Western Area
Nickname: 
Freetown Peninsula
Location of Western Area
Coordinates: 8°20′N 13°00′W / 8.333°N 13.000°W / 8.333; -13.000
CountrySierra Leone
CapitalFreetown
Population
 (2015 national census)
 • Total1,493,252
Time zoneUTC0 (Greenwich Mean Time)

The Western Area or Freetown Peninsula (formerly the Colony of Sierra Leone) is one of five principal divisions of Sierra Leone. It comprises the oldest city and national capital Freetown and its surrounding towns and countryside. It covers an area of 557 km2 and has a population of 1,447,271. The Western Area is located mostly around the peninsula and is divided into two districts: the Western Area Rural and the Western Area Urban.

Geography

Western Area is the wealthiest region of Sierra Leone, having the largest economy, the country's financial and cultural center, as well as the seat of the country's national government. Unlike the other regions in Sierra Leone, the western area is not a province.

It is divided into two districts:

Freetown serves as the administrative headquarters of both the Western Area and the Urban District, and served as the capital of the Rural District until 2009 when it was formally moved to the city of Waterloo.

Borders

To the northeast, the Western Area borders the North-Western Province, and to the southeast it borders the Southern Province. However, most of the boundaries of the Western Area is the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean. The Western Area is the only region of Sierra Leone without a foreign border.

Cities, towns and villages include

Religion

Religion in Western Area District (2015)[3]
Religion Percent(%)
Islam
 
 69.1%
Christianity
 
 30.1%
Bahai
 
 0.1%
Traditional African religions
 
 0.0%
Other
 
 0.6%
No Religion
 
 0.1%

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Rokel, Sierra Leone". Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  2. ↑ "Domain parking page".
  3. ↑ "Population and Housing Census" (PDF). sierraleone.unfpa.org. Sierra Leone Statistics. 2015. pp. 1–54. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
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