The Mende are one of the two largest ethnic groups in Sierra Leone; their neighbours, the Temne people, constitute the largest ethnic group at 35.5% of the total population, which is slightly larger than the Mende at 31.2%. The Mende are predominantly found in the Southern Province and the Eastern Province. The Mende are mostly farmers and hunters. Some of the major cities with significant Mende populations include Bo, Kenema, Kailahun, and Moyamba.
Mende musicians in 1936
Boys returning from their initiation in the Poro, 1936. Photo by Sjoerd Hofstra
Mende women with a masked Sande society leader.
A Mende woman in the village of Njama quee in Moyamba District.
Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is home to about sixteen ethnic groups, each with its own language. In Sierra Leone, membership of an ethnic group often overlaps with a shared religious identity.
A Loko stonemason and carpenter, 2011.