Sierra+Leone+Geography

Sierra Leone Geography
 * = History || Economics || Politics || Culture || Geography  || Activities  ||

The People  The population includes 20 African ethnic groups. The Temne in the north and the Mende in the south are the largest. About 2% of the population are Krio, the descendants of freed slaves who returned to Sierra Leone from Great Britain and North America and from slave ships captured on the high seas. In addition, about 4,000 Lebanese, 500 Indians, and 2,000 Europeans reside in the country. Today, the country is sometimes referred to as a "Nation of amputees" because of the brutality during the civil war that has left physical and emotional scars on those who reside there.

This image of school children from Sierra Leone is from the [|Creative Visions Foundation]

The Topography Area: 71,740 sq. km. (29,925 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than South Carolina.  Cities: //Capital//--Freetown (est. 786,900). //Provincial capitals--//Southern Province, Bo; Eastern Province, Kenema; Northern Province, Makeni.  Terrain: Mangrove swamps and beaches and mostly shallow bays along the coast, wooded hills along the immediate interior, and a mountainous plateau in the interior.

This image of the hills in Sierra Leone is from [|Tulane University.]

Resources Natural resources: Diamonds, titanium ore (rutile), bauxite, gold, iron ore, ilmenorutile, platinum, chromite, manganese, cassiterite, molybdenite, as well as forests, abundant fresh water, and rich offshore fishing grounds.  Agriculture: //Products//--coffee, cocoa, ginger, palm kernels, palm oil, cassava, bananas, citrus, peanuts, cashews, plantains, rice, sweet potatoes, vegetables, cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, fish. //Land//--30% potentially arable, 9% cultivated. <span style="color: #252525; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 20px;"> Industry: //Types//--diamond mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); bauxite and rutile mining; forestry; fishing; flour; cement and other construction goods; petroleum refining; plastics; small commercial ship repair; tourism.

The above information is from the [|U.S. Department of State]

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 140%; line-height: 20px;">Climate

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Sierra Leone experiences a hot and humid tropical climate with a wet and dry season. The summer rainy season is between May and October with most rain falling in July and August. Temperatures average 86°F (30°C) throughout the year with night time temperatures hovering around 75°F (24°C).

The above information is from [|Sierra Leone]