Geography
The Republic of Sierra Leone is in Western Africa. It is bordered by the North Atlantic Ocean, Guinea, and Liberia.

Freetown is the capital city. Major towns include Koidu, Makeni, Bo and Kenema.

The terrain of Sierra Leone consists of four hundred kilometers of coast, hills, upland plateau, and mountains. The Sewa is a principal river.

The climate is tropical; the rainy season is from May to December.

Environment
Protected areas in Sierra Leone include the Gola Forest Reserve, the Mamunta-Mayosa Wildlife Sanctuary, Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary and the Outamba-Kilimi National Park.

Sierra Leone is famous for its wide variety of birdlfe. Examples are barbets, flycatchers, kingfishers, sparrowhawks, sunbirds and swallows.

Large animals are rarely seen but can be found in the protected areas. Other animals are antelopes, chimpanzees, crocodiles, hyenas and monkeys.

Architecture
National Monuments of Sierra Leone include the original Fourah Bay College building, St Charles Church and the St John's Maroon Church.

Creole and Colonial architecture can still be seen in Freetown. "Krio" buildings are also found in the villages of Bathurst, Gloucester, Leicester and Regent.

Population
The population of Sierra Leone was estimated at 8.421 million in 2021.

Languages
English is the official language. Krio, an English-based Creole, is spoken in the Freetown area. Other languages include Mende in the south and Temne in the north.

Religion
Sixty percent of the people of Sierra Leone follow Islam, thirty percent have indigenous beliefs and ten percent are Christian.

Food
Rice is a staple food in Sierra Leone. It is eaten with meat, fish, and vegetables. Soups and stews are popular. Sauces are made using ingredients such as hot peppers, onions, tomatoes and groundnuts.

Vegetables available are aubergines, cabbages, carrots, cassava, green beans, okra, peppers, plantains, pumpkins, spinach and sweet potatoes. Palm oil is used in cooking.

Tropical fruits include bananas, citrus fruits, guavas, mangoes, papayas and watermelons.

Coffee is grown. Beer, palm wine, and soft drinks are produced locally.

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