Freetown Colony
| Freetown | |
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View of Freetown
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 Freetown
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| Coordinates: 8°29′4″N 13°14′4″W / 8.48444°N 13.23444°WCoordinates: 8°29′4″N 13°14′4″W / 8.48444°N 13.23444°W | |
| Country |
 Sierra Leone
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| Region | Western Area |
| District | Western Area Urban District |
| Founded | March 11, 1792 |
| Government | |
| • Type | City Council |
| • Mayor | Franklyn Bode Gibson (APC) |
| • Governing Body | Freetown City Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 81.48 km2 (31.46 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 26 m (85 ft) |
| Population (2015 Census) | |
| • Total | 1,055,964 |
| • Density | 13,000/km2 (34,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Greenwich Mean Time |
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and political centre. The city proper had a population of 1,055,964 at the 2015 census.
The city's economy revolves largely around its harbour, which occupies a part of the estuary of the Sierra Leone River in one of the world's largest natural deep water harbours.
The population of Freetown is ethnically, culturally, and religiously diverse. The city is home to a significant population of virtually all of Sierra Leone's ethnic groups, with no single ethnic group forming a majority of the city's population. As in virtually all parts of Sierra Leone, the Krio language is Freetown's primary language of communication and is by far the most widely spoken language in the city.
The city of Freetown was founded on March 11, 1792 by Lieutenant John Clarkson and African American ex-slaves and free people called the Nova Scotian Settlers, who were transported to Sierra Leone by the Sierra Leone Company in 1792. The city of Freetown was a haven for free-born and freed African American, Liberated African and Caribbean settlers; and their descendants are known as the Creole people. Freetown is the oldest capital to be founded by African Americans, having been founded thirty years before Monrovia, Liberia and is noted for its unique Creole architecture reflecting American and Caribbean influences.
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