Western Area

The Western Area or Freetown Peninsula (formerly the Colony of Sierra Leone) is one of four principal divisions of Sierra Leone. It comprises the oldest city and national capital Freetown and its surrounding suburbs. It covers an area of 557 km² and has a population of 947,122 (2004 census). Unlike the other three regions of Sierra Leone, the Western Area population is mainly in urban areas. The Western Area is the wealthiest region in Sierra Leone, having the largest economy, financial and cultural center, as well as the seat of the country's national government. The western area is not a province but a territory

It is divided into two districts

• Western Area Rural
• Western Area Urban

Freetown serves as the administrative headquarters of both the Western Area and the Urban District, and served as the capital of the Rural District until 2009 when it was formally moved to the city of Waterloo.

Borders

To the northeast, the Western Area borders the Northern Province, and to the southeast it borders the Southern Province. However, most of the boundaries of the Western Area is the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean. The Western Area is the only region of Sierra Leone without a foreign border.

Cities and towns in the Western Area

• Freetown, the nation's capital and largest city
• Waterloo, second largest city in the Western Area and lies about 18 miles outside the east end of Freetown
• Goderich, a town just about 12 miles outside the West end of Freetown
• Leicester, a town in the extreme west of Sierra Leone lying about 23 miles outside the west end of Freetown
• Hastings, a town just about 10 miles outside the west end of Freetown
• Koya, a small town in the extreme west of Sierra Leone
• Benguema, a remote town in the extreme west of Sierra Leone

Islands included in the Western Area

• Bunce Island, an island about 20 miles outside Freetown
• Banana Islands, islands on the Freetown Peninsula in the extreme west Sierra Leone, including Dublin Island and Ricketts Island.