Port Loko
Port Loko, Sierra Leone | |
|---|---|
  Location in Sierra Leone | |
| Coordinates: 8°46′0″N 12°47′15″W / 8.76667°N 12.78750°W | |
| Country |  Sierra Leone |
| Province | North West Province |
| District | Port Loko District |
| Government | |
| • Type | City council |
| • Mayor | Abubakarr Kamara (APC)[1] |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 44,900 |
| Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
Port Loko is the capital of Port Loko District and since 2017 the North West Province of Sierra Leone. The city had a population of 21,961 in the 2004 census[1] and current estimate of 44,900. Port Loko lies approximately 36 miles north-east of Freetown. The area in and around Port Loko is a major bauxite mining and trade centre. The town lies on the main highway linking Freetown to Guinea's capital Conakry. It also lies on the over-land highway between Freetown and its major airport, Lungi International Airport, although most travellers complete this journey via the much shorter ferry or helicopter transit.[2]
The population of Port Loko is diverse, though the Temne is the largest ethnic group. Although the Temne language is spoken alongside, the Krio language of the Sierra Leone Creole people is by far the most widely spoken in the town.[3][4]
Port Loko is home to the Port Loko Teacher's College, one of the oldest and best known colleges in Sierra Leone. Port Loko has its own local radio station called Radio Bankasoka.[5][6]
Port Loko has its own professional football club named the Bai Bureh Warriors of Port Loko, which is one of the oldest and most famous football clubs in Sierra Leone. The club currently plays in the Sierra Leone National First Division, the second highest football league in Sierra Leone.
