Freetown, capital, largest city, and principal port of Sierra Leone, on a peninsula on the southern bank of the estuary of the Sierra Leone River. The city lies on sloping ground at the foot of a range of hills and faces one of the best natural harbors on the western coast of Africa. It has exports that include palm products, cacao, coffee, and ginger. Manufacturing is limited to such activities as diamond cutting and the processing of food and tobacco. Fine beaches are located near the city, and tourist facilities are being developed; an international airport is located to the north. Points of interest include the Sierra Leone National Museum, a botanical garden, and the Anglican Saint George's Cathedral (1828). Fourah Bay College (1827) was made a part of the University of Sierra Leone in 1967. Freetown was founded in 1787 by British abolitionists as a home for liberated slaves. Eliminated by disease, the community was reestablished in 1792. The peninsula was declared a British colony in 1808. Freetown became the capital of the independent state of Sierra Leone in 1961. Population (1994 estimate) 470,000.
