{{Infobox settlement , official_name = Benguema, Sierra Leone , other_name = , native_name = , nickname = , settlement_type = , motto = , image_skyline = , imagesize = , image_caption = , image_flag = , flag_size = , image_seal = , seal_size = , image_shield = , shield_size = , image_blank_emblem = , blank_emblem_type = , blank_emblem_size = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = , mapsize1 = , map_caption1 = , image_dot_map = , dot_mapsize = , dot_map_caption = , dot_x = , dot_y = , pushpin_map = Sierra Leone , pushpin_label_position =bottom , pushpin_map_caption =Location in Sierra Leone , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name =

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...

, subdivision_type1 =

Region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

, subdivision_name1 =

Western Area The Western Area or Freetown Peninsula (formerly the Colony of Sierra Leone) is one of five principal divisions of Sierra Leone. It comprises the oldest city and national capital Freetown and its surrounding towns and countryside. It covers an a ...

, subdivision_type2 =

District A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

, subdivision_name2 =

Western Area Rural District The Western Area Rural District is one of the sixteen districts of Sierra Leone. It is located mostly around the peninsula in the Western Area of Sierra Leone. The Western Area Rural District has a 2015 census population of 442,951. The district ...

, , subdivision_type3 = , subdivision_name3 = , subdivision_type4 = , subdivision_name4 = , government_footnotes = , government_type =

Town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second ti ...

, leader_title = Town Head , leader_name = Ekundayo Cont

, leader_title1 = , leader_name1 = , leader_title2 = , leader_name2 = , leader_title3 = , leader_name3 = , leader_title4 = , leader_name4 = , established_title = , established_date = , established_title2 = , established_date2 = , established_title3 = , established_date3 = , area_magnitude = , unit_pref =Imperial , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = , area_land_km2 = , area_water_km2 = , area_total_sq_mi = , area_land_sq_mi = , area_water_sq_mi = , area_water_percent = , area_urban_km2 = , area_urban_sq_mi = , area_metro_km2 = , area_metro_sq_mi = , area_blank1_title = , area_blank1_km2 = , area_blank1_sq_mi = , population_as_of =2015 , population_footnotes = , population_note = , population_total = 30,268 , population_density_km2 = , population_density_sq_mi = , population_metro = , population_density_metro_km2 = , population_density_metro_sq_mi = , population_urban = , population_density_urban_km2 = , population_density_urban_sq_mi = , population_blank1_title =Ethnicities , population_blank1 = , population_blank2_title =Religions , population_blank2 = , population_density_blank1_km2 = , population_density_blank1_sq_mi = , timezone = GMT , utc_offset = -5 , timezone_DST = , utc_offset_DST = , coordinates = {{coord, 8, 20, N, 13, 04, W, region:SL, display=inline , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = , elevation_ft = , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , area_code = , blank_name = , blank_info = , blank1_name = , blank1_info = , website = , footnotes = Benguema is a

military town {{Unreferenced, date=May 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) A military town is a civilian municipality which is economically dependent upon or receives its greatest economic impetus from a nearby military installation, such as a military base or military ...

in the

Rural District Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the Ad ...

in the

, about 30

miles The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English ...

east of

Freetown 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 p ...

. Benguema is home to the

Benguema Military Academy {{Infobox settlement , official_name = Benguema, Sierra Leone , other_name = , native_name = , nickname = , settlement_type = , motto = , image_skyline = , images ...

, the largest Sierra Leone military

recruit training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...

center. The town is also home to Sierra Leone's largest military Barracks, that houses

soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

and family members of the Sierra Leone military. The population of Bengwema is

ethnically An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

diverse. The city of Benguema has an estimated population of 30,268. Though part of the larger Western Area district council, Benguema is locally governed by a

directly elected Direct election is a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are cho ...

town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second ti ...

, headed by a Town Head. The current Town Head of Benguema is Ekundayo Cont

Sources

http://travelingluck.com/Africa/Sierra%20Leone/Western%20Area/_2410144_Benguema.html Populated places in Sierra Leone Western Area