Journal Five: Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone - Trent Swisher

Freetown is the capital of Sierra Leone and was founded in 1787 by Great Britain as a settlement for freed slaves that sided with the British during the American Revolutionary War. A dispute occurred which caused the King's successor to burn the settlement down.  Over 1,000 slaves landed on Sierra Leone and rediscovered Freetown in 1792. Until 1885, Freetown continued to be served as a destination for freed American slaves. Freetown would later on be used as a naval base during wars.

Since the end of the civil war in 2002, Freetown has experienced increased robberies, murders, assaults, carjackings, and other crimes but this is mainly on the east side of the town. The most common crime is pick pocketing of cell phones and purses.

Sierra Leone is a constitutional democracy where a president is elected for a five year term, is eligible for a second term, and is both the chief of state and head of government ministers. Sierra Leone is composed of three provinces known as the Northern, Southern, and Eastern province, and one other region known as the Western Area. Freetown is the capital of the Western Area.

This is Queen Elizabeth II Quay, the third largest natural harbor in the world located in Freetown.

Sierra Leone is a very poor nation with extreme inequality in income distribution. However, Freetown is the economic, financial, transport, cultural, and education center of Sierra Leone. The city economy revolves around the fine natural harbor of the city. This is the third largest natural harbor in the world with a deep water dock. This harbor is a major shipping port for Sierra Leone and is served by the Lungi International Airport. Passengers can use a hovercraft, ferry, or helicopter to cross the river to Freetown. The industries mainly process raw materials and some of the exports are palm oil and kernels. The country's national television and radio stations are primarily based in Freetown.

There's quite a few places of interest in Freetown but the most popular one is The Cotton Tree. This tree is a huge tree in the center of a roundabout and has been around since at least 1787 when the first settlers arrived. The tree was planted by the resettled American slaves when they found Freetown. People of Freetown and all over Sierra Leone come to this tree and pray for their ancestors and also for a better tomorrow. The Cotton Tree is a famous and popular landmark in this town because it represents their freedom and the struggles they overcame.

Freetown has an estimated population of roughly 1,000,000, which is 16.1% of Sierra Leone's total population. Freetown and Sierra Leone as a whole have overcame major struggles and the people of Freetown realize that. They take pride in their work and their path to ensure effective action takes place to fix the problems from the past and future problems facing the nation.

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Freetown