About Sierra Leone
Country Highlight
With scenic palm-fringed beaches, breathtaking mountains, lush
rainforests, diverse ecosystems and vibrant culture, Sierra Leone is one of
West Africa’s most interesting and captivating destinations.
It’s the ideal place for those who want to escape the winter cold to lay in
the sunshine on paradise beaches, immerse themselves in history and
traditions, or explore the beauty and charm of this undiscovered paradise
– where tourists are still few and far between.
Most visitors start their journey in Freetown, our lively capital city located
close to some of Africa’s best beaches. The southern part of the country
offers great opportunities for wildlife watching, including the opportunity
to see chimpanzees, Sierra Leone’s national animal. The east is known
for its mountains, hiking opportunities and bustling market towns. Those
who’d like to get away from it all should head to the Turtle Islands, eight
remote, picturesque islands, with a true castaway atmosphere.
The Land
Sierra Leone is located on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Guinea to the northeast,
Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest. It’s between
7 and 10 degrees north of the Equator, and its total area measures 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi).
The territory also includes a number of islands, of which Bunce Island, Banana and Turtle
islands are the best known.
There are four distinct geographical regions in Sierra Leone, creating a diversity of ecology
and landscapes that tourists really enjoy. The coast is largely flat and covered in mangrove
swamps; followed by rainforest-covered hill country in the center, an upland plateau and
mountains in the eastern part of the country.
Agriculture is mainly practiced in the central highlands. The main crops are rice, cassava,
groundnuts, sweet potatoes and maize, while the most common livestock are cattle and sheep.
Sierra Leone has 400 km of coastline, including the Freetown Harbour, one of the largest in
the world, adjacent to capital city Freetown. The country is home to 8.9 million people, 1 million
of whom live in Freetown.
Provinces
Sierra Leone is divided into five regions – four provinces and the Western Area, each with its
own unique characteristics and cultural heritage.
The Northern Province
The Northern Province is known for its fertile farmland and dense
rainforests – the best-known sight is Outamba-Kilimi National Park.
Makeni, the provincial capital, is a major commercial and
transportation hub.
The Northwest Province
The Northwest Province extends to the border with Guinea. The largest city is Port Loko, and the main activities are farming, fishing and mining.
The Southern Province
The Southern Province has stunning beaches, historical landmarks, and great opportunities for wildlife-watching in Tiwai Island. The lively city of Bo, the second largest city in the country, is its capital.
The Western Province
The Western Area includes the capital Freetown, and it is the economic and political center of Sierra Leone.
The Eastern Province
The Eastern Province is home to the Gola Rainforest and Loma Mountains, and it’s the center of the diamond mining industry in the country. The provincial capital is Kenema, worth visiting for its colorful markets.
The Northern Province
The Northern Province is known for its fertile farmland and dense
rainforests – the best-known sight is Outamba-Kilimi National Park.
Makeni, the provincial capital, is a major commercial and
transportation hub.
The Northwest Province
The Northwest Province extends to the border with Guinea. The largest city is Port Loko, and the main activities are farming, fishing and mining.
The Southern Province
The Southern Province has stunning beaches, historical landmarks, and great opportunities for wildlife-watching in Tiwai Island. The lively city of Bo, the second largest city in the country, is its capital.
The Western Province
The Western Area includes the capital Freetown, and it is the economic and political center of Sierra Leone.
The Eastern Province
The Eastern Province is home to the Gola Rainforest and Loma Mountains, and it’s the center of the diamond mining industry in the country. The provincial capital is Kenema, worth visiting for its colorful markets.
Climate
Sierra Leone has a tropical climate characterized by hot and humid conditions year-round. There are two distinct seasons – the dry and the wet season. The dry season typically lasts from November to April, and is the best time to visit the country with sunny days, warm temperatures, and low humidity. The most pleasant months in Sierra Leone are December and January; after that, harmattan season begins, characterized by a hot and dry wind from the Sahara that brings extreme heat and hazy skies.
The rainy season lasts from May to October, bringing heavy rainfall and high humidity to the country. During this time, the country’s rivers swell, and the vegetation becomes truly lush. While the rain can be intense, it usually falls in short, heavy bursts, followed by sunny intervals – however, intense floods may also occur, washing our roads and making traveling around the country more complicated.
Rivers & Mountains
Sierra Leone is blessed with an abundance of rivers and mountains, which contribute to its stunning natural beauty and biodiversity. The country’s largest river basin is the Rokel River, which flows for over 386 km from the Loma Mountains through the before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean, where its estuary forms Freetown Harbour.
Other major rivers include the Sewa River, still panned for diamonds in the north, and the Moa River, which actually originates in Guinea and marks the border with Sierra Leone. These rivers play a vital role in Sierra Leone’s economy, providing water for irrigation, transportation, and hydroelectric power generation.
Sierra Leone is also home to several impressive mountains. The Loma Mountains, located in the northern part of the country, are the highest range in Sierra Leone – the highest peak is Mount Bintumani, 1948 meters above sea level. Other mountain ranges in the country include the Tingi Hills, also known as Sankan Biriwa, and the Sula Mountains. These mountainous areas provide habitat for a diverse array of wildlife, and offer opportunities for hiking and ecotourism.
Rainforests
Sierra Leone is renowned for its lush rainforests, which cover much of the country’s interior – approximately 38% of the entire surface area of the country is forested, with 4% classified as primary rainforest.
These dense forests are a true biodiversity hotspot, home to a wide variety of plant and animal species. They also play a crucial role in regulating the climate and providing essential ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration and water purification.
The largest tract of rainforest in Sierra Leone is the Gola Rainforest National Park, extending for approximately 350,000 hectares in the east of the country. Gola is part of Upper Guinea Forest, a larger ecosystem extending all the way from Guinea to Togo.
According to recent studies, Gola is home to over 300 species of birds, 14 of which are endangered, like the Liberian Greenbull. The habitat also includes 43 amphibian and 650 butterfly species, as well as 49 different mammal species – including rare and threatened animals like pygmy hippopotamus, chimpanzees and forest elephants.
People
Sierra Leone is home to a diverse population numbering 8.9 million people, and comprising 18 different ethnic groups, each with its own unique cultural traditions and heritage. The two most numerous ethnic groups are the Temne and Mende, each making up approximately one third of the population.
Temne people are the most numerous ethnic group, originally from Guinea and living now in the northern part of the country, including Freetown. Their traditional activities include farming, fishing and trading. Mende are mainly found in the southern and eastern part of Sierra Leone, and are traditionally farmers and hunters, and known for their exquisite wood carving skills, especially for their masks.
Following Mende and Temne, the main ethnic groups in Sierra Leone are Lima, Kono and Fula. The Sierra Leone creole people, also known as Krio, are the descendents of formerly enslaved Africans who returned to their homeland. They only make up 1.3% of the population, but are highly influential in shaping today’s culture.
Languages
The ethnic diversity of Sierra Leone also translates into linguistic diversity, with over twenty languages spoken across the country. The official language is English, which serves as the language of instruction in schools, government, and business.
In addition to English, the second official language is Krio, which is also widely spoken as a lingua franca. Krio is a creole language that developed during the colonial and post-colonial period and is influenced by English, French and Portuguese, as well as various African languages. It is estimated that 96% of the Sierra Leone population is fluent in Krio – it is the language of instruction in schools all over the country, and TV and radio broadcasts are also in Krio.
Other prominent languages in Sierra Leone include Mende, Temne, and Limba, which are spoken by the respective ethnic groups. Thanks to this linguistic diversity, Sierra Leoneans are generally multilingual, with many people fluent in several languages due to the country’s cultural and ethnic mosaic.
Religion
Sierra Leone is a secular country, with no official religion. However, most inhabitants follow a faith, with Islam and Christianity as the two most commonly practiced.
Approximately 78% of the population is Muslim (mostly Sunni), while around 20% is Christian, (mainly Protestant), with the remaining percentage practising traditional African beliefs or other faiths. Islam is most prevalent in the northern and eastern regions of the country, while Christianity is more common in the western and southern regions.
Despite religious differences, Sierra Leoneans generally coexist peacefully, and religious tolerance is a core value in Sierra Leonean society. Interfaith marriages are common, and religious celebrations and festivals are often observed by people of different faiths. Both Christian and Muslim festivities are official holidays in the country.
Traditional beliefs and customs also play a significant role in Sierra Leonean culture, particularly in rural areas, where rituals and ceremonies are an integral part of community life.
Food & Festivals
Sierra Leonean cuisine is a delicious blend of flavors and influences from West Africa and beyond, a result of the ethnic, religious and cultural diversity of the country.
Staple foods include rice, plantain, yams and cassava – the latter is often served as is, or pounded and fermented into fufu, a gelatinous mixture that is used to scoop up saucy dishes. Other popular Sierra Leonean dishes include groundnut soup, made with peanuts (known locally as groundnuts), and cassava leaf stew, which may also include meat or seafood.
As a coastal country, it’s not surprising that fish features heavily in Sierra Leonean cuisine – grilled fish and seafood can be found everywhere along the coast, and a common snack are fried fishballs or huntu, fishballs with a sesame crust and spices.
In addition to its delicious cuisine, Sierra Leone is also known for its vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations. Public holidays include both Muslim and Christian festivities – the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, as well as Christmas, Easter and Boxing Day.
One of the most popular occasions to celebrate is New Year’s Day, when locals typically have fun on the beach or by the river. Another popular festival in Freetown is the Lantern Parade, held on the occasion of Sierra Leone’s Independence Day in April, when elaborate floats carrying lanterns parade for the streets of the capital.
Music and culture festivals are also popular – two of the best-known are the Ma Dengn beach festival in December and Tangain, held around Easter.
Sierra Leone has a tropical climate characterized by hot and humid conditions year-round. There are two distinct seasons – the dry and the wet season. The dry season typically lasts from November to April, and is the best time to visit the country with sunny days, warm temperatures, and low humidity. The most pleasant months in Sierra Leone are December and January; after that, harmattan season begins, characterized by a hot and dry wind from the Sahara that brings extreme heat and hazy skies.
The rainy season lasts from May to October, bringing heavy rainfall and high humidity to the country. During this time, the country’s rivers swell, and the vegetation becomes truly lush. While the rain can be intense, it usually falls in short, heavy bursts, followed by sunny intervals – however, intense floods may also occur, washing our roads and making traveling around the country more complicated.
Sierra Leone is blessed with an abundance of rivers and mountains, which contribute to its stunning natural beauty and biodiversity. The country’s largest river basin is the Rokel River, which flows for over 386 km from the Loma Mountains through the before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean, where its estuary forms Freetown Harbour.
Other major rivers include the Sewa River, still panned for diamonds in the north, and the Moa River, which actually originates in Guinea and marks the border with Sierra Leone. These rivers play a vital role in Sierra Leone’s economy, providing water for irrigation, transportation, and hydroelectric power generation.
Sierra Leone is also home to several impressive mountains. The Loma Mountains, located in the northern part of the country, are the highest range in Sierra Leone – the highest peak is Mount Bintumani, 1948 meters above sea level. Other mountain ranges in the country include the Tingi Hills, also known as Sankan Biriwa, and the Sula Mountains. These mountainous areas provide habitat for a diverse array of wildlife, and offer opportunities for hiking and ecotourism.
Rainforests
Sierra Leone is renowned for its lush rainforests, which cover much of the country’s interior – approximately 38% of the entire surface area of the country is forested, with 4% classified as primary rainforest.
These dense forests are a true biodiversity hotspot, home to a wide variety of plant and animal species. They also play a crucial role in regulating the climate and providing essential ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration and water purification.
The largest tract of rainforest in Sierra Leone is the Gola Rainforest National Park, extending for approximately 350,000 hectares in the east of the country. Gola is part of Upper Guinea Forest, a larger ecosystem extending all the way from Guinea to Togo.
According to recent studies, Gola is home to over 300 species of birds, 14 of which are endangered, like the Liberian Greenbull. The habitat also includes 43 amphibian and 650 butterfly species, as well as 49 different mammal species – including rare and threatened animals like pygmy hippopotamus, chimpanzees and forest elephants.
People
Sierra Leone is home to a diverse population numbering 8.9 million people, and comprising 18 different ethnic groups, each with its own unique cultural traditions and heritage. The two most numerous ethnic groups are the Temne and Mende, each making up approximately one third of the population.
Temne people are the most numerous ethnic group, originally from Guinea and living now in the northern part of the country, including Freetown. Their traditional activities include farming, fishing and trading. Mende are mainly found in the southern and eastern part of Sierra Leone, and are traditionally farmers and hunters, and known for their exquisite wood carving skills, especially for their masks.
Following Mende and Temne, the main ethnic groups in Sierra Leone are Lima, Kono and Fula. The Sierra Leone creole people, also known as Krio, are the descendents of formerly enslaved Africans who returned to their homeland. They only make up 1.3% of the population, but are highly influential in shaping today’s culture.
Languages
The ethnic diversity of Sierra Leone also translates into linguistic diversity, with over twenty languages spoken across the country. The official language is English, which serves as the language of instruction in schools, government, and business.
In addition to English, the second official language is Krio, which is also widely spoken as a lingua franca. Krio is a creole language that developed during the colonial and post-colonial period and is influenced by English, French and Portuguese, as well as various African languages. It is estimated that 96% of the Sierra Leone population is fluent in Krio – it is the language of instruction in schools all over the country, and TV and radio broadcasts are also in Krio.
Other prominent languages in Sierra Leone include Mende, Temne, and Limba, which are spoken by the respective ethnic groups. Thanks to this linguistic diversity, Sierra Leoneans are generally multilingual, with many people fluent in several languages due to the country’s cultural and ethnic mosaic.
Religion
Sierra Leone is a secular country, with no official religion. However, most inhabitants follow a faith, with Islam and Christianity as the two most commonly practiced.
Approximately 78% of the population is Muslim (mostly Sunni), while around 20% is Christian, (mainly Protestant), with the remaining percentage practising traditional African beliefs or other faiths. Islam is most prevalent in the northern and eastern regions of the country, while Christianity is more common in the western and southern regions.
Despite religious differences, Sierra Leoneans generally coexist peacefully, and religious tolerance is a core value in Sierra Leonean society. Interfaith marriages are common, and religious celebrations and festivals are often observed by people of different faiths. Both Christian and Muslim festivities are official holidays in the country.
Traditional beliefs and customs also play a significant role in Sierra Leonean culture, particularly in rural areas, where rituals and ceremonies are an integral part of community life.
Food & Festivals
Sierra Leonean cuisine is a delicious blend of flavors and influences from West Africa and beyond, a result of the ethnic, religious and cultural diversity of the country.
Staple foods include rice, plantain, yams and cassava – the latter is often served as is, or pounded and fermented into fufu, a gelatinous mixture that is used to scoop up saucy dishes. Other popular Sierra Leonean dishes include groundnut soup, made with peanuts (known locally as groundnuts), and cassava leaf stew, which may also include meat or seafood.
As a coastal country, it’s not surprising that fish features heavily in Sierra Leonean cuisine – grilled fish and seafood can be found everywhere along the coast, and a common snack are fried fishballs or huntu, fishballs with a sesame crust and spices.
In addition to its delicious cuisine, Sierra Leone is also known for its vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations. Public holidays include both Muslim and Christian festivities – the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, as well as Christmas, Easter and Boxing Day.
One of the most popular occasions to celebrate is New Year’s Day, when locals typically have fun on the beach or by the river. Another popular festival in Freetown is the Lantern Parade, held on the occasion of Sierra Leone’s Independence Day in April, when elaborate floats carrying lanterns parade for the streets of the capital.
Music and culture festivals are also popular – two of the best-known are the Ma Dengn beach festival in December and Tangain, held around Easter.
Ancient History
Sierra Leone has a rich and diverse ancient history that dates back thousands of years, with the first evidence of inhabitants dating back to 2500 years ago. The earliest known inhabitants of the region were the indigenous hunter-gatherer peoples, believed to be the forefathers of the Sherbro, Temne and Limba people.
The use of iron dates back to the 9th century, and agriculture has been practiced in coastal Sierra Leone since the 10th century AD.
These early inhabitants were later joined by waves of migrants from other parts of Africa, including groups escaping persecution from the Sahelian kingdoms, which controlled trade routes and exerted political influence over the area.
Before the arrival of the Europeans, the people of Sierra Leone lived in small independent groups chaired by a chief or king, whose power was controlled by a council of elders. Secret societies also held political power and carried on elaborate initiation ceremonies – two societies still active to this day are the Poro and Sande societies, for men and women respectively.
Islam arrived in Sierra Leone from the north, brought by Muslim traders from North Africa, and slowly spread across the country.
Modern Era
1500 to 2024
In the 15th century, Portuguese explorers arrived on the coast of Sierra Leone, followed by European traders and colonizers who established forts and trading posts along the coast. The country’s name derives from Sierra Lyoa, meaning Lion Mountain in Portuguese, the first name for what is now the Freetown Peninsula.
Local chiefs at first welcomed European sailors for the commercial opportunities they provided. Portuguese influence lasted until the 17th century, when it started to be replaced by other colonial powers – mainly the Dutch and English. Around the same time, the transatlantic slave trade started to last approximately three centuries.
In the latter part of the 18th century, plans were made for formerly enslaved Africans to return to the Continent and settle in modern-day Sierra Leone. Some of these first settlers are the founders of Freetown, taking its name from the fact it was meant to be a free haven for these recently liberated people.
British colonial rule continued up until 1961, following a series of riots and resistance movements, the best known of which was the Hut Tax war in 1898, started by Temne chief Bai Bureh who is still recognized as a national hero.
The first post-colonial years were stable and prosperous, but this all came to an end with a series of military coups in the 1960s, followed by a bloody civil war that ravaged our country between 1991 and 2002. Sierra Leone is now a peaceful and stable country, growing its economy year after year and slowly erasing the scars of these recent tragedies.
Slavery
In the 15th century, Portuguese explorers arrived on the coast of Sierra Leone, followed by European traders and colonizers who established forts and trading posts along the coast. The country’s name derives from Sierra Lyoa, meaning Lion Mountain in Portuguese, the first name for what is now the Freetown Peninsula.
Local chiefs at first welcomed European sailors for the commercial opportunities they provided. Portuguese influence lasted until the 17th century, when it started to be replaced by other colonial powers – mainly the Dutch and English. Around the same time, the transatlantic slave trade started to last approximately three centuries.
In the latter part of the 18th century, plans were made for formerly enslaved Africans to return to the Continent and settle in modern-day Sierra Leone. Some of these first settlers are the founders of Freetown, taking its name from the fact it was meant to be a free haven for these recently liberated people.
British colonial rule continued up until 1961, following a series of riots and resistance movements, the best known of which was the Hut Tax war in 1898, started by Temne chief Bai Bureh who is still recognized as a national hero.
The first post-colonial years were stable and prosperous, but this all came to an end with a series of military coups in the 1960s, followed by a bloody civil war that ravaged our country between 1991 and 2002. Sierra Leone is now a peaceful and stable country, growing its economy year after year and slowly erasing the scars of these recent tragedies.
