Bonthe District

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Bonthe

District Statistics
Population 2004	230,297
Male Population 2004	62,835
Female Population 2004	67,462
Land Area (sq. KM)	3,468
Number of Chiefdoms	12
Number of Provisional Households	24,101
Number of Primary Schools	134
Primary School Enrolment	25,674
Number of Secondary Schools	6
Secondary School Enrolment	3,374
Number of PHUs	18
Hospital IPD Capacity	174
Electricity	No
Telesystem	No
Post Office	No
Average Road Condition	Fair

1 Overview
2 Demographics
3 Economy
4 Government
5 Effects of the Civil War
6 See also
7 External links
8 Reference Sources

[edit] Overview

Bonthe District is a District in the southern Province of Sierra Leone. It borders the Atlantic Ocean in the west, Moyamba District to the northwest, Bo District to the southeast and Pujehun District to the south. It occupies a total space of 3,468 km² and comprises eleven chiefdoms.

[edit] Demographics

Bonth district is the least populated district in Sierra Leone, with an estimated population 230,297 people. (2004 census)The largest ethnic groups in the district are Mende, Sherbro, Temne and Loko. The District enjoys religious plurality - Muslim and Christians.

[edit] Economy

The main economic activities include fishing, rice growing and palm oil plantations.Mattru is the main city, located 52 miles soutwest of Bo, and conveniently along the Jong River, which provides access to Sherbro Island and the Atlantic Ocean.

[edit] Government

The District currently has eight Representatives in the Sierra Leonean Parliament, of which seven were elected for a 5-year term. Below are the list of Representatives in the Sierra Leonean Parliament:

Madam Margaret Thompson - Paramount Chief of Bonth District
Solomon Bangala (SLPP)
Agnes Bassi (SLPP)
Kainde Thomas (SLPP)
Samuel Maligie (SLPP)
Solomon Arthur Harvey (SLPP)
Jonathan Sama (SLPP)
Solomon Gali (SLPP)

[edit] Effects of the Civil War

Bonthe district was first among the districts in the Southern Province to undertake voluntary resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 1997 among all economic hardship and combatant activities. The District suffered mass exodus of IDP’s when Sierra Rutile Company (the largest foreign exchange earner, taxpayer and employer of mine workers) in Sierra Leone suffered damage and destruction when attacked by fighting forces in 1995, and during all phases of the war, resulting in the termination of operations. Many indigenes, however, believe that the resettlement and rehabilitation activities of IDP’s and restart of mining operations will help fast track the recovery process and complement government in consolidation of peace the and recovery drive