Benguema is a
military town Military town or military city may refer to:
* Amsar, a type of Arabic military town established during the Arabic expansion
* Canaba, a type of town that emerged as a civilian settlement around a ''castrum'' in Ancient Rome
*Cantonment
*Cantonment ...
in the
Rural District
A rural district was a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. I ...
in the
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 ...
of
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...
, about 30
miles east of
Freetown
Freetown () is the Capital city, 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, e ...
.
Benguema is home to the
Benguema Military Academy, 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 Resocialization, resocializes its subjects for ...
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, a warrant officer, or an officer.
Etymology
The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word ...
and family members of the Sierra Leone military. The population of Bengwema is
ethnically 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 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
In 2002, 49 urban district councils and 26 town commissi ...
, headed by a Town Head. The current Town Head of Benguema is Ekundayo Cont
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006082634/http://www.nec-sierraleone.org/index_files/2013_P_Release/Village%20Head%20Elections%20Statement_%20Final%20_%201JULY2013.pdf , date=2013-10-06 .
Sources
http://travelingluck.com/Africa/Sierra%20Leone/Western%20Area/_2410144_Benguema.html
Populated places in Sierra Leone
Western Area