Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone’s major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational, and political center. It is the seat of the Government of Sierra Leone. The population of Freetown was 1,055,964 at the 2015 census.

The city’s economy revolves largely around its harbor, which occupies a part of the estuary of the Sierra Leone River in one of the world’s largest natural deep water harbors.

Makeni is the largest city in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The city is the capital of Bombali District and is the economic center of the Northern Province. Makeni is the fifth largest city in Sierra Leone by population. The city of Makeni had a population of 80,840 in the 2004 census and a 2013 estimate of 112,428. Makeni lies approximately 110 miles east of Freetown. Makeni is home to the University of Makeni, the largest private university in Sierra Leone.

Bo, also commonly referred to as Bo Town, is the second largest city in Sierra Leone by landscape/geographical location (after Freetown) and the largest city in the Southern Province. Bo is the capital and administrative center of the Bo District. 

The city of Bo had a population of 149,957 in the 2004 census and had a population of about 233,684 based on the 2017 estimate. Bo is an urban center and lies approximately 160 miles (250 km) east-southeast of Freetown, and about 40 miles (71 km) to Kenema. Bo is the leading financial, educational, and economic center of southern Sierra Leone.

Koidu Town is the capital and largest city of the diamond-rich Kono District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. The population of Koidu Town is 124,662 based on the 2015 Sierra Leone national census. 

Koidu Town is the fifth largest city in Sierra Leone by population, after Freetown, Kenema, Bo, and Makeni. Koidu Town is a major urban, business, commercial, and diamond trade center. Koidu Town lies approximately 280 miles east of Freetown, and about 60 miles north of Kenema.

Kenema is the third largest city in Sierra Leone (after Freetown and Bo), and the largest city in the country’s Eastern Province. It is the capital of Kenema District and a major economic center of the Eastern Province. At the 2015 national census, Kenema had a population of 200,354. Kenema is located approximately 200 miles from Freetown, and 60 kilometers (40 mi) south of Bo.

Kenema is one of Sierra Leone’s most ethnically diverse cities. Like most parts of Sierra Leone, the Krio language is by far the most widely spoken language in Kenema.