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Photo: Central Intelligence Agency, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.How well do you know the vibrant West African nation of Sierra Leone? Test your knowledge on its lush geography, rich history, unique culture, and historic landmarks.
Friendly Visitor 0–4 · Curious Explorer 5–8 · True Insider 9–10
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Krio is an English-based creole language spoken by nearly the entire population of Sierra Leone as a first or second language. It unites the country's diverse ethnic groups. While Mende and Temne are major indigenous languages, Krio remains the undisputed national bridge for daily communication.
Photo: Kick Ebola, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
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Cassava leaf stew (locally known as plassas) is a culinary staple in Sierra Leone, often prepared with fish, meat, palm oil, and groundnut paste. It is traditionally served over a mountain of steamed rice. Moringa is valued for health benefits but is not the base of this classic daily stew.
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Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary plays a vital role in protecting Sierra Leone's national animal, the western chimpanzee. Located in the rainforest of the Western Area Peninsula National Park, it educates visitors and rehabilitates rescued apes. Outamba-Kilimi is a national park in the north, not a dedicated sanctuary.
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Sengbe Pieh, also known as Joseph Cinque, was a Mende man captured into slavery who led a successful uprising on the ship La Amistad. The subsequent legal case went all the way to the US Supreme Court, which ruled the captives were free men. His portrait has proudly graced Sierra Leonean banknotes.
Photo: Nathaniel Jocelyn, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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Mount Bintumani rises to 1,945 meters, making it the tallest peak in Sierra Leone. Mount Aureol is a well-known hill overlooking Freetown, famous for hosting the historic Fourah Bay College campus rather than being a wilderness peak.
Photo: Rokaso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Founded in 1827, Fourah Bay College is the oldest university in West Africa. For generations, it was the only European-style university in the region, attracting students from across the continent and earning Freetown its intellectual nickname. Albert Academy is another prestigious but younger secondary school.
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The Banana Islands, consisting of Dublin, Ricketts, and Mes-Meheux, offer stunning beaches and rich history. They served as a transit point during the slave trade and later as a settlement for freed slaves. The Turtle Islands, while also in Sierra Leone, are a remote archipelago farther south in the Sherbro region.
Photo: Christian Trede, Wikimedia Commons, Attribution.
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Tiwai Island, on the Moa River, is a wildlife sanctuary with an amazing variety of primates, including the rare Diana monkey and chimpanzees. It is also home to the shy pygmy hippopotamus. Sherbro Island, by contrast, is a much larger island on the coast, home mainly to the Sherbro people.
Photo: Stephanie Zito, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 1.0.
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The Nova Scotians were black Loyalists, formerly enslaved African Americans who fought for the British during the American Revolutionary War. After briefly settling in cold Nova Scotia, they sailed to Sierra Leone in 1792 to build a new life, establishing the settlement of Freetown and shaping Krio culture.
Photo: Thomas Masterman Winterbottom, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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The Cotton Tree was the best-known symbol of Freetown. Former slaves who settled the colony gathered around this massive tree in 1792 to pray and sing hymns upon their arrival. Sadly, a heavy rainstorm brought the giant down in May 2023, but its legacy remains a cornerstone of Sierra Leonean identity.
Photo: Smoking Tyre, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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