Port Loko District

Port Loko District is a district in the North West Province of Sierra Leone. It is the most populous district in the North and the second most populous district in Sierra Leone, after Western Area Urban District. As of the 2015 census, Port Loko District has a population of 614,063.^[2] The district capital is the town of Port Loko and its largest city is Lunsar. The other major towns in the district include Masiaka, Rokupr, Pepel, Lungi and Gbinti.

Port Loko District
Flag
Location of Port Loko District in Sierra Leone
Coordinates: 8°45′N 12°40′W
Country	Sierra Leone
Province	North West
Capital	Port Loko
Largest city	Lunsar
Government
• Type	District Council
• District Council Chairman	Ibrahim Santigie Bangura[1] (APC)
Area
• Total	5,719 km2 (2,208 sq mi)
Population  (2015 census)[2]
• Total	614,063
• Rank	4th
• Density	110/km2 (280/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Greenwich Mean Time)
HDI (2017)	0.388[3] low · 9th

The district of Port Loko borders the Western Area to the west, Kambia District to the north, Bombali District to the east and Tonkolili District to the south. The district occupies a total area of 5,719 km² (2,208 sq mi) and comprises eleven chiefdoms. The population of Port Loko District is predominantly Muslim and the Temne people form by far the largest ethnic group in the district.

Religion

Religion in Port Loko District (2015)[4]
Religion			Percent(%)
Islam			92.8%
Christianity			5.9%
Baháʼí			0.0%
Traditional African Religion			0.0%
Other			0.5%
No Religion			0.8%

Administrative divisions

Chiefdoms

Pre-2017 Prior to the 2017 local administrative reorganization, Port Loko District was made up of eleven chiefdoms as the third level of administrative subdivision. Bureh Kaseh – Mange Buya Romende – Foredugu Debia – Gbinti Kaffu Bullom – Mahera Loko Massama – Petifu Maforki – Port Loko Marampa – Lunsar Masimera – Masimera Koya – Songo Sanda Magbolontor – Sendugu T.M. Safroko – Miraykulay

Post-2017 After the 2017 local administrative reorganization, Port Loko District has made up of fourteen chiefdoms as the third level of administrative subdivision. Bakeh Loko[a] – ? Bureh[b] – Mange Kaffu Bullom – Mahera Kamasondo[c] – ? Kaseh[b] – ? Koya – Songo Loko Massama – Petifu Maconteh[b] – ? Maforki – ? Makama[d] – Miraykulay Marampa – Lunsar Masimera – Masimera Tinkatopa[d] – ? Port Loko City[a] – Port Loko Notes Formerly part of Maforki Chiefdom. Formerly part of Bureh Kaseh Chiefdom; split off. Formerly part of Loko Massama Chiefdom. Formerly part of T.M. Safroko Chiefdom; split off.

Major towns

• Lunsar
• Port Loko
• Rokupr
• Masiaka
• Lungi
• Pepel
• Gbinti

Small towns and villages

• Bamundu
• Gbinti
• Kasseh, the birthplace of Bai Bureh
• Konaridie
• Magbeni
• Mahera
• Marampa
• Masiyila
• Semanu
• Sawkta
• Taiama

Notable people from Port Loko District

• Alie Koblo Queen Kabia II, 44th Paramount Chief of Marampa Chiefdom.^[5]
• Bai Bureh, Sierra Leonean ruler who led the Temne uprising against the British in The 1898 Rebellion
• Bai Koblo Pathbana II CBE, 43rd Paramount Chief of Marampa Chiefdom.
• Sorie Ibrahim Koroma, Vice President of Sierra Leone from 1971 to 1985
• Abass Bundu, Sierra Leonean Politician
• Ibrahim Kemoh Sesay, Former Sierra Leone's minister of Transportation and Aviation
• Amadu Wurie, Sierra Leonean Educationist and Politician
• Abou Bai-Sheka, Sierra Leonean Professor