West Africa’s City Belongs to Everyone: Freetown, Sierra Leone !

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 center, as it is the seat of the Government of Sierra Leone.
Freetown is the capital city of Sierra Leone and is the heart of the Western region. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the estuary of the Sierra Leone River. The city lies at the foot of the Peninsula Mountains and faces one of the best natural harbours on the west coast of Africa. The peninsula is home to some of the finest beaches in Africa - Lumley beach; Lakka beach, No. 2 river beach and Tokeh beach are some examples.
In Freetown, there are many hidden gems that can be well worth finding. It is not unusual to be the only visitor to some of them.
• NATIONAL RAIL MUSEUM, Cline Town. The museum has several steam/diesel locomotives and carriages, including one used by HM Queen Elizabeth II during her state visit.
• SIERRA LEONE MUSEUM, Cotton Tree, Freetown.
• CAPE SIERRA LEONE LIGHTHOUSE, Aberdeen. Right at the end of the peninsular close to the Barmoi Hotel. Head towards the new radar tower. The lighthouse was built in 1812 by the Portuguese.
• LUMLEY BEACH The main public beach close to Freetown itself facing the Atlantic with white sandy beach, shops, restaurants, hotels, golf course, as well local clubs.
• GODERICH BEACH Goderich is not known for its beach - most people drive past on the way to other beaches. Anywhere else, this would be a top attraction.
• LAKKA BEACH Takes about 15 minutes driving from Lumley. Here are many places to eat and sleep.
• HAMILTON BEACH Unfortunately this beach has become a mining site.
• MAMAH BEACH Lungi (where the airport is located) also has some excellent beaches, which are often missed by visitors because of the limited accommodation available.
The population of Freetown is ethnically, culturally, and religiously diverse. The city is home to a significant population of all of Sierra Leone's ethnic groups, with no single ethnic group forming more than 28% of the city's population.

The city of Freetown was founded on March 11, 1792 by Lieutenant John Clarkson, and formerly enslaved and free African Americans called the Nova Scotian Settlers, who were transported to Sierra Leone by the Sierra Leone Company.
Freetown is locally governed by the directly elected Freetown City Council, headed by a mayor, who also is directly elected. The mayor and members of the Freetown City Council are directly elected by the residents of Freetown in an election held every four years.
The city has the Sierra Leone National Museum and Sierra Leone National Railway Museum. Various historical landmarks connected to its founding by Americans, liberated African slaves, and West Indians. The Cotton Tree represents the christening of Freetown in March 1792. In downtown Freetown is the Connaught Hospital, the first hospital constructed in West Africa that incorporated Western medical practices.
Freetown is the economic and financial centre of Sierra Leone. The country's state television and radio station, the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation, is primarily based in Freetown.
Lungi International Airport is the international airport which serves Freetown and the rest of the country. It is located in the town of Lungi, about 17 km northeast of Freetown across the sea. It serves as the primary airport for domestic and international travel to and from Sierra Leone. The airport is operated by Sierra Leone Airports Authority. There is a frequent commercial fast boat, bus, and ferry service to Freetown and other parts of the country. Hastings Airport provides secondary service, but can only handle small aircraft because of its short runway. It is located about 14 km southeast of downtown Freetown (nearly 22 km by road).
Sierra Leone has the largest Natural Harbour in the African continent. Ships from all over the globe berth at Freetown's Queen Elizabeth II Quay. Passenger, cargo, and private craft also utilize Government Wharf nearer to central Freetown. Recent investment has seen the introduction of high-tech cargo scanning facilities.
Like the rest of Sierra Leone, football is the most popular sport in Freetown. The Sierra Leone national football team, popularly known as the Leone Stars plays all their home games at Freetown's National Stadium, the largest stadium in Sierra Leone.

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