Bonthe is a town located on Sherbro Island

Sherbro Island

Sherbro Island, is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, located in Bonthe District off the Southern Province of Sierra Leone. The Sherbro make up by far the largest ethnic group in the island....

 in Bonthe District

Bonthe District

Bonthe District comprises several islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the southwestern coast of Sierra Leone and a mainland area. Its capital is the town of Mattru Jong and the largest town in the district is Bonthe, on Sherbro Island and the town of Masabendu....

 of the southern Province

Southern Province, Sierra Leone

The Southern Province is one of three provinces of Sierra Leone. It covers an area of 19,694 km² and has a population of 1,377,067 . It consists of four districts . Its capital and administrative center is Bo, which is also the second largest and second most populated city in Sierra Leone...

 of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...

. The town had a population of 9,535 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate of 10,206. In colonial times it used to be a major trading centre for piassava

Piassava

Piassava, which is also called Piaçaba and Piasaba or Pissaba, or Piassaba, is a fibrous product of two Brazilian palms: Attalea funifera and Leopoldinia piassaba. It is often used in making brooms, and for other purposes....

 and other agricultural products

Product (business)

In general, the product is defined as a "thing produced by labor or effort" or the "result of an act or a process", and stems from the verb produce, from the Latin prōdūce ' lead or bring forth'. Since 1575, the word "product" has referred to anything produced...

. The town lies on the eastern shore of Sherbro Island

Sherbro Island

Sherbro Island, is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, located in Bonthe District off the Southern Province of Sierra Leone. The Sherbro make up by far the largest ethnic group in the island....

, on the Sherbro River estuary, and was once larger than Freetown, but lack of roads to the mainland meant that the population has declined. Bonthe is about 60 miles south-west of Bo

Bo, Sierra Leone

Bo is the second largest city in Sierra Leone and the largest city in the Southern Province. It lies about 164 miles south-east of Freetown and had a population 149,957 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate is 231,494 . The city serve as the capital and administrative center of Bo District...

 and 187 miles south-east of Freetown

Freetown

Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...

. The inhabitants of the town belong mainly to the Sherbro

Sherbro people

The Sherbro people are a native people of Sierra Leone, who speak the Sherbro language; they make up 3% of Sierra Leone's population or about 201,000. They are also known as the Bullom people...

 ethnic group.

Media

The local radio station

Radio station

Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...

in Bonthe is Radio Bontico 96.4. The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Services (SLBS) TV, is on the air in the city.