Where is Sierra Leone located?
Where is Sierra Leone located?
Sierra Leone is a West African country near the Atlantic Ocean. The neighbouring countries include Guinea which borders it to the North east and Liberia to its South East. Sierra Leone as a country lies between latitude and longitude 12.2 degrees west and 8.5 degrees north respectively.
What is the Capital of Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone’s capital is Freetown. It is a main port city that is situated on the Atlantic Ocean. Freetown is Sierra Leone’s major economic, political, cultural, educational, and financial hub. The city has a population of approximately one million people according to a census carried out in 2015.
Geography of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone covers a total area of about 71,740 square kilometers. A large portion of it is land while water covers an area of 120 square kilometers. Sierra Leone has four geographical regions namely the Eastern Mountains, an Upland Plateau, Coastal Guinean Mangroves, and the Wooded Hill Country. Furthermore, there is a 400 km stretch of the Atlantic coastline in the country. The climate of Sierra Leone is tropical with two major seasons namely the dry and rainy season. The rainy season occurs from May to November whereas the dry season is from December to May.
Languages Spoken in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is a multilingual country with over twenty five languages spoken. The official language is English while the commonly spoken native language is Krio. Other major languages are Mende, which is the mother-tongue in South Sierra Leone, and Temne which locals in the western and northern parts of Sierra Leone speak. Furthermore, the other languages are Susu, Kono, Limba, Kissi, Fula, and Kuranko.
Religion
Sierra Leone is a secular state with the constitution having provided for the freedom of religion. However, the most widespread religions in Sierra Leone are Islam and Christianity. The rest of the population are Animists, Atheists, Hindus, Bahais, Jews, or traditionalists. Animists believe that places, objects, and creatures possess a distinct spiritual essence. Traditionalist beliefs give room for witchcraft specialists, diviners, and healers. Most religions meet in mosques, churches, forests, or parts of some towns for their worship. They perform rituals next to streams, lakes, and rivers since water is very important. In doing so they pledge their allegiance to God, Allah, the spirits, and other gods whom they accord utmost respect in their worship.
National Secular Celebrations
Apart from the main Christian and Muslim holidays, people in Sierra Leone also celebrate other holidays. These holidays include New Year’s Day which is usually on January 1 and Labour Day which takes place on May 1. Other celebrations are the National Independence Day on April 27 and the National Day on August 9.
Sierra Leone is a state which is located in the coast of West Africa. It is multilingual, has freedom of religion, and depends on mining as its major economic activity.
