Geography of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa with a coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean. It has wooded hills, an upland plateau, and mountains in the east. The highest point is Mount Bintumani, which is 1,948 meters tall. Along the coast, there are areas of mangrove swamps. The capital city, Freetown, has one of the world's largest natural harbours.

The largest river is the Rokel River, which is about 400 kilometres long. Sierra Leone lies between the 7th and 10th parallels north of the equator. It shares borders with Guinea to the north and Liberia to the south. The country covers 73,252 square kilometres, most of which is land.

Physical geography

Sierra Leone is a country on the west coast of Africa. It is between the 7th and 10th parallels north of the equator. The country is bordered by Guinea to the north and northeast, Liberia to the south and southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Sierra Leone has an area of 73,253 km².

The country has four main areas: coastal Guinean mangroves, wooded hill country, an upland plateau, and mountains in the east. In the east, there are large plateaus and high mountains, with Mount Bintumani being the tallest.

Further information: Kambui Hills Forest Reserve

Geology

Sierra Leone has three main geological areas. The eastern part is part of the West African craton. The western area has the Rokelides, an orogenic belt. There is also a coastal strip of sediments.

Extreme points

These are the farthest points in Sierra Leone.

• Northernmost point – the northern section of the border with Guinea, Northern Province*
• Easternmost point – the tripoint with Guinea and Liberia, Eastern Province
• Southernmost point – unnamed peninsula south of Mano Salija at the mouth of the Mano River, Southern Province
• Westernmost point – the point where the border with Guinea enters the Atlantic Ocean, North West Province
• *Note: Sierra Leone does not have a northernmost point, the border being formed here by 10th parallel north

Climate

Sierra Leone has a tropical climate. It is a mix between a wet rainforest climate and a savanna climate.

The country has two main seasons: a dry season from November to May and a rainy season from June to October. December and January are the coolest months, but it can still get warm. The sea temperature averages around 30 °C or 86 °F.

Rainfall is heaviest along the coast, and it decreases as you move inland toward the eastern border.

Environment issues

Main article: Environmental issues in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is growing fast, which puts pressure on its nature. Problems include cutting down too many trees for wood, letting cattle graze in new places, and using farming ways that clear land quickly. These things have led to loss of forests and tired soil. Also, people are taking too many fish from the sea.

Sierra Leone has agreed to protect its environment by joining several international agreements. These include efforts to protect plants and animals, fight climate change, stop land from becoming desert, help endangered species, protect the ocean, save marine life, ban nuclear tests, and protect important wetlands. However, one agreement about changing the environment has been signed but not fully approved yet.

General information

Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa. It has a coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean. The land has many different landscapes, including mangrove swamps along the coast, wooded hills, a plateau, and mountains in the east.

The country covers an area of 73,252 km². It shares land borders with Guinea and Liberia and has a coastline that stretches for 402 km. Sierra Leone has a tropical monsoon climate with a rainy season from May to December and a dry season from December to April. The land is rich in natural resources such as diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, and chromite.