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Durham E-Theses A geographical study of the pattern, processes and consequences of urban growth in Sierra Leone in the twentieth century Harvey, Milton How to cite: Harvey, Milton (1966) A geographical study of the pattern, processes and consequences of urban growth in Sierra Leone in the twentieth century, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/7985/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 ABSTRACT A QeographlGal Study of the Pattern, Processes and Consequences of UrTaan Growth in Sierra Leone in the Twentieth Century Thesis suhmitted to the University of Durham for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 1966 Milton E.E. Harvey, B.A. Urbanization in Sierra Leone is recent. It is a consequence of the colonial era which "brought the slave trade, the production of cash crops geared towards the temperate market, the construction of the railway, modern administration and mining. These have resulted both in changing the traditional settlement pattern of nucleated villages with dispersed hamlets, and in producing ethnic heterogeneity in towns. Nev/ settlements, which developed at characteristic places (such as heads of navigation, at con• fluences, at "break of slopes), were founded either "by warriors (Kailahun, and Bo), or hmters (Ka"bala, Matru), or social non• conformists (Mag"buraka, Yoni"bana). The resultant ur'ban pattern has "been characterized "by muta'bilityj the decay of towns, for example, at heads of navigation was compensated by the growth of centres like Bo, Mano, and Segbwema along the rail. Mining, notably diamond if' , mining, led to the mepeurial growth of existing towns and the development of small mining settlements without any central place functions. As towns grew, because of rural-urhan migration, there gradually emerged ecological patterns within them. Commerce concentrated in particular sections, recreation in others, and certain functions like education, medicine, and administration occupied relatively quieter peripheral locations where future expansion is feasible. Industries are generally absent from townscapes, and urban house typ)es range from the most modern reinforced concrete buildings to the circular mud hut, although the latter is gradualljr disappearing. The bulk of the urban population is still engaged in primary activities. Urbanization in Sierra Leone has resulted in many problems, including the absence, in most towns, of social amenities like water supply, electricity and restaiirants as well as inadequate housing facilities for the urbanites, and the increase in social vices, crimes and delinquency. A Geographical Study of the Pattern, Processes and Gonseq.uences of URBAN GROWTH IN SIERRA LEONE ill the twentieth century Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Durham Milton E. B. Harvey, B.A. Volume 1: Text The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. May 19 66 No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. TABLE OP COHTEIJTS Page List of Tables iv List of Illustrations See Volume II Preface viii Introduction x Section A; Urbanization and Its Gonseg.uences 1 1. Urban Functions 2 2. The Growth and Distribution of Towns 3. Urban Population 80 Section B; Town Sites and Interna.1 Patterns 115 4. Elements of Fixation 117 5. Urban Forms li^.0 6. The Influence of Geographical Factors on Town Plans 153 7. The Effects of Urban Expansion on Its Site 166 8. Urban Land Use 171 9. Urban House Types 207 Section C; Case Studies 2k3 10. Yonibana - A Declining Town 2m 11. Kabala - The Northern Frontier Town 265 12. Bonthe - A Moribund Town 291 13. Koidu - A Mining Town 319 Ik* Makeni - A Growing Town in Temneland 3^7 TABLE Ojg.,^ CONTENTS Section D; Problems and Puture^^Trends 376 15. Urban Problems 377 16. Future Trends kOO Volume II kl3 List of Maps and Illustrations klk Maps and Illustrations 1+18 Appendices: (a) Population of Sierra Leone Towns, 1927 and 1963 493 (b) Urban Sex Ratios, I963 i4-97 (c) Age St-fucture of Larger Urban Centres, I963 501 (d) Occupational Structure of Localities with over 2,000 inliabltants, I963 507 Selected Bibliography 5IO IV LIST OF TABLES^ Table Distribution of Functions k Population Threshold for Various Functions ' 6 1. 3 Averages and Standard Deviations for Selected Activity Groups 11 1. l-i- Relative Importance of Commerce and Agriculture, Pishing and Forestry 12 1. 5 Relative Importance of Mining and Commerce 16 1. 6 Relative Importance of Manufacturing and Commerce 18 1. 7 Functional Characteristics of Centres (vdth over 2,000 people) 29 1. 8 Unadjusted Index of Local Specialization for Localities (2,000+) 33-34 1, 9 'Surplus' Population in Commerce for Selected Localities 36 1.10 Degree of Basicness of Occupational Groups for Localities (2,000+) 38 1.11 Functional Classification of Centres about 2,000 Population 40-41 2. 1 Actual and Hypothetical Mean Distance Between Towns, 1927 & 1963 57 2. 2 Distance Between Towns (above 2,506) and their Nearest Neigh• bours, 1927 62 2. 3 Mean Distance Between Towns, 1927 63 2. 4 Distance Between Tov/ns (above 6,000) and their Nearest Neigh• bours, 1963 68 LIST OF TABLES Table ?3m 2. 5 Size Categories of Urban Centres, 1927 & 1963 71 2. 6 Primacy of Freetown, 1927 & 1963 72 2. 7 Application of the Rank-Size Rule to Largest Towns (above 2,500) in Sierra Leone, 1927 Ik 2. 8 Application of the Rank-Size Rule to Largest Towns (above 6,000) in Sierra Leone, 1963 75 3. 1 Ethnic Compositions-Cf Some Towns, 1933 86 3. 2 New Registrants in Freetown by Tribe, 1953 89 3. 3 Ethnic Composition of Freetown,1963 90 3. k Registered Unemployment in Freetown, 1957-61 90 3. 5 New Registrants by Previous Occupation, 1953 9^+ 3. 6 Towns with Extreme Excess of Males, 1963 101 3. 7 Tovms with Extreme Excess of Females, 1963 103 3. 8 Age and Sex Indices for Selected Towns in Sierra Leone 108 3. 9 Towns with Relatively Low Child- T^oman Ratio, 1963 110 3.10 Towns with Very High Child-Woman Ratio, 1963 111 ko 1 Types of Tov/ns at Heads of Navigation 123 VI LIOT_0F__TA3LES Table Page 9.1 Value of Furniture Imported 222 10.1 Goods Handled at the Station, Yonibana (194^.-62) 250 11.1 Age Structure, Kabala (1963) 285 11.2 Employment Status by Major Industry Group, Kabala (1963) 287 12.1 Palm Kernel Export, Bonthe 299 12.2 Number of Ships Loaded at Bonthe 299 12.3 Population Growth, Bonthe 311 12.4 Age Structure, Bonthe (1963) 312 12.5 Occupational Structure, Bonthe (I963) 314 13.1 Age Structure, Koldu (1963) 342 13.2 Occupational Struct-uj?e, Koldu (1963) 342 14.1 Goods Handled at the Station, Makenl (1944-62) 356 14.2 Number of Tax-Payers, Makeni (1958-62) 357 14.3 Category of Beds in Hospitals - Makeni and Magburaka 368 14.4 Age Structure, Makeni (1963) 370 14.5 Occupational Structure, Makeni (1963) 371 15.1 Sample Survey of Housing and Population in Freetown Area, I96O 381 15.2 Distribution of Rest Houses in Towns, 1963 383 15.3 Centres with Existing Pipe-Borne Water Supply, 1964 386 15.4 Towns Scheduled for Pipe Borne Water Supply (I962-72) 388 Vll LIST OF TABLES Table 15.5 Generating Capacities and Average Peak Loads for Stations (April, 1963 to March, 1961!-) 390 15.6 Distribution of Petrol Stations in Toms, I96J4. 393 15.7 Juvenile Offenders - Under 21 years (1953-63) 39k 15.8 Persons Committed and Convicted in Sierra Leone (1950-63) 395 16.1 Compound Annual Rates of Growth for Selected Towns (1927-1973) - in Per Cent k08 viii Successful research is based on the collection of material and its satisfactory presentation. For the collection of data on which this thesis is based, my appreciation goes to my Sponsors, the Sierra Leone Develop• ment Company, who for two years financed my stay in Sierra Leone. For its presentation, I am very much indebted to my Su.pervisor, Dr. John I. Clarke, formerly Professor of Geography at Fourah Bay College, the University College of Sierra Leone, but no¥/ Reader in Geography, Durham University, He not only directed and stimulated my thoughts, but helped. considerably in changing my undergraduate essay-writing style to something more compact, less repetitive and more logical. In Sierra Leone, my thanks go to the innumerable people all over the country, who helped me vlth relevant information, and to the Lecturers and Research Students of the Geography Department, Fourah Bay College, for valuable discussions and criticisms. I am especially grateful to Professor Dewdney and Dr. P.Ko Mitchell, Professor and Senior Lecturer in Geography respectively, for reading sections of this thesis. In fact, the latter kindly allowed me to reproduce one of his maps (Fig. 3.1). In addition, the author would like to thank Mr. S.J.A.