What is the capital of Sierra Leone?

The capital of Sierra Leone is Freetown.

Freetown sits on the Atlantic coast in Sierra Leone’s Western Area and is the country’s largest city, principal port, and political centre. Its harbour lies within the Sierra Leone River estuary, one of the world’s major natural deep-water harbours.

The city’s name reflects its founding as a settlement associated with emancipation. On March 11, 1792, about 1,196 formerly enslaved African Americans from Nova Scotia arrived under the leadership of abolitionist Lieutenant John Clarkson. The settlement was laid out near a famous Cotton Tree, which remains a powerful national symbol. Freetown later became a refuge for liberated Africans rescued from slave ships, helping form the Creole community and the Krio language.

A common mix-up is confusing Freetown with Monrovia, the capital of neighbouring Liberia, or Conakry, the capital of Guinea. Freetown became a British Crown Colony in 1808 and served as an important base for Britain’s campaign against the Atlantic slave trade. Today it remains Sierra Leone’s key centre for government, education, commerce, and culture.