Limba people (Sierra Leone)

Limba
19th century Limba arrows held by Mamadou Mansaray, town chief of Bafodia, Sierra Leone (West Africa) 1967
Total population
792,190[1]
Regions with significant populations
 Sierra Leone  Guinea
Languages
Limba • English • Krio
Religion
Christianity, Islam and Indigenous beliefs

The Limba people are an ethnic group in Sierra Leone. They represent 12.4% of the total population, making them the third largest ethnic group in Sierra Leone.[1][2] The Limba are based in the north of the country across seven provinces, but are predominantly found in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone.

The Limba are believed to be the earliest indigenous people of Sierra Leone.[3][4] They speak a distinctive language that is unrelated to the other languages in Sierra Leone.[5]

They are primarily found in the Northern Province, particularly in Bombali District, Koinadugu, Kambia District, Karene District and Tonkolili District but a small number are found in Guinea.[6]

During Sierra Leone's colonial era, thousands of Limbas migrated to the capital city of Freetown and its Western Area. As a result, a significant number of Limbas can be found in Freetown and its surrounding Western Area.

During the 16th, 17th, and 18th century, many Limba people were shipped to North America as slaves.

The Limba are mainly rice farmers, traders, and hunters who live in the savannah-woodland region in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. They predominate in 16 of Sierra Leone's 190 rural chiefdoms in Sierra Leone, and their community affairs are dominated by the local paramount chiefs.

Major Limba Towns include: Bafodia, Wara-Wara Yagala Chiefdom, Kabala, Kamakwie, Binkolo, Kamabai, Madina, Fadugu, Kamasasa, Mabonto and Kamasigi.

  1. ^ a b "Sierra Leone 2015 Population and Housing Census National Analytical Report" (PDF). Statistics Sierra Leone. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  2. ^ Nabe, Med (2009-03-08). "The Limba tribe is the third largest tribe in Sierra Leone – Cocorioko". cocorioko.net. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  3. ^ Manson, Katrina; Knight, James; Connolly, Sean (2009). Sierra Leone : the Bradt travel guide (1st ed.). Chalfont St. Peter, Bucks: Bradt Travel Guides. p. 32. ISBN 9781784770631. OCLC 1017822434. The Limba may be the oldest inhabitants of Sierra Leone.
  4. ^ "The People & Culture". Consulate General of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Australia. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  5. ^ Manson, Katrina; Knight, James; Connolly, Sean (2009). Sierra Leone : the Bradt travel guide (1st ed.). Chalfont St. Peter, Bucks: Bradt Travel Guides. p. 32. ISBN 9781784770631. OCLC 1017822434. This is borne out of a lack of myth in Limba folklore explaining how they came to arrive in the land and because of significant linguistic differences between Limba and other tongues.
  6. ^ S.J. Shennan, ed. (2003). Archaeological Approaches to Cultural Identity. Taylor & Francis. p. 126. ISBN 9781134866298.