Sierra Leone Demographics
Sierra Leonean children in Koindu
The 2009 CIA estimate of Sierra Leone's population is 6,440,053. Freetown, with an estimated population of 1,070,200, is the capital, largest city and the hub of the economy, commercial, educational and cultural centre of the country.
Bo is the second city with an estimated population of 269,000. Other cities with a population over 100,000 are Kenema, Koidu Town and Makeni.
Although English is the official language spoken at schools, government administration and by the media, Krio (language derived from English and several African languages and native to the Sierra Leone Krio people) is the most widely spoken language in virtually all parts of Sierra Leone. The Krio language is spoken by 98% of the country's population and unites all the different ethnic groups, especially in their trade and interaction with each other.
According to the World Refugee Survey 2008, published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Sierra Leone had a population of 8,700 refugees and asylum seekers at the end of 2007. Nearly 20,000 Liberian refugees voluntarily returned to Liberia over the course of 2007. Of the refugees remaining in Sierra Leone, nearly all were Liberian.
For more detailed information on Sierra Leone demographics, click here.
Ethnic Groups
The Sierra Leone government officially recognizes 14 ethnic groups, each with its own language and costume. The two largest are the Mende and Temne, each comprises 30% of the populatio (about 1,888,432 members each). The Mende predominate in the South-Eastern Provinces; the Temne likewise predominate in the Northern Province and the Western Area. Sierra Leone's national politics centers on the competition between the north, dominated by the Temne and the south-east dominated by the Mende.
In the past, Sierra Leoneans were noted for their educational achievements, trading activity, entrepreneurial skills, and arts and crafts work, particularly wood carving. Many are part of larger ethnic networks extending into several countries, which link West African states in the area. But the level of education and infrastructure has declined sharply over the last 30 years.
Bo is the second city with an estimated population of 269,000. Other cities with a population over 100,000 are Kenema, Koidu Town and Makeni.
Although English is the official language spoken at schools, government administration and by the media, Krio (language derived from English and several African languages and native to the Sierra Leone Krio people) is the most widely spoken language in virtually all parts of Sierra Leone. The Krio language is spoken by 98% of the country's population and unites all the different ethnic groups, especially in their trade and interaction with each other.
According to the World Refugee Survey 2008, published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Sierra Leone had a population of 8,700 refugees and asylum seekers at the end of 2007. Nearly 20,000 Liberian refugees voluntarily returned to Liberia over the course of 2007. Of the refugees remaining in Sierra Leone, nearly all were Liberian.
For more detailed information on Sierra Leone demographics, click here.
Ethnic Groups
The Sierra Leone government officially recognizes 14 ethnic groups, each with its own language and costume. The two largest are the Mende and Temne, each comprises 30% of the populatio (about 1,888,432 members each). The Mende predominate in the South-Eastern Provinces; the Temne likewise predominate in the Northern Province and the Western Area. Sierra Leone's national politics centers on the competition between the north, dominated by the Temne and the south-east dominated by the Mende.
In the past, Sierra Leoneans were noted for their educational achievements, trading activity, entrepreneurial skills, and arts and crafts work, particularly wood carving. Many are part of larger ethnic networks extending into several countries, which link West African states in the area. But the level of education and infrastructure has declined sharply over the last 30 years.
To discover more of Sierra Leone, click here
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