| This paper aims to show British colonialism's impact on post-colonial era economic development in Sierra Leone and Botswana. While the government of Botswana leveraged their colonial connection and strong governance to make large economic gains in their post-colonial era, Sierra Leone degraded from economic mediocrity during the colonial era to economic failure in the post-colonial era. This paper argues that governance, institutions, and policy are the most important factors in economic development regardless of the country's economic status. This argument will be made through an examination of Botswana's and Sierra Leone's government, institutions, and policies during the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial eras. More specifically, policies surrounding the diamond industry in Botswana and Sierra Leone are examined in respect to colonialism and economic development. For the sake of this paper, colonialism is viewed as a governance form that created or facilitated institutions and policies in each country. Its impact is discussed strictly in terms of economic development. Additionally, this paper examines how the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (a voluntary international agreement of over 40 countries to certify their diamonds as "conflict free") and access to global markets have impacted economic development in each country, both of which have their roots in colonialism. |
