Western Africa · AfricaSierra Leone
Discover Sierra Leone - where lion-shaped mountains guard pristine beaches, freed slaves built a nation, and the world's most famous diamonds were unearthed.
Where Is Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone is a country in Western Africa. Its capital is Freetown.
- Capital Freetown
- Population 8.82M
- Area 71,740 km²
Sierra Leone's name means Lion Mountains, given by Portuguese explorer Pedro de Sintra who thought the hills around Freetown resembled a crouching lioness. It's a fitting name for a country that has shown extraordinary courage through extraordinary hardship. Founded as a home for freed slaves in the late 18th century, Freetown became the first western-style city in sub-Saharan Africa, and its Krio descendants created a unique culture blending African, British, and Caribbean influences that persists today.
The country's modern history has been shaped by civil war and the Ebola crisis, but Sierra Leone refuses to be defined by tragedy. The beaches along the Freetown Peninsula are among the most stunning in West Africa, with miles of empty golden sand backed by forested hills. The country sits atop some of the world's richest diamond deposits - the 969-carat Star of Sierra Leone is the fourth largest gem-quality diamond ever found. And in every corner, from the street food stalls of Freetown to the remote villages of the interior, there's a resilience and warmth that makes visitors understand why Sierra Leoneans greet each other with "How de body?" - a question that always gets a positive answer.
At a glance
Largest cities in Sierra Leone
Freetown
Bo
Kenema
Makeni
Famous people from Sierra Leone
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
PoliticsPresident who negotiated the end of Sierra Leone's civil war and oversaw the country's transition back to peace and democracy
Sorious Samura
JournalismAward-winning journalist whose undercover documentary Cry Freetown exposed the horrors of the civil war and won multiple international awards
Ishmael Beah
LiteratureAuthor of A Long Way Gone, a memoir of his experience as a child soldier that became an international bestseller and brought global attention to the issue
Mohamed Kallon
SportSierra Leone's greatest footballer who played for Inter Milan and became a national hero, later using his fame to support war-affected children
Traditional cuisine of Sierra Leone
- Cassava Leaves (Plasas)
- Sierra Leone's most beloved dish - pounded cassava leaves cooked with palm oil, fish, and meat into a thick, rich sauce served over rice
- Jollof Rice
- Sierra Leone's take on the West African classic, cooked with plenty of palm oil, tomatoes, and smoked fish for a distinctly local flavor
- Groundnut Soup
- Thick peanut-based soup with chicken or fish served over rice, a comforting everyday meal found in homes and cook shops across the country
- Fried Plantains
- Sweet ripe plantains sliced and fried to golden perfection, served as a side dish or snack at virtually every meal
- Poyo
- Fresh palm wine tapped from palm trees and drunk the same day, a mildly fizzy, sweet drink that is the social lubricant of Sierra Leonean life
Nature and landmarks in Sierra Leone
- Tiwai Island Wildlife SanctuaryNational Park
- One of the most important primate conservation sites in Africa, a river island sanctuary home to 11 primate species including pygmy hippos
- Outamba-Kilimi National ParkNational Park
- Sierra Leone's largest national park in the northwest, where chimpanzees, elephants, and hippos roam through savanna and gallery forest
- Banana IslandsIsland
- Tiny islands off the Freetown Peninsula with pristine beaches, coral reefs, and ruins of a 17th-century slave trading settlement
- Tacugama Chimpanzee SanctuaryNational Park
- Rescue center in the hills above Freetown housing over 100 orphaned and rescued chimpanzees in a lush rainforest setting
Sports in Sierra Leone
- Football
- The Leone Stars are the most popular team in the country, and football matches bring entire cities to a standstill
- Cricket
- Growing cricket tradition inherited from British colonial days, with Sierra Leone competing at regional ICC tournaments
Did you know?
The Cotton Tree in central Freetown is believed to be where freed slaves from Nova Scotia first prayed upon arriving in 1792, and it still stands as a national symbol
The Star of Sierra Leone, found in 1972, is the fourth largest gem-quality diamond ever discovered at 969 carats in the rough
Sierra Leone's Krio language, a creole based on English with African and other influences, is the lingua franca understood by virtually everyone in the country
Bunce Island in the Sierra Leone River was one of the most important British slave trading posts in West Africa, with direct links to rice plantations in South Carolina
Despite having some of the world's richest mineral deposits including diamonds, rutile, and bauxite, Sierra Leone remains one of the poorest countries on Earth
Freetown has one of the largest natural harbors in the world, deep enough to accommodate the largest ships afloat
Read more about Sierra Leone
Can you find Sierra Leone on a map?
Drop a pin where you think it is and see how close you got. A few rounds and you will place Sierra Leone and its neighbours without a second thought.
