Northern Province, Sierra Leone
Encyclopedia
The Northern Province (commonly referred to as Northern Sierra Leone or simply the North) is one of the four provincial divisions of Sierra Leone
. It comprises five Districts and covers an area of 35,936 km² and with a population of 1,718,240 (2004 census). Its administrative and economic center is Makeni
. The North borders the Western Area to the West
, the Republic of Guinea to the north-east, the Eastern Province
and Southern Province
to the south-east. The region is predominantly muslim
and the Temne people make up the majority of the population.
The Northern province is mainly hilly wooded area with mountainous area farther inland. Along the coast is mangroves. The region has ranges of Mountains, Hills, Valleys and Wetlands; comprising unique and endangered species . One of the main tourist attracted places in the North is the Outamba-Kilimi National Park
, The park is one of the most well-known and frequently visited sites in Sierra Leone. The region is a political stronghold
of the All People's Congress
(APC) political party. The APC currently control virtually all elected seats from the North.
, Kuranko
, Mandinka
, Loko
and the Fula
. The Region is predominantly Muslim
(at 70% of the population), Christianity
is practiced by around 25% of the population.
in the Bombali District
. It is a magical place embedded between two rivers, the Great Scarcies, and the Mongo Rivers. At the park are rare elephants and buffaloes frequently seen following their paths through the dense bush. See the Hippos relaxing in their pools or listen to the songs of the rich bird life and the alarm calls of the various primates while silently paddling along the river in a canoe.
Northern Province has a short shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean
.
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. It comprises five Districts and covers an area of 35,936 km² and with a population of 1,718,240 (2004 census). Its administrative and economic center is Makeni
Makeni
Makeni is the largest city in the Nortern Province of Sierra Leone and the fifth largest city in Sierra Leone. The city is the capital of Bombali District and had a population of 80,840 in the 2004 census and a current estimate of 105,900...
. The North borders the Western Area to the West
West
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
, the Republic of Guinea to the north-east, the Eastern Province
Eastern Province
Eastern Province and East Province may refer to the following places:*Eastern Province, Cameroon*Eastern Province, Cundinamarca, Venezuela*Eastern Province, Rwanda*Eastern Province *Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia...
and Southern Province
Southern Province
Southern Province or South Province may refer to:*South Province, Cameroon*Southern Province, Rwanda*South Province, New Caledonia*Southern Province, Sierra Leone*Southern Province, Sri Lanka*Southern Province, Zambia...
to the south-east. The region is predominantly muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and the Temne people make up the majority of the population.
The Northern province is mainly hilly wooded area with mountainous area farther inland. Along the coast is mangroves. The region has ranges of Mountains, Hills, Valleys and Wetlands; comprising unique and endangered species . One of the main tourist attracted places in the North is the Outamba-Kilimi National Park
Outamba-Kilimi National Park
Outamba-Kilimi National Park is located in northwest Sierra Leone near the border with the Republic of Guinea. The park is divided into two areas, Outamba and Kilimi . The area became a game reserve in 1974, and was made a National Park in January 1986...
, The park is one of the most well-known and frequently visited sites in Sierra Leone. The region is a political stronghold
Safe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
of the All People's Congress
All People's Congress
The All People's Congress is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, the other is the Sierra Leone People's Party . The party was founded in 1960 by Pa Mucktarru Kallay, Allieu Badarr Koroma,Alhaji Sheik Gibril Sesay C A Kamara-Taylor, S A T Koroma and Abu Bakarr S Bangura...
(APC) political party. The APC currently control virtually all elected seats from the North.
Districts
The five districts of the Northern Province.- Bombali DistrictBombali DistrictBombali District is district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. It's capital and largest city is Makeni, which is also the fifth largest city in Sierra Leone and the largest city in the north. The other major towns in the district include Kamakwie, Kamabai, Masingbi and Binkolo...
, capital MakeniMakeniMakeni is the largest city in the Nortern Province of Sierra Leone and the fifth largest city in Sierra Leone. The city is the capital of Bombali District and had a population of 80,840 in the 2004 census and a current estimate of 105,900... - Kambia DistrictKambia DistrictKambia District is a district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. Its capital and largest city is Kambia. The other major towns include Morebaya, Kasirie, Kamassassa, Kukuna and Mange. The district has a population estimated at 304,357....
, capital Kambia - Koinadugu DistrictKoinadugu DistrictKoinadugu District Is a District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. It is by far the largest District in Sierra Leone in geographical area. Its capital and largest city is Kabala, which is also one of the main cities in Northern Sierra Leone...
, capital KabalaKabala, Sierra LeoneKabala is the capital and largest town of Koinadugu District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone, with a population of 14,108 in the 2004 census, and a current estimate of 18,770 Kabala is one of the main cities in northern Sierra Leone and is set in a rural landscape... - Port Loko DistrictPort Loko DistrictPort Loko District is the most populous district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone with a population of 489,488 Its capital is Port Loko and the largest city is Lunsar...
, capital Port LokoPort LokoPort Loko is the capital and second largest city of Port Loko District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The city lies about , as the crow flies, north-east of the nation's capital Freetown and had a population of 21,961 in the 2004 census Port Loko lies on Banka Soka River, which flows... - Tonkolili DistrictTonkolili DistrictTonkolili District is a district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. Its capital and largest city is Magburaka. The other major towns include Mathora, Magbass, Yonibana and Mile 91...
, capital MagburakaMagburakaMagburaka is the capital and largest city of Tonkolili District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. It is the second largest city in the Northern Province after Makeni and the 6th largest city in Sierra Leone with a population of 66,313 It is located at around , along the Rokel River...
Ethnic group and religion
The Temne people are the largest and most influential ethnic group in Northern Sierra Leone. Other ethnic groups in Northern Sierra Leone with significant population are the LimbaLimba people (Sierra Leone)
The Limba people is a major ethnic group in the Republic of Sierra Leone. They form the third largest ethnic group in the country, about 8.5% of Sierra Leone's total population ....
, Kuranko
Kuranko people
The Kuranko, also known as the Koranko, are an ethnic group living in Sierra Leone and Guinea. The Koranko occupy a large section in mountainous region within northeastern Sierra Leone and southern Guinea . Within this geographical region, different dialects, as well as distinct social groupings...
, Mandinka
Mandinka people
The Mandinka, Malinke are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa with an estimated population of eleven million ....
, Loko
Loko people
The Loko are one of the indigenous ethnic groups in Sierra Leone. They speak a Mande language that is also called Loko. The majority of the Loko people live in or around the capital city of Freetown and in the Northern Province of the country, particularly in Port Loko District. The Loko were among...
and the Fula
Fula people
Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
. The Region is predominantly Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
(at 70% of the population), Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
is practiced by around 25% of the population.
Outamba-kilimi National Park
One of the main tourist attraction in the North is the Outamba-kilimi National Park. The park is one of the most well-known and frequently visited sites in Sierra Leone. the Park is found in the northeastern of KamakwieKamakwie
Kamakwie is a small town in Bombali District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The population of the town was over 8,098 in 2006 estimate...
in the Bombali District
Bombali District
Bombali District is district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. It's capital and largest city is Makeni, which is also the fifth largest city in Sierra Leone and the largest city in the north. The other major towns in the district include Kamakwie, Kamabai, Masingbi and Binkolo...
. It is a magical place embedded between two rivers, the Great Scarcies, and the Mongo Rivers. At the park are rare elephants and buffaloes frequently seen following their paths through the dense bush. See the Hippos relaxing in their pools or listen to the songs of the rich bird life and the alarm calls of the various primates while silently paddling along the river in a canoe.
Borders
Northern Province has the following borders:- Kindia RegionKindia RegionThe Kindia Region is located in western Guinea. It is bordered by the country of Sierra Leone and the Guinean regions of Conakry, Labé, Mamou, and Boké.Prefectures of Kindia Region include:*Coyah Prefecture*Dubréka Prefecture*Forécariah Prefecture...
, GuineaGuineaGuinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
: northwest - Mamou RegionMamou RegionThe Mamou Region is located in central Guinea. It is bordered by the country of Sierra Leone and the Guinean regions of Faranah, Labé, and Kindia.Mamou Region's prefectures include:*Dalaba Prefecture*Mamou Prefecture*Pita Prefecture...
, GuineaGuineaGuinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
: north - Faranah RegionFaranah RegionThe Faranah Region is located in east-central Guinea. It is bordered by the countries of Sierra Leone and Mali and the Guinean regions of Kankan, Mamou, Nzérékoré, and Labé.-Prefectures:Prefectures of Faranah Region include:*Dabola Prefecture...
, GuineaGuineaGuinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
: northeast - Nzérékoré RegionNzérékoré RegionThe Nzérékoré Region is a region in the southern part of Guinea. Its capital and largest city is Nzérékoré. It is one of the eight regions of Guinea...
, GuineaGuineaGuinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
: far east - Western AreaWestern Area, Sierra LeoneThe Western Area or Freetown Peninsula is one of four principal divisions of Sierra Leone. It comprises the oldest city and national capital Freetown and its surrounding suburbs. It covers an area of 557 km² and has a population of 947,122...
: southeast - Eastern ProvinceEastern Province, Sierra LeoneEastern Province is one of the four provinces of Sierra Leone. It covers an area of 15,553 km² and has a population of 1,187,532...
: south - Southern ProvinceSouthern Province, Sierra LeoneThe Southern Province is one of three provinces of Sierra Leone. It covers an area of 19,694 km² and has a population of 1,377,067 . It consists of four districts . Its capital and administrative center is Bo, which is also the second largest and second most populated city in Sierra Leone...
: far southwest
Northern Province has a short shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.