Sierra Leone is situated on the west coast of Africa. It is bordered with Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west.
The country consists of three main geographical regions. The Sierra Leone Peninsula in the extreme west which is most mountainous, rising to about 2,900ft. This area was called Sierra Leone (the Lion Mountains) by the Portuguese explorer Pedro de Cintra in 1462. The western part of the country, excluding the Peninsula, consists of coastal mangrove swamps and a coastal plain that extends inland from 60 to 100 miles. Many rivers in this area are navigable for short distances. In the east and northeast is a plateau region ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 ft, with peaks of over 6,000 ft (Loma Mansa - Bintimani 6,390 ft) in the Loma Mountains and Tingi Hills