There are many reasons for Sierra Leone’s continuing population growth:
• There is a high fertility rate of almost five children per woman because people want large families.
• There is a low level of contraceptive use. • Women start having children in their late teens. • There are high levels of illiteracy. • Sierra Leone has been a source of and destination for refugees.
• Sierra Leone’s civil war internally displaced as many as two million people.
• The conflicts that occurred in the country since independence have meant that governments have not been prioritising education and basic health services.
It is estimated that Sierra Leone’s population will rise to almost 10 million by 2030.
Fertility rate: the average number of babies born per woman. : Figure 18.16 Domestic life in Freetown, Sierra Leone
(i) What was the population of Ireland before the Great Famine? (ii) What was the population of Ireland in 2017? (iii) Give two reasons for the population growth of Sierra Leone.
(iv) How did life expectancy change in Ireland between 1911 and 2014? Suggest three reasons for this change.
/ I can explain how and why Ireland’s population has changed over the years. / I can explain how and why the population of a developing world country has changed.
PORTFOLIO ACT VITY 18.1
How could your local area respond to the possible problems created by rapid population growth? Go to page 72 of your Portfolio to create an action plan.
: Figure 18.15 Young mother and her baby in a refugee camp in Sierra Leone
