Bonthe

{{Infobox settlement   |official_name = Bonthe |other_name = |native_name =  |nickname = |settlement_type =  |motto =  |image_skyline = Medina Street, Bonthe, Sierra Leone - panoramio.jpg |imagesize = |image_caption = Medina Street, Bonthe |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 = 25px Sierra Leone |subdivision_type1 = Province |subdivision_name1 = Southern Province |subdivision_type2 = District |subdivision_name2 = Bonthe District |subdivision_type3 = |subdivision_name3 = |subdivision_type4 = |subdivision_name4 =  |government_footnotes = |government_type =City council |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Layemin Joe Sandi (SLPP) |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 =2010 |population_footnotes =<ref name="BonthePop2010">{{cite web|url=http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=351124749|title=World Gazetteer: Bonthe|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105071138/http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=adhoq&msz=1500&geo=351124749|archive-date=2013-01-05}}</ref> |population_note = |population_total =10,206 (estimated) |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|7|31|35|N|12|30|18|W|region:SL|display=inline,title}} |elevation_footnotes =  |elevation_m = |elevation_ft =  |postal_code_type =  |postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = |blank_info = |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = |footnotes = }}

'''Bonthe''' is a coastal town located on Sherbro Island in Bonthe District in the southern Province of Sierra Leone. The town lies on the eastern shore of Sherbro Island, on the Sherbro River estuary. Bonthe is about 60 miles south-west of Bo and 187 miles south-east of Freetown.

Bonthe is by far the smallest of Sierra Leone's six municipalities and is directly governed by a city council, headed by a mayor. The municipality of Bonthe had a population of 9,535 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate of 10,206.<ref name="BonthePop2010" />

The major industry in Bonthe is fishing. In colonial times the town used to be a major trading centre for piassava and other agricultural products.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Manson|first1=Katrina|last2=Knight|first2=James|title=Sierra Leone (Bradt Travel Guide)|publisher=Bradt Travel Guides|location=Bucks, UK|year=2009|page=204}}</ref>

The population of Bonthe is ethnically diverse, though mainly from the Sherbro, and Mende ethnic groups. As with most parts of Sierra Leone, the Krio language of the Sierra Leone Creole people is by far the most widely spoken language in Bonthe and is the primary means of communication in the city.<ref name="krio">{{cite web|url=http://www.language9.com/languages/translation/krio-translation.html |title=Krio Translation Services |publisher=Language9.com |access-date=20 May 2012}}</ref><ref name="https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/181">{{Cite book |last1 = Oyètádé |first1 = B. Akíntúndé |last2 = Fashole-Luke |first2 = Victor|title = Language and National Identity in Africa |place = Oxford |publisher = Oxford University Press |chapter = Sierra Leone: Krio and the Quest for National Integration |pages = 122–140 |chapter-url = https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/181|date = 15 February 2008 |isbn = 978-0-19-928675-1 }}</ref>

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

==Climate== {{Weather box |location = Bonthe, Sierra Leone (1960-1990, WMO Station number: 61866) |single line = yes |metric first = yes |Jan high C = 31.3 |Feb high C = 32.4 |Mar high C = 33.1 |Apr high C = 32.5 |May high C = 31.7 |Jun high C = 30.1 |Jul high C = 28.5 |Aug high C = 28.3 |Sep high C = 29.4 |Oct high C = 30.5 |Nov high C = 31.2 |Dec high C = 31.1 |year high C = |Jan mean C = 26.7 |Feb mean C = 27.2 |Mar mean C = 27.8 |Apr mean C = 28.1 |May mean C = 27.5 |Jun mean C = 26.6 |Jul mean C = 25.4 |Aug mean C = 25.3 |Sep mean C = 25.8 |Oct mean C = 26.6 |Nov mean C = 27.0 |Dec mean C = 26.9 |year mean C = |Jan low C = 22.7 |Feb low C = 22.1 |Mar low C = 23.4 |Apr low C = 23.7 |May low C = 23.6 |Jun low C = 23.3 |Jul low C = 22.8 |Aug low C = 22.9 |Sep low C = 23.0 |Oct low C = 23.1 |Nov low C = 23.4 |Dec low C = 23.1 |year low C = |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 6.2 |Feb rain mm = 10.1 |Mar rain mm = 25.1 |Apr rain mm = 89.1 |May rain mm = 203.6 |Jun rain mm = 574.0 |Jul rain mm = 844.2 |Aug rain mm = 824.5 |Sep rain mm = 557.0 |Oct rain mm = 333.6 |Nov rain mm = 147.9 |Dec rain mm = 49.2 |year rain mm = |Jan rain days = 1 |Feb rain days = 1 |Mar rain days = 3 |Apr rain days = 7 |May rain days = 17 |Jun rain days = 24 |Jul rain days = 26 |Aug rain days = 26 |Sep rain days = 24 |Oct rain days = 22 |Nov rain days = 13 |Dec rain days = 4 |year rain days = |unit rain days = 0.1 mm | humidity colour = | time day = 15 Local time | daily = | Jan humidity =61 | Feb humidity =59 | Mar humidity =59 | Apr humidity =62 | May humidity =70 | Jun humidity =78 | Jul humidity =82 | Aug humidity =83 | Sep humidity =80 | Oct humidity =75 | Nov humidity =72 | Dec humidity =67 | year humidity = | Jan dew point C =22.8 | Feb dew point C =23.0 | Mar dew point C =23.5 | Apr dew point C =23.5 | May dew point C =24.3 | Jun dew point C =24.0 | Jul dew point C =23.5 | Aug dew point C =23.4 | Sep dew point C =23.7 | Oct dew point C =23.9 | Nov dew point C =24.1 | Dec dew point C =23.6 |Jan sun = 186.0 |Feb sun = 176.4 |Mar sun = 182.9 |Apr sun = 162.0 |May sun = 148.8 |Jun sun = 117.0 |Jul sun = 68.2 |Aug sun = 49.6 |Sep sun = 87.0 |Oct sun = 148.8 |Nov sun = 159.0 |Dec sun = 173.6 |year sun = 1659.3 |source 1 = NOAA (mean temperature data: 1960–1990, all other data: 1961–1990)<ref>{{cite web |title=Bonthe Climate Normals |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/normals-old/WMO/1961-1990/RA-I/SL/61866.TXT |publisher=National Centers for Environmental Information |access-date=31 December 2025}}</ref> |source 2 = HKO <ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/africa/w_afr/bonthe_e.htm |title = Climate Statistics for Bonthe, Sierra Leone (1960-1990) |accessdate = March 25, 2012}}</ref> }}

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Populated places in Sierra Leone Category:Bonthe District Category:Sherbro people