Port Loko
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Port Loko Port Loko, Sierra Leone |
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| Coordinates: 8°46′0″N 12°47′15″W / 8.76667°N 12.78750°WCoordinates: 8°46′0″N 12°47′15″W / 8.76667°N 12.78750°W | |
| Country |
 Sierra Leone
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| Province | Northern Province |
| District | Port Loko District |
| Population | |
| • Total | 23,915 |
| Time zone | GMT (UTC-5) |
Port Loko is the capital and second largest town of Port Loko District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The town had a population of 21,961 in the 2004 census and current estimate of 23,915. Port Loko lies approximately 45 miles east of Freetown. The area in and around Port Loko is a major bauxite mining and trade centre. The town lies on the main highway linking Freetown to Guinea's capital Conakry. It also lies on the over-land highway between Freetown and its major airport, Lungi International Airport, although most travellers complete this journey via the much shorter ferry or helicopter transit.
The population of Port Loko is largely from the Temne ethnic group. The Temne language along with the Krio language are widely spoken in the town.
Port Loko is home to the Port Loko Teacher's College, one of the oldest and best known colleges in Sierra Leone. Port Loko has its own local radio station called Radio Bankasoka.
Port Loko has its own football club named the Bai Bureh Warriors of Port Loko, which is one of the oldest and most famous football clubs in Sierra Leone. The club currently plays in the Sierra Leone National First Division, the second highest football league in Sierra Leone.
Port Loko lies on the Bankasoka River estuary, at about the limit of tidal effects.
Port Loko gets its name from the Loko people. The town was established by Portuguese merchants. However, the Temne people subsequently came to dominate the area.
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Wikipedia