Koinadugu District

Last updated
Koinadugu District
All People's Congress political rally Sierra Leone 1968.jpg
The All People's Congress (APC) political rally in Kabala, Koinadugu District.
Koinadugu District in Sierra Leone 2018.svg
Location of Koinadugu District in Sierra Leone
Coordinates: 9°30′N11°30′W / 9.500°N 11.500°W / 9.500; -11.500
Country Sierra Leone
Province Northern Province
Capital Kabala
Largest city Kabala
Government
 • TypeDistrict Council
 • District Council Chairman Alex Sorie Konteh (APC)
Area
 • Total12,121 km2 (4,680 sq mi)
 • Rank1st
Population
 (2015 census) [1]
 • Total404,097
 • Density33/km2 (86/sq mi)
Time zone UTC0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
HDI (2017)0.340 [2]
low · 14th

Koinadugu District is a district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. It is the largest District in Sierra Leone in geographical area, and one of the least densely populated. Its capital and largest city is Kabala, which is also one of the main cities in Northern Sierra Leone. The District of Koinadugu has a population of 404,097, based on the 2015 Sierra Leone national census; [1] and has a total area of 12,121 km2 (4,680 sq mi). Koinadugu District is subdivided into eleven chiefdoms.

Contents

The District of Koinadugu borders Bombali on the west, Tonkolili District to the south-west, Kono District to the south, Falaba District to the east, and the Republic of Guinea to north east. Diamond mining is a major economic activity in the district, as well as agricultural production of rice, mango, cacao, and coconut.

The population of Koinadugu district is almost entirely made up of five main ethnic groups: the Kuranko, Mandingo, Fula, Limba, and Yalunka. These five ethnic groups are politically and culturally influential in Koinadugu District. Koinadugu District is overwhelmingly Muslim majority at over 90% and Islam dominates the religious and cultural practices in the district. There is also a small but significant minority Christian population in the district, and is mainly among the Limba people in the district.

Government

The District of Koinadugu is governed with a district council form of government, which is headed by a District Council Chairman, who is responsible for the general management of the district and for seeing that all local laws are enforced. The District Council Chairman is elected directly by the residents of Koinadugu District. The Council Hall of Koinadugu District located in the district capital of Kabala. The current chairman of Koinadugu district council is Sheku Samuel Kamara of the All People's Congress (APC). [3]

Demography

Koinadugu District is by far the largest district in Sierra Leone and with an estimated population of 265,765. The major ethnic groups in the district are the Fula (who predominate in the district's largest city of Kabala), Kuranko (who predominate in the chiefdoms), Mandingo and Limba and Yalunka (predominant in Musaia and Falaba areas bordering the republic of Guinea (Conakry)).

Religion

Religion in Koinadugu District (2015) [4]
ReligionPercent(%)
Islam
 
86.6%
Christianity
 
12.7%
Bahai
 
0.0%
Traditional African Religion
 
0.0%
Other
 
0.4%
No Religion
 
0.2%

Members of Parliament

Koinadugu District currently has 7 Representatives in the Parliament of Sierra Leone, of which one member wasn't elected to a 5-year term.

Economy

Gold mining is a major economic activity in the district, as well as agricultural productivity such as rice, mango, beans, cattle rearing, to name but few.

Administrative divisions

Chiefdoms

Pre-2017

Prior to the 2017 local administrative reorganization, Koinadugu District was made up of eleven chiefdoms as the third level of administrative subdivision.

  1. Dembelia Sikunia – Sikunia
  2. Diang – Kondembaia
  3. Folasaba – Musaia
  4. Kasunko – Fadugu
  5. Mongo – Bendugu
  6. Neya – Krubola
  7. Nieni – Yiffin
  8. Sengbe – Yogomaia
  9. Sulima – Falaba
  10. Wara-Wara Bafodea – Bafodea
  11. Wara-Wara Yagala – Gbawuria

Post-2017

After the 2017 local administrative reorganization, Koinadugu District has made up of ten chiefdoms as the third level of administrative subdivision; with the newest units in Kalian and Wollay Barawa (which would move to Falaba District), Kamadu Yirala (which would also move to Falaba District) and Kamukeh Chiefdoms being de-amalgamated from Nieni, Sengbe and Wara-Wara Bafodea Chiefdoms, the splits of Kasunko Chiefdom into Kasunko KaKellian, Gbonkobon Kayaka and Tamiso Chiefdoms, and the losses of Dembelia Sikunia, Folasaba, Mongo, Neya and Sulima Chiefdoms to the newly-created Falaba District.

  1. Diang – Kondembaia
  2. Gbonkobon Kayaka – ?
  3. Kalian – ?
  4. Kamukeh – ?
  5. Kasunko KaKellian – ?
  6. Nieni – Yiffin
  7. Sengbe – Yogomaia
  8. Tamiso – Fadugu
  9. Wara-Wara Bafodea – Bafodea
  10. Wara-Wara Yagala – Gbawuria

Villages

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Kuranko, also called Koranko, Kolanko, Kooranko, Koronko, Kouranko, Kulanko, Kurako, Kuronko, Kuranké, or Karanko, are a Mande people living that occupy a large section in a mountainous region within northeastern Sierra Leone and southern Guinea. Within this geographical region, different dialects, as well as distinct social groupings can be found. In general, the Koranko are a peaceful people who have maintained a separate ethnic identity, despite years of tribal mixings. Each Kuranko village is led by a chief and a group of elders.

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Madogbo is a mountainous Yalunka village in Folosaba Dembelia chiefdom in Koinadugu District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The village lies about thirteen miles to Kabala, the main town in Koinadugu District. Madogbo is inhabited by the Yalunka people. The major industry in the village is farming.

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Folasaba Chiefdom is a chiefdom in Koinadugu District of Sierra Leone. Its capital is Musaia.

References

  1. 1 2 Regina Pratt (1 April 2016). "'Sierra Leone Population Is Now Over Seven Million'". allAfrica. Freetown. Concord Times. Retrieved 2 May 2023. (subscription required)
  2. ↑ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  3. ↑ "Sigodi Marah Martin (Pty) Ready to Provide Pure Water for Kabala in Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone News". Archived from the original on 2008-12-05. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
  4. ↑ "Population structure. Report 1" (PDF). sierraleone.unfpa.org.
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