Geography and Climate

Sierra Leone is located on the west coast of Africa.The country is bordered by Guinea to the north and northeast, Liberia to the south and southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The country has four distinct geographical regions. In eastern Sierra Leone the plateau is interspersed with high mountains, where Mount Bintumani reaches 1,948 m (6,391 ft), the highest point in the country.

Mount Bintumani

The centre of the country is a region of lowland plains, containing forests, bush and farmland, that occupies about 43% of Sierra Leone's land area. The national capital Freetown sits on a coastal peninsula, situated next to the Sierra Leone Harbour, the world's third largest natural harbour.
The climate is tropical, with two seasons determining the agricultural cycle: the rainy season from May to November, and a dry season from December to May, when cool, dry winds blow in off the Sahara Desert and the night-time temperature can be as low as 16 °C. The average temperature is 26 °C and varies from around 26 °C to 36 °C during the year.

By Keity Pimenta