Sierra Leone is ranked the world's poorest country by the UN Human Development Index, with about 70% of its people living on less than 70p per day. Diamonds account for 94% of its exports. Sierra Leone gained the deserved reputation as "the most dangerous country on earth." Diamonds from these mines are called conflict diamonds, or blood diamonds. Blood diamonds were used to finance civil war.
Several foreign journalists were killed here during the war.
African tribal war over nothing is more common than war over diamonds. Diamonds are a commodity. African nations benefit much from the diamond industry. It is true that "blood diamonds" did originate from Africa, but ever since the Kimberly Process was implemented blood diamonds from Africa have significantly decreased.
Sierra Leone
…show more content…
In marine littoral deposits, which fall under the category of secondary deposits, diamonds are mined along beaches and underwater. Industrial diamonds are also produced synthetically from graphite. Some synthetic diamonds conduct heat 50% more efficiently than natural diamonds and are five times greater in strength.
Kimberlite mining would be able to place more control on smuggling and production than the current alluvial methods. However, capital outlays for the development of a kimberlite mining operation are extensive. Kimberlites host the most common type of commercial diamond deposits. Approximately 12% of all known kimberlites contain diamonds, while only 2% contain economic quantities. Kimberlite pipes can lie directly underneath shallow lakes formed in the inactive volcanic calderas or craters.
Alluvial diamonds were washed down into the coastal area from older, inland terrestrial terraces, by ancient river systems over millions of years. The diamond deposits along the West Coast are estimated to be in excess of 1.5 billion carats, of which 90-95% are gem
With the fact the Diamonds are made by the rock cycle then it affects where we can find them. We can see this from the fact that certain areas in the world have certain attributes that let diamonds be able to form. Crain found that diamonds may be spat out in the volcanic smoke that is released during an eruption. We can find them with the gravel that came out as well with the volcanic
The process of producing the diamonds so they could be sold on the market involved many steps which were illustrated in the movie, Blood Diamond. Smugglers like Archer would supply the RUF with guns. The guns would be used by the RUF to intimidate the people of Sierra Leone into working as laborers for them, we see this with Solomon and his son. These men would be forced to dig in the water mines for hours a day searching for diamonds of all sizes. Then the diamonds are mixed with other diamonds all around the world, mixing the illegal ones with the legal ones; this was explained in the movie by Archer to Maggie. When the diamonds are mixed in with the others, no one can determine for certainty where each originated from. It is then distributed to nations where they are made into necklaces and bracelets, and no questions are asked.
Considering the U.N.’s response to the war in Sierra Leone, it has a long way to go in its responsibility to ensure “legitimate governance under international law.” But U.N. efforts alone won’t stop the senseless killing in Sierra Leone over illicit diamonds. Kayne West’s song and video about “blood diamonds” makes us take an honest look at ourselves and ask: Is my fascination with diamonds contributing to the violence in Sierra
By definition, strife precious stones are jewels that begin from mines that are under the control of revolutionary gatherings that are battling against their nation's legislature. Sierra Leone, a little nation on the west bank of Africa, (in this paragraph you need to elaborate a little bit more) has throughout the previous ten years been under the fear of an ever display common war. This war is being battled between a radical gathering known as the Revolutionary United Front and Sierra Leone's available government. The RUF took control of some of Sierra Leones wealthiest diamond mines in the mid-nineties centuries. They now utilize the benefits they make from these precious stones to purchase weapons for their armed force, made up for the
Human blood is shed on almost every diamond mined in Africa, bought from Africa, or traded out of Africa. In the beginning of Aryn Baker’s article “Dirty Diamonds” in TIME magazine, Baker presents a man conflicted with his decision to buy an engagement ring, because he does not want “. . . a symbol of our union to also be associated with chaos and controversy and pain.” (Baker 64). This man in the example, Max Rodriguez, undoubtedly knew of the backbreaking work that children are subjected to, to provide for their families or to raise money to receive an education. Baker argues that the diamond industry in Africa hinders the development of children, nations, and that this problem may be too large to control as she appeals to logic, evoking
Arkansas possesses a wide variety of Minerals, with annual production valued in excess of $1,000,000,000. Petroleum, natural gas, and bromine, in that order, are the top three minerals produced. Arkansas leads the nation in production of bauxite, providing over 80% of this valuable ore from which aluminum is made. Arkansas also ranks first in production of bromine, accounting for about one-half of the world’s output, and in silica stone, a natural abrasive. Murfreesboro, Arkansas, is the home of the only diamond mine open to the public in the
The Sierra Leone Civil War began in 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) began an uprising against the Sierra Leone government, citing long-term corruption and crimes as their major reason for overthrowing the government. There was also conflicting in neighboring Liberia that started in 1989 and is thought to have triggering turmoil in Sierra Leone as it stretched over its borders. Much of the fighting caused by the RUF was funded and perpetuated by the prosperous diamond mines, later to be called Blood Diamonds because of the destruction they caused, located in the southeastern part of the country. By 1999, the United Nations sent a mission to Sierra Leone to end the “Blood Diamonds” conflict by disarming soldiers and building
To mine the sapphires people can dig a hole in the ground and all of the dirt is put in buckets. The dirt is then poured into a machine that separates the dirt and rocks from the sapphire. The sapphires are heavier than the dirt and rocks so they will sink to the bottom. The machine has running water going through it so all of the dirt and rocks are swept away. The sapphires are left. The sapphires were found when a person was mining gold. When they brought out the gold there was small blue gems in it. There are big mines that mine Yogo Sapphires and there are small ones that people can go mine their own gems themselves. There is a place called Sapphire Village where people can own private lots to mine sapphires. There are two other sources that produce the sapphires. One is called Rancor Inc. Rancor Inc. produces the material from the original deposit. The second source is Vortex Mining. Vortex Mining produces the gems from a recently found extension of the Yogo Dike. The Sapphire Village is for hobbyists only. It is not a big mine owned by the government. Rancor Inc. and Vortex Mining only market finished gems and cut stones. These mines will not sell stones that have not been finished yet. Lastly there are around seven businesses along the Missouri River that have a dig-for-free area. These business are not always open. The mines will operate for the last week of May to the first week in September. The businesses have these time
Predominantly an African American country with a strong Muslim influence totaling more than 60 percent, the 5.7 million citizens living in Sierra Leone have established democracy headed by Ernest Bai Koroma in 2005 (State). Sierra Leone is the world’s leader in diamond export. Many would believe that this is the countries main source of profit, but it actually accounts for a small portion in comparison to the countries profit on agricultural exportation. Diamonds weigh in for a whopping total 4.5% of the countries total gross domestic product (WorldPress). The country, being rich in minerals, has been subject of greed and corruption within the government, thus leading to less political interference in the countries stability. Since the 1960’s when much of the political unrest began with the country’s attempt to establish a recognized government was met with many different political theories with factions like the Sir Milton's Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) and the All Peoples Congress, education and children’s needs have been subject to much neglect in much of Sierra Leones outlaying districts due to the controversies surrounding both political and government instability.
The Crater of Diamonds sits on top of Prairie Creek, a volcanic vent. Diamonds can be found here because of an explosion of a release of gas had occurred. When the vent exploded about 100 million years ago, “it created an 83-acre funnel-shaped crater with sides sloping inward at about 45 degrees. Much of the airborne material formed by the initial explosion fell back into the vent. The speed of rise of the mass allowed the diamonds to be preserved in this material (“How are Diamonds Made”)”. John Wesley Huddleston bought land near Murfreesboro and discovered diamonds on his property in August of 1906. People from all over began to pour into Murfreesboro and eventually it boomed and prospered. Huddleston eventually sold the land for about $36,000 to the Arkansas Diamond Company.
Unlimited Mining – Mining is another way of getting diamonds but you only have limited tries in a day and it certainly takes time to restore. By turning on and off the airplane mode, you are sure to enjoy unlimited mining. First you need to hard close the game, turn on airplane mode, and run the application and you would find complete five shovels then you can start to mine. Once you found diamonds, you need to turn off the airplane mode in order to keep
There are two ways to make diamonds in the laboratory. The first way is called high pressure, high temperature (HPHT). These diamonds are not as pure as natural diamonds though. The second way is called chemical vapor deposition. In this method it turns its back on intense pressure but creates diamonds more flawless than what nature can actually produce.
Not only does this issue involve the politics of the diamond trade and the involvement of outside parties, but it is also a devastatingly serious human rights violation to the civilians of Angola. “There is an average of 52 land mine incidents per month and approximately 1 out of every 356 Angolans is an amputee as a result of these bloody conquests”[4]. It was determined in a United Nations Security Council meeting that “there are clear and major weaknesses in systems for controlling diamond trading, which no single country can address effectively because of the many alternative routes available to illicit diamond traders”[5]. Therefore, in order to combat the civil fighting between UNITA and the MPLA, we must educate ourselves about UNITA’s diamond trade, prohibit the sale of blood diamonds, and achieve a commitment from diamond dealers that their diamonds originate from conflict-free mines.
Blood diamond are “diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council”. Blood Diamond is a story about the precious gem acquired through blood and sufferings of common people. How much blood is spilt for each pieces of this luxury, how many tears dried into the very ground it is gathered from. Except from the people that are involved in the whole process of stealing or smuggling a nation’s natural wealth. Sierra Leone, where the storyline takes place, gets nothing. Its people are suffering through extreme poverty, hunger, illiteracy and diseases. Adding insult to injury, there is a fast emerging brutal terrorist group called RUF, destroying the system, collapsing government, killing innocents and taking children as soldiers. Making sure the country never progress and prosper or never grow the backbone to stand on its feet ever to use the valuable diamonds it holds on the ground. For example, when the illegal and unethical blood diamond trade was brought to light, it was ignored by the most potentially influential global players because of economic interest. What resulted was that the situation snowballed over the duration that it has occurred over and when the issue finally came to a head
It is both interesting and horrifying to be learning about a culture being depleted and wiped-out just because they are situated on top of a large diamond deposit that greedy people want to exploit. The diamond mining is the leading cause of all the bloodshed, murder and mayhem in the region. Since the Certificate of the Kimberley Process was passed, it has made it illegal to ship diamonds out of the country that have been extracted from areas of conflict or those that aren’t approved by the National Department of Mineral