Sierra Leone is located on the West Coast of Africa between 7 and 10 degrees N, and longitudes 10.5 and 13 degrees W. The Republic of Guinea is to the north and northeast; Liberia is to the east and southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west and south. It has 300 miles of coastline.

From an approximate 70-mile coastal belt of low-lying land, the country rises to a mountain plateau near the eastern frontier rising 4000 to 6000 feet with a rich timber forest region.

The western area, on which the capital and main commercial centre of Freetown stands, is 24 miles long and 10 miles wide.