The capital city of Sierra Leone on Africa’s western coast is Freetown.
Freetown is a major Atlantic port and the country’s political, economic, cultural, and educational centre. It sits on the Freetown Peninsula beside the estuary of the Sierra Leone River, whose deep natural harbour has played a central role in the city’s history and economy. The city is also the seat of Sierra Leone’s national government.
Freetown was formally founded in 1792 by formerly enslaved Black settlers from Nova Scotia, who were supported by British abolitionists and the Sierra Leone Company. Its name referred to the idea of establishing a free settlement. Britain made Freetown a Crown Colony in 1808, and the city later became an important base for naval efforts against the transatlantic slave trade.
Freetown is sometimes confused with Bo or Kenema, two other important Sierra Leonean cities. It is also distinct from Lungi, where the country’s international airport is located across the estuary. Freetown became the capital of independent Sierra Leone when the country gained independence in 1961.