Sierra Leone is top in the world for many reasons... but there are most probably many more:

• Top 10 Countries: Sierra Leone (Lonely Planet Best of Travel, 2009)

• Wettest capital: Freetown, up to 5,000 mm annually

• First University in sub-Saharan Africa: Fourah Bay college, University of Sierra Leone (founded 1827)

• Unique: Pygmy Hippos

• Largest density of monkeys/apes: Tiwai Island

• Cleanest beaches in the world: Freetown Peninsula beaches

• Highest number of chimpanzees: Sierra Leone, approx.10,000

• Sierra Leone is the only country with opencast diamond mining

• Largest reserves of rutile: Sierra Leone

• Largest reserves of bauxite: Sierra Leone