-thirds of all adults in Sierra Leone are illiterate and the country has high infant mortality and low life expectancy rates. The maternal death rate of Sierra Leone...