Port Loko
Port Loko
Port Loko, Sierra Leone |
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| Coordinates: 8°46′0″N 12°47′15″W / 8.766667°N 12.7875°WCoordinates: 8°46′0″N 12°47′15″W / 8.766667°N 12.7875°W | |
| Country |  Sierra Leone |
| Province | Northern Province |
| District | Port Loko District |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Brima Kargbo (APC) |
| Population (2004) | |
| - Total | 21,961 |
| Time zone | GMT (UTC-5) |
Port Loko is the capital and second largest city of Port Loko District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The city lies about 45 miles (72 km), as the crow flies, north-east of the nation's capital Freetown and had a population of 21,961 in the 2004 census Port Loko lies on Port Loko Creek, which flows into the Sierra Leone River.
The population of Port Loko is mainly from the Temne ethnic group. The Temne language along with the Krio language are widely spoken in the town. Port Loko lies on the main highway linking the country's capital Freetown to the Sierra Leone border with Guinea.
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Government
The city of Port Loko is governed with a city council form of government, which is headed by a mayor, in whom executive authority is vested. The mayor is responsible for the general management of the city and for seeing that all local and national laws are enforced. The mayor is elected directly by the residents of Port Loko.
Ethnicity
The population of Port Loko is ethnically diverse, although the Temne ethnic group predominate, and the Temne language is widely spoken among the people of Port Loko, along with the Krio, the national language of Sierra Leone.
Sport
Port Loko has a football club named the Bai Bureh Warriors. The club currently plays in the Sierra Leone National First Division, the second highest football league in Sierra Leone.
Education
Like the rest of Sierra Leone, Port Loko has an education system with six years of primary school (Class 1–6), and six years of secondary school (Form 1–6); secondary schools are further divided into Junior secondary school (Form 1–3) and Senior secondary school (Form 4–6). Primary schools usually start from ages 6 to 12, and secondary schools usually start from ages 13 to 18. Primary Education is free and compulsory in government-sponsored public schools. The Port Loko Teacher's College, one of the major colleges in Sierra Leone is located in the city.
Notable people from Port Loko
- Bai Bureh, Hero of The 1898 Rebellion
- Sorie Ibrahim Koroma, Vice President of Sierra Leone from 1971–1986
Notes
- ^ http://allafrica.com/stories/200803311757.html
- ^ Source: Republic of Sierra Leone: 2004 Population and Housing Census: Analytical Report on Population Distribution, Migration and Urbanisation in Sierra Leone.
Ibrahim Mohamed Sesay, Andrew A. Karam, Jinnah J. Ngobeh. Published November 2006.