Geography of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa with a North Atlantic Ocean coastline to the west. It lies on the African Plate. The country's main geographical features include wooded hill country, an upland plateau, and mountains in the east. The highest peak is Mount Bintumani, which is 1,948 meters (6,391 ft) above sea level. The coastline has a belt of mangrove swamps. Freetown, the nation's capital city, has one of the world's largest natural harbours.[4] The Rokel River is the largest river in Sierra Leone. It is 400 kilometres (250 mi) long and has a basin with a total area of 10,622 square kilometres (4,101 sq mi).

Geography of Sierra Leone
ContinentAfrica
RegionWestern Africa
Coordinates08°30′00″N 12°06′00″W / 8.50000°N 12.10000°W / 8.50000; -12.10000
Area
 • Total71,740 km2 (27,700 sq mi)
 • Land99.8%
 • Water0.2%
Coastline402[1] km (250 mi)
Highest pointMount Bintumani 1,948 meters (6,391 ft)[1]
Lowest pointAtlantic Ocean 0m
Longest riverRokel River 400 km (250 mi)[2]
Largest lakeLake Sonfon 8.2 km2 (3.2 sq mi)[3]
Climatetropical
Terraincoastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, an upland plateau, mountains in the east[1]
Natural resourcesmineral deposits (diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite)[1]
Natural hazardsdry, sand-laden Harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms[1]
Environmental issuesrapid population growth; deforestation from increased cattle grazing and agriculture, land degradation and flooding; biodiversity loss; air and water pollution; overfishing[1]

Sierra Leone is located at approximately 8°30′N 12°06′W / 8.5°N 12.1°W / 8.5; -12.1, between the 7th and 10th parallels north of the equator. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and northeast, and Liberia to the south and southeast.[5] The country has a total area of 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi), divided into a land area of 71,620 km2 (27,653 sq mi) and water of 120 km2 (46 sq mi).[1]

Physical geography

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Sierra Leone's topography

Sierra Leone is located on the west coast of Africa, between the 7th and 10th parallels north of the equator. Sierra Leone is bordered by Guinea to the north and northeast, Liberia to the south and southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.[5] The country has a total area of 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi), divided into a land area of 71,620 km2 (27,653 sq mi) and water of 120 km2 (46 sq mi).[1]

Sierra Leone has four distinct geographical regions: coastal Guinean mangroves, the wooded hill country, an upland plateau, and the eastern mountains. Eastern Sierra Leone is an interior region of large plateaus interspersed with high mountains, where Mount Bintumani rises to 1,948 meters (6,391 ft).[5]

Geology

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Sierra Leone can be split into three geological areas, in the east is part of the West African craton, the western area consists of the Rokelides, an orogenic belt, and a 20- to 30-km coastal strip of sediments.[6]

Extreme points

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This is a list of the extreme points of Sierra Leone, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.

Climate

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Sierra Leone map of Köppen climate classification areas

The climate is tropical; although it could be classified as a tropical monsoon climate, it could also be described as a climate that is transitional between a continually wet tropical rainforest climate and a tropical savanna climate.[7]

There are two seasons; dry season (November – May) and rainy season (June – October).

December to January are the coolest months of the year, although temperatures can still exceed 40 °C or 104 °F, lower to moderate humidity makes the heat around this time of the year more tolerable. Unlike March and April, the months that it gets hot and humid with temperatures around 33 to 36 °C or 91 to 97 °F and a solid 50% humidity, making the heat index higher than the actual temperature. The average sea temperature is 30 °C or 86 °F.[1][8][9]

Average rainfall is highest at the coast, 3,000 to 5,000 millimetres or 120 to 200 inches per year; moving inland this decreases and at the eastern border of the country, the average rainfall is 2,000 to 2,500 millimetres or 80 to 100 inches.[10]

Climate data for Freetown, Sierra Leone (1961-1990, extremes 1947-1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 36.0
(96.8)
38.0
(100.4)
38.0
(100.4)
38.5
(101.3)
35.0
(95.0)
35.0
(95.0)
33.0
(91.4)
32.0
(89.6)
31.0
(87.8)
35.0
(95.0)
36.5
(97.7)
33.5
(92.3)
38.5
(101.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 29.9
(85.8)
30.3
(86.5)
30.9
(87.6)
31.2
(88.2)
30.9
(87.6)
30.1
(86.2)
28.7
(83.7)
28.4
(83.1)
29.0
(84.2)
29.9
(85.8)
30.1
(86.2)
29.7
(85.5)
29.9
(85.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 27.3
(81.1)
27.6
(81.7)
28.1
(82.6)
28.5
(83.3)
28.3
(82.9)
27.4
(81.3)
26.3
(79.3)
25.9
(78.6)
26.4
(79.5)
27.1
(80.8)
27.7
(81.9)
27.5
(81.5)
27.3
(81.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 23.8
(74.8)
24.0
(75.2)
24.4
(75.9)
24.8
(76.6)
24.4
(75.9)
23.6
(74.5)
23.1
(73.6)
23.0
(73.4)
23.1
(73.6)
23.4
(74.1)
24.0
(75.2)
24.1
(75.4)
23.8
(74.9)
Record low °C (°F) 15.0
(59.0)
17.8
(64.0)
19.4
(66.9)
20.0
(68.0)
20.6
(69.1)
20.0
(68.0)
19.4
(66.9)
19.4
(66.9)
20.0
(68.0)
19.4
(66.9)
20.0
(68.0)
15.6
(60.1)
15.0
(59.0)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 8.0
(0.31)
6.0
(0.24)
28.0
(1.10)
68.0
(2.68)
214.0
(8.43)
522.0
(20.55)
1,190
(46.85)
1,078
(42.44)
800.0
(31.50)
333.0
(13.11)
148.0
(5.83)
38.0
(1.50)
4,433
(174.54)
Average rainy days 0 0 1 4 15 22 27 27 24 21 9 2 152
Average relative humidity (%) 66 67 67 68 73 76 81 82 80 78 76 69 74
Mean monthly sunshine hours 226.3 215.6 232.5 207.0 189.1 153.0 102.3 86.8 126.0 186.0 198.0 161.2 2,083.8
Source 1: NOAA,[11][12] Deutscher Wetterdienst (extremes),[13]
Source 2: Worldwide Bioclimatic Classification System[14]

Environment issues

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Hippopotami in the Outamba-Kilimi National Park in Sierra Leone's northwest.

Rapid population growth in Sierra Leone has put pressure upon the natural environment. Environmental problems include the overharvesting of timber, the expansion of cattle grazing and slash and burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil exhaustion, and overfishing.

Sierra Leone is party to several environmental agreements:[1]

Signed, but not ratified:

General information

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Location of Sierra Leone

Geographic coordinates: 8°30′N 11°30′W / 8.500°N 11.500°W / 8.500; -11.500

Area
  • Total: 72,300 km²
    • country rank in the world: 117th
  • Land: 72,180 km²
  • Water: 120 km²
Area comparative
  • Australia comparative: slightly larger than Tasmania
  • Canada comparative: approximately the size of New Brunswick
  • United Kingdom comparative: slightly smaller than Scotland
  • United States comparative: approximately 1/7 larger than West Virginia
  • EU comparative: slightly smaller than Ireland
Land boundaries
  • total: 1,093 km
  • border countries: Guinea 794 km, Liberia 299 km
Coastline
402 km
Maritime claims
  • territorial sea: 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi).
  • contiguous zone: 24 nmi (44.4 km; 27.6 mi).
  • exclusive economic zone: 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi).
  • continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation.
Climate
tropical monsoon; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
Terrain
coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east
Elevation extremes
Natural resources
diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Land use
  • arable land: 24.4%
  • permanent crops: 2.3%
  • permanent pasture: 30.5%
  • forest: 37.5%
  • other: 6.3% (2011)
Irrigated land
300 km2; (2012)
Total renewable water resources
160 km3; (2011)
Natural hazards
dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Sierra Leone". World Factbook. CIA.gov. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Rokel River". Britannia. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Lake Sonfon – Sierra Leone". Living Lakes. Global Nature Fund. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Sierra Leone". Britannia. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  5. ^ a b c LeVert 2007, p. 7.
  6. ^ Schlüter & Trauth 2008, p. 220.
  7. ^ Gabler et al. 2008, p. 238.
  8. ^ Blinker 2006, p. 12.
  9. ^ LeVert 2007, p. 8.
  10. ^ Hughes & Hughes 1992, p. 435.
  11. ^ "Freetown Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  12. ^ "Climatological Information for Freetown, Sierra Leone". Hong Kong Observatory. Archived from the original on November 24, 2002. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  13. ^ "Klimatafel von Freetown-Lunghi (Flugh.) / Sierra Leone" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  14. ^ "Sierra Leone — Freetown". Worldwide Bioclimatic Classification System. Retrieved July 24, 2021.

Sources

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