Western Area Explained

Official Name:Western Area
Nickname:Freetown Peninsula
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type2:Capital
Subdivision Name:Sierra Leone
Subdivision Name2:Freetown
Area Total Km2:557
Population As Of:2015 national census
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Density Sq Mi:auto
Population Total:1,493,252
Timezone:Greenwich Mean Time
Utc Offset:0

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

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rokel, Sierra Leone. 13 November 2016.
  2. Web site: Domain parking page.