From an approximate 70-mile costal belt of low-lying land, the country rises to a mountain plateau near the Eastern Frontier rising 4000 to 6000 feet with a rich timber forest region. The Western area encompasses the SL peninsula on which the capital and main commercial centre of Freetown stands; is 24 miles long and 10miles wide.
A mountainous promontory, it rises in places up to 300 feet above sea level – one of the few places in West Africa where the high land is so close to the sea. The lush green forest spills down the hillsides to meet the most beautiful white sandy beaches along the Atlantic Ocean.
This 29,925 square mile (73,326 sq km) country has a population of approximately 4.5 million people. Sierra Leone is divided into four main provinces, West, North, East and South. There are twelve districts in the entire country.
There are two distinct seasons in Sierra Leone. November to April is the dry season and the best holiday weather. May to October is the wet (rainy) season. There is also the harmattan period of during the months of December to February when very dry winds arrive from the Sahara along with a haze of dust. The ideal time for photos is just after the rainy season as this offers the best chance for blue skies, clear ocean and vibrant colours of the vegetation.
