Bonthe

Bonthe
Bonthe is located in Sierra Leone
Bonthe
Bonthe
Location in Sierra Leone
Coordinates: 7°31′35″N 12°30′18″W / 7.52639°N 12.50500°W / 7.52639; -12.50500
Country Sierra Leone
ProvinceSouthern Province
DistrictBonthe District
Government
 • TypeCity council
 • MayorLayemin Joe Sandi (SLPP)
Population
 (2010)[1]
 • Total
10,206 (estimated)
Time zoneUTC-5 (GMT)

Bonthe is a coastal town located on Sherbro Island in Bonthe District in the southern Province of Sierra Leone. The town lies on the eastern shore of Sherbro Island, on the Sherbro River estuary. Bonthe is about 60 miles south-west of Bo and 187 miles south-east of Freetown.

Bonthe is by far the smallest of Sierra Leone's six municipalities and is directly governed by a city council, headed by a mayor. The municipality of Bonthe had a population of 9,535 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate of 10,206.[1]

The major industry in Bonthe is fishing. In colonial times the town used to be a major trading centre for piassava and other agricultural products.[2]

The population of Bonthe is ethnically diverse, though mainly from the Sherbro, and Mende ethnic groups. As with most parts of Sierra Leone, the Krio language of the Sierra Leone Creole people is by far the most widely spoken language in Bonthe and is the primary means of communication in the city.[3][4]

Media

The local radio station in Bonthe is Radio Bontico 96.4. The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Services (SLBS) TV, is on the air in the city.

Climate

Climate data for Bonthe, Sierra Leone (1960-1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 31.3
(88.3) 		32.4
(90.3) 		33.1
(91.6) 		32.5
(90.5) 		31.7
(89.1) 		30.1
(86.2) 		28.5
(83.3) 		28.3
(82.9) 		29.4
(84.9) 		30.5
(86.9) 		31.2
(88.2) 		31.1
(88.0) 		30.8
(87.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 26.7
(80.1) 		27.2
(81.0) 		27.8
(82.0) 		28.1
(82.6) 		27.5
(81.5) 		26.6
(79.9) 		25.4
(77.7) 		25.3
(77.5) 		25.8
(78.4) 		26.6
(79.9) 		27.0
(80.6) 		26.9
(80.4) 		26.7
(80.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 22.7
(72.9) 		22.1
(71.8) 		23.4
(74.1) 		23.7
(74.7) 		23.6
(74.5) 		23.3
(73.9) 		22.8
(73.0) 		22.9
(73.2) 		23.0
(73.4) 		23.1
(73.6) 		23.4
(74.1) 		23.1
(73.6) 		23.1
(73.6)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 6.2
(0.24) 		10.1
(0.40) 		25.1
(0.99) 		89.1
(3.51) 		203.6
(8.02) 		574.0
(22.60) 		844.2
(33.24) 		824.5
(32.46) 		557.0
(21.93) 		333.6
(13.13) 		147.9
(5.82) 		49.2
(1.94) 		3,664.5
(144.28)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) 1 1 3 7 17 24 26 26 24 22 13 4 168
Mean monthly sunshine hours 186.0 176.4 182.9 162.0 148.8 117.0 68.2 49.6 87.0 148.8 159.0 173.6 1,659.3
Source: HKO (mean temperature data: 1960–1990, all other data: 1961–1990) [5]

References

  1. ^ a b "World Gazetteer: Bonthe". Archived from the original on 2013-01-05.
  2. ^ Manson, Katrina; Knight, James (2009). Sierra Leone (Bradt Travel Guide). Bucks, UK: Bradt Travel Guides. p. 204.
  3. ^ "Krio Translation Services". Language9.com. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  4. ^ Oyètádé, B. Akíntúndé; Fashole-Luke, Victor (15 February 2008). "Sierra Leone: Krio and the Quest for National Integration". Language and National Identity in Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 122–140. ISBN 978-0-19-928675-1.
  5. ^ "Climate Statistics for Bonthe, Sierra Leone (1960-1990)". Retrieved March 25, 2012.