65-500: Cline Town is an area in Freetown, Sierra Leone . The area is named for Emmanuel Kline, a Hausa Liberated African who bought substantial property in the area. The neighborhood is in the vicinity of Granville Town, a settlement established in 1787 and re-established in 1789 prior to the founding of the Freetown settlement on 11 March 1792. Granville Town, as Cline Town was known at the time,
130-489: A British identity. Some were formerly West Indian enslaved Africans . Some British wives also were part of the settlement. Granville Town (named for its benefactor and patron Granville Sharp ) was established as the first town of the Province of Freedom before it was destroyed in 1789. The town was rebuilt in 1791 with the assistance of Alexander Falconbridge , a former surgeon on a slave ship. This settlement differed from
195-584: A class of free people of color , especially in the French islands, where certain individuals of mixed race were given rights. On Saint-Domingue , free people of color and slaves rebelled against harsh conditions, and constant inter-imperial warfare. Inspired by French revolutionary sentiments which pronounced all men free and equal, Toussaint L'Ouverture and Jean Jacques Dessalines led the Haitian Revolution . When it became independent in 1804, Haiti became
260-513: A highly sophisticated masquerade, consisting of a costume built, in a fashionable sense, of various materials available: leather, sequins, sea shells, traditional cloths, etc. The masquerade, known as "Paddle", strategically takes to the streets of the eastern and central parts of the city, followed by members of the Eastern Paddle Hunting Society, traditional musical bands and a crowd of supporters. For years this event coincided with
325-641: A huge mudslide which drowned over 300 people in Regent town. Deforestation has been blamed for the landslide. On 5 November 2021, a fuel tank truck collided with another truck in Freetown, resulting in an explosion killing at least 99 and injuring around 100. Freetown borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Western Area Rural District . Freetown municipality is politically divided into three regions: East End, Central and West End of Freetown. The wards in
390-466: A leading role in the city, although they are a minority of the overall Sierra Leone population. In the 1890s, ethnic tension flared between Lebanese residents and traders and the various native ethnicities of Sierra Leone, which led to Lebanese shops being destroyed in cities including Freetown. During World War I Freetown became a base for operations of British forces in the Atlantic. Warships came into
455-424: Is Freetown's primary language of communication and is by far the most widely spoken language in the city. The city of Freetown was founded on March 11, 1792, by 1,196 African Americans under the guidance of abolitionist Lieutenant John Clarkson on March 11, 1792, and the city became a settlement for free and freed African American , Afro-Caribbean and Liberated African slaves. Their descendants are known as
520-522: Is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and political centre, as it is the seat of the Government of Sierra Leone . The population of Freetown was 1,347,559 as of the 2024 census. The city's economy revolves largely around its harbour , which occupies a part of the estuary of the Sierra Leone River in one of the world's largest natural deep water harbours. Although
585-616: Is considered a swing city, as it has a large support base of both the All People's Congress and the Sierra Leone People's Party . However, the APC has won majority percent of the votes in Freetown in the 2007, 2012 and 2018 Sierra Leone Presidential election, including The APC winning more than 65% of the votes in Freetown in both The 2012 and 2018 Sierra Leone Presidential elections. The APC presidential candidate Ernest Bai Koroma received 69% of
650-726: Is declared a free man", and it was this gate through which liberated Africans passed. Down by the Naval Wharf are slave steps carved out of stone. Before Freetown was established, this was where the Portuguese slave traders transported Africans as slaves to ships. Freetown is home to Fourah Bay College , the oldest university in West Africa, founded in 1827. The university played a key role in Sierra Leone's colonial history. The college's first student, Samuel Ajayi Crowther , went on to be named as
715-470: Is one of Sierra Leone's six municipalities and is governed by a directly elected city council , headed by a mayor, in whom executive authority is vested. The current mayor is Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr . The mayor is responsible for the general management of the city. The mayor and members of the Freetown City Council are elected directly by the residents of Freetown every four years. The government of
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#1732849079836780-525: Is similar to swing states in American politics . As the city is so ethnically diverse, no single ethnic group forms a majority of the population of the city. Historically, the APC and the SLPP, two of the country's major political parties, have had about equal support in the city. In the 2007 Sierra Leone Presidential election, the APC candidate and then main opposition leader, Ernest Bai Koroma , won just over 60% of
845-589: The Baptist War , led by Sam Sharpe in Jamaica, created the conditions for the incremental abolition of slavery in the region by various colonial powers. Great Britain abolished slavery in its holdings in 1834. Cuba was the last island to be emancipated, when Spain abolished slavery in its colonies. During the 20th century, Afro-Caribbean people, who were a majority in many Caribbean societies, began to assert their cultural, economic, and political rights with more vigor on
910-490: The Creole people . Before the arrival of Europeans, the local Temne and Loko people were living in villages on the land near the area that later became known as Freetown. Freetown is locally governed by a directly elected Freetown City Council , headed by a mayor, who also is directly elected; elections are held every four years. The mayor of Freetown is Yvonne Aki Sawyerr, who was sworn in on May 11, 2018, after her victory in
975-512: The Dominican Republic ). During the 17th and 18th centuries, European colonial development in the Caribbean became increasingly reliant on plantation slavery to cultivate and process the lucrative commodity crop of sugarcane . On many islands shortly before the end of the 18th century, the enslaved Afro-Caribbean people greatly outnumbered their European masters. In addition, there developed
1040-809: The Freetown Colony that was established on 11 March 1792 by the Nova Scotian Settlers . Although the Nova Scotians established Freetown in 1792, the Jamaican Maroons were settled in Granville Town in 1800 following their arrival from Nova Scotia. However, by 1800, the settlement had been largely abandoned following attacks by Temne tribesmen of the Koya Empire, and the Maroons were soon after moved to
1105-691: The Sierra Leone Government Railway to Makeni to be assembled and flown to Egypt. The city was the scene of fierce fighting in the late 1990s during the Sierra Leone Civil War . It was captured by ECOWAS troops seeking to restore President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in 1998. Later it was unsuccessfully attacked by rebels of the Revolutionary United Front . In the early morning on 14 August 2017, after much heavy rain, part of Mount Sugar Loaf on an edge of Freetown collapsed in
1170-699: The State House , the principal workplace of the president of Sierra Leone , are on Tower Hill in central Freetown. The National Stadium , the home stadium of the Sierra Leone national football team (popularly known as the Leone Stars ) is in the Brookfield neighborhood. The three westernmost wards (West I, West II, and West III) of the city constitute the West End of Freetown. These wards are relatively affluent. Most of
1235-517: The 'Province of Freedom' and the settlement of Granville Town on land purchased from local Koya Temne subchief King Tom and regent Naimbana. The British understood the purchase meant that their new settlers had the land "for ever." Although the established arrangement between Europeans and the Koya Temne included provisions for permanent settlement, some historians question how well the Koya leaders understood
1300-792: The 2018 mayoral election; she was re-elected in 2022. The Freetown city council has its own municipal police force. The area was first settled in 1787 by 400 formerly enslaved black people sent from London, England, under the auspices of the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor , an organisation set up by Jonah Hanway and the British abolitionist Granville Sharp . These black people were African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Africans, Southeast Asians, and black people born in Great Britain. They established
1365-550: The Caribbean was in part the result of massive depopulation of the native Taíno and other Indigenous peoples caused by the new infectious diseases , harsh conditions, and warfare brought by European colonists. By the mid-16th century, the slave trade from West Africa to the Caribbean was so profitable that Francis Drake and John Hawkins were prepared to engage in piracy as well as break Spanish colonial laws, in order to forcibly transport approximately 1500 enslaved people from Sierra Leone to Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and
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#17328490798361430-583: The Crown after the American Revolution . Land grants and assistance in starting the settlements had been intermittent and slow. During his visit, Peters met with the directors of the Sierra Leone Company and learned of proposals for a new settlement at Sierra Leone. Despite the collapse of the 1787 colony, the directors were eager to recruit settlers to Sierra Leone. Lieutenant John Clarkson, RN , who
1495-635: The East End of Freetown (East I, East II, and East III) contain the city's largest population centre and generally the poorest part of the city. The Queen Elizabeth II Quay is located within East End. The two central wards (Central I and Central II) make up Central Freetown, which includes Downtown Freetown and the central business district (Central II). Most of the tallest and most important national government building and foreign embassies are based in Central Freetown. Sierra Leone's House of Parliament and
1560-602: The Freetown Cotton Tree, located in Central Freetown, a significant national monument and integral to the founding of the city; Bunce Island, which is a boat ride from the city, is home to the ruins of the slave fortress that was being used during the Transatlantic slave trade; the Sierra Leone Museum, which has a collection of both precolonial as well as colonial artifacts and other items of historical significance;
1625-496: The Freetown Municipality has been dominated by All People's Congress (APC) since 2004. Since 2004, the residents of Freetown have voted in municipal elections for members of the All People's Congress (APC) by an overwhelming majority. The APC won the city's mayorship and vast majority seats in the Freetown city council in the 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2018 local elections by more than 67% each. In Presidential elections Freetown
1690-626: The Freetown settlement where they formed a district that would be known later as Maroon Town . Some Creole families such as the Clarkes and Reeds (Reids) may be descendants of the Old Settlers. Freetown, Sierra Leone Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone . It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown
1755-640: The Lamb." In March 1792, Nathaniel Gilbert, a white preacher, prayed and preached a sermon under the large Cotton Tree , and Reverend David George , from South Carolina, preached the first recorded Baptist service in Africa. The land was dedicated and christened 'Free Town,' as ordered by the Sierra Leone Company Directors. This was the first thanksgiving service. John Clarkson was sworn in as first governor of Sierra Leone. Small huts were erected before
1820-563: The Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha until recently, as critics said such an event should not be held on the same day as Muslims celebrate Eid, as Islam is against the practices of secret societies and masquerades. The "Tangays" Festival is usually held in November, with a traditional theme that involves virtually every aspect of Sierra Leonean culture. It takes place at the National Stadium. Towards
1885-575: The National Railway Museum; or you can take a journey around the city's coastline with the popular Seacoach Express. The Aberdeen-Lumley area is a favourite destination for those venturing into the city's nightlife. There are nightclubs, restaurants and hotels located close by the beach along the road linking Aberdeen and Lumley. Nearby is the King's Yard Gate built in stone with a statement inscribed which reads "any slave who passes through this gate
1950-464: The Nova Scotian rebels, they were granted their land. Eventually the Maroons had their own district, which came to be known as Maroon Town . Indigenous Africans attacked the colony in 1801 and were repulsed. The British eventually took control of Freetown, making it a Crown Colony in 1808. This act accompanied expansion that led to the creation of Sierra Leone. From 1808 to 1874, the city served as
2015-467: The agreement, as they had a different conception of the uses of property. Disputes soon broke out. King Tom's successor, King Jimmy, burnt the settlement to the ground in 1789. Alexander Falconbridge was sent to Sierra Leone in 1791 to collect the remaining Black Poor settlers, and they re-established Granville Town around the area now known as Cline Town, Sierra Leone near Fourah Bay . These 1787 settlers did not formally establish Freetown, even though
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2080-514: The bicentennial of Freetown was celebrated in 1987; formally, Freetown was founded in 1792. In 1791, Thomas Peters , an African American who had served in the Black Pioneers , went to England to report the grievances of the black population in Nova Scotia . Some of these African Americans were ex-slaves who had escaped to the British forces who had been given their freedom and resettled there by
2145-573: The capital of British West Africa . It also served as the base for the Royal Navy 's West Africa Squadron , which was charged with enforcing the ban on the slave trade. When the squadron liberated slaves on trading ships, they brought most to Sierra Leone, and Freetown in particular; thus, the population grew to include descendants of many different peoples from all over the west coast of Africa. The British also situated three of their Mixed Commission Courts in Freetown. The liberated Africans established
2210-536: The christening of Freetown in March 1792. In downtown Freetown is the Connaught Hospital , the first hospital constructed in West Africa that incorporated Western medical practices. Freetown has a long-held tradition of organized cultural events taking place on specific dates to coincide with specific holidays or seasons within the calendar year. One such event is the Eastern Paddle Hunting Society's annual exhibition of
2275-532: The city has traditionally been the homeland of the Sierra Leone Creole people , the population of Freetown is ethnically , culturally , and religiously diverse. The city is home to a significant population of all of Sierra Leone's ethnic groups , with no single ethnic group forming more than 27% of the city's population. As in virtually all parts of Sierra Leone, the Krio language of the Sierra Leone Creole people
2340-473: The city's luxury hotels, a number of casinos, and Lumley Beach are in the west end of the city. The West End neighbourhood of Hill Station is home to the State Lodge , the official residence of the president of Sierra Leone. Like the rest of Sierra Leone, Freetown has a tropical climate with a rainy season from May through November; the balance of the year represents the dry season . The beginning and end of
2405-470: The city's population and is spoken as a lingua franca by a large number of the population in the city. English (the country's official language) is also widely spoken, particularly by the well-educated. Themne is the second most spoken language in Freetown after Krio. The Themne people also make up the largest members of the population of Freetown and the Western Area Region. The city of Freetown
2470-538: The company was not treating them as freemen, but as slaves and requested that Lt. Clarkson return as governor. Freetown survived being pillaged by the French in 1794, and was rebuilt by the settlers. By 1798, Freetown had between 300 and 400 houses with architecture resembling that of the United States – stone foundations with wooden superstructures. Eventually this style of housing, built by the Nova Scotians, would be
2535-471: The end of the festival, a couple of musical concerts are usually held in the main bowl of the stadium, with performances from local and international musical artists (especially contemporary artists from Nigeria and other African countries or the African diaspora). Freetown has its own tradition of Christmas street parades, organised in neighbourhoods across the city. The month-long celebration gathers residents in
2600-533: The first Afro-Caribbean republic in the Western Hemisphere and the first state which was both free from slavery (though not from forced labour ) and ruled by non-whites and former captives. In 1804, Haiti, with its overwhelmingly African population and leadership, became the second nation in the Americas to win independence from a European state. During the 19th century, continuous waves of rebellion, such as
2665-562: The first indigenous Bishop of West Africa. National Railway Museum has a coach car built for the state visit of Elizabeth II in 1961. The Big Market on Wallace Johnson Street is the showcase for local artisans' work. The Freetown peninsula is ringed by long stretches of white sand. Lumley Beach, on the western side of the peninsula, is a popular location for local parties and festivals. Afro-Caribbean Afro-Caribbean or African Caribbean people are Caribbean people who trace their full or partial ancestry to Africa . The majority of
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2730-574: The home and diaspora populations have produced a number of individuals who have had a notable influence on modern African, Caribbean and Western societies; they include political activists such as Marcus Garvey and C. L. R. James ; writers and theorists such as Aimé Césaire and Frantz Fanon ; US military leader and statesman Colin Powell ; athletes such as Usain Bolt , Tim Duncan and David Ortiz ; and musicians Bob Marley , Nicki Minaj and Rihanna . During
2795-448: The model for the 'bod oses' of their Creole descendants. In 1800, the Nova Scotians rebelled. The colonial authorities used the arrival of about 550 Jamaican Maroons to suppress the insurrection. Thirty-four Nova Scotians were banished and sent to either the Sherbro or a penal colony at Gore. Some of the Nova Scotians were eventually allowed back into Freetown. After the Maroons captured
2860-600: The modern Afro-Caribbean people descend from the Africans (primarily from West and Central Africa ) taken as slaves to colonial Caribbean via the trans-Atlantic slave trade between the 15th and 19th centuries to work primarily on various sugar plantations and in domestic households. Other names for the ethnic group include Black Caribbean , Afro- or Black West Indian , or Afro- or Black Antillean . The term West Indian Creole has also been used to refer to Afro-Caribbean people, as well as other ethnic and racial groups in
2925-891: The peoples of the Caribbean over the centuries. Although most Afro-Caribbean people today continue to reside in English , French and Spanish -speaking Caribbean nations and territories, there are also significant diaspora populations throughout the Western world , especially in the United States , Canada , United Kingdom , France and the Netherlands . Caribbean peoples are predominantly of Christian faith, though some practice African-derived or syncretic religions, such as Santeria , Vodou and Winti . Many speak creole languages , such as Haitian Creole , Jamaican Patois , Sranantongo , Saint Lucian Creole , Martinican Creole or Papiamento . Both
2990-481: The port to resupply and German merchant vessels captured in the region were also sent there. During World War II , Britain maintained a naval base at Freetown. The base was a staging post for Allied traffic in the South Atlantic and the assembly point for SL convoys to Britain. An RAF base was maintained at nearby Lungi airfield . British fighter aircraft which were shipped into Freetown port, were carried on
3055-692: The post-Columbian era, the archipelagos and islands of the Caribbean were the first sites of African diaspora dispersal in the western Atlantic. In 1492, Pedro Alonso Niño , an African-Spanish seafarer, was recorded as piloting one of Columbus' ships. He returned in 1499, but did not settle. In the early 16th century, more Africans began to enter the population of the Spanish Caribbean colonies, sometimes arriving as free men of mixed ancestry or as indentured servants, but increasingly as enslaved workers and servants. This increasing demand for African labour in
3120-521: The rainy season is marked by strong thunderstorms . Under the Köppen climate classification , Freetown has a tropical monsoon climate ( Am ) primarily due to the heavy amount of precipitation it receives during the rainy season. Freetown's high humidity is somewhat relieved December through February by the famous Harmattan , a wind blowing from the Sahara Desert , affording Freetown its coolest period of
3185-562: The rainy season. The Sierra Leone Company surveyors and the settlers built Freetown on the American grid pattern, with parallel streets and wide roads, with the largest being Water Street. On August 24, 1792, the Black Poor or Old Settlers of the second Granville Town were incorporated into the new Sierra Leone Colony, but remained at Granville Town. In 1793, the settlers sent a petition to the Sierra Leone Company expressing concerns about
3250-516: The region, though there remains debate about its use to refer to Afro-Caribbean people specifically. The term Afro-Caribbean was not coined by Caribbean people themselves but was first used by European Americans in the late 1960s. People of Afro-Caribbean descent today are largely of West African and Central African ancestry, and may additionally be of other origins, including European , Chinese , South Asian and Amerindian descent, as there has been extensive intermarriage and unions among
3315-420: The rest of Sierra Leone, Freetown is a religiously tolerant city, with Muslims and Christians living side by side peacefully. As in many parts of Sierra Leone, the Krio language (the English-based creole language of the Sierra Leone Creole people who make up 5% of the country's population) is by far the most widely spoken language in the city. The language is spoken at home as a first language by over 20% of
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#17328490798363380-411: The streets with a variety of food and traditional music . Freetown's tourism sector is an integral part of the city. Although the sector was seriously affected during the Civil War , there has been a steady improvement in recent years. The city has a lot to offer to tourists. There is a vast expanse of white sand beaches stretching along the Freetown Peninsula. The Lumley-Aberdeen beach stretches all
3445-425: The suburbs of Freetown Peninsula. They were the largest group of immigrants to make up the Creole people of Freetown. The city expanded rapidly. The freed slaves were joined by West Indian and African soldiers, who had fought for Britain in the Napoleonic Wars and settled here afterwards. Descendants of the freed slaves who settled in Sierra Leone between 1787 and around 1885, are called the Creoles . The Creoles play
3510-468: The treatment that they were enduring. The settlers in particular objected to being issued currency that was only redeemable at a company owned store. They also claimed that the governor, a Mr. Dawes, ruled in an almost tyrannical fashion, favoring certain people over others when ruling the settlement. The writers then argued that they had not received the amount of land that Lt. Clarkson had promised them on leaving Nova Scotia. The letter expressed anxiety that
3575-456: The votes in Freetown in the 2012 Sierra Leone Presidential election; compared to the SLPP presidential candidate Julius Maada Bio who received 30%. In the 2018 Sierra Leone Presidential election, The APC presidential candidate Samura Kamara received 65% compared to the SLPP presidential candidate Julius Maada Bio who received 34%, though Maada Bio won the presidential election nationally. In November 2011, Freetown Mayor Herbert George-Williams
3640-452: The votes in the Western Area Urban District , including the city of Freetown, where almost the entire District population reside. The city has the Sierra Leone National Museum and Sierra Leone National Railway Museum . There are also various historical landmarks connected to its founding by African Americans , Liberated Africans , and Afro-Caribbeans whose descendants are the Sierra Leone Creole people. The Cotton Tree represents
3705-430: The way from Cape Sierra Leone down to Lumley. There are also other popular beaches like the world renowned River Number 2 Beach, Laka Beach, Tokeh Beach, Bureh Beach, and Mama Beach. The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which is located within the peninsula's vast rainforest reserve, just a few miles from the centre of Freetown, has a collection of rare and endangered chimpanzees. Other popular destinations for tourists include
3770-404: The women remained in the ships while the men worked to clear the land. Lt. Clarkson told the men to clear the land until they reached a large cotton tree. After the work had been done and the land cleared, all the Nova Scotians, men and women, disembarked and marched towards the thick forest and to the cotton tree, and their preachers (all African Americans) began singing "Awake and Sing of Moses and
3835-583: The world stage. Marcus Garvey was among many influential immigrants to the United States from Jamaica, expanding his UNIA movement in New York City and the U.S. Afro-Caribbean people, such as Claude McKay and Eric D. Walrond , were influential in the Harlem Renaissance as artists and writers. Aimé Césaire developed a négritude movement. In the 1960s, the West Indian territories were given their political independence from British colonial rule . They were pre-eminent in creating new cultural forms such as reggae music , calypso and Rastafari within
3900-409: The year. Temperature extremes recorded in Freetown are from 15 °C (59 °F) to 38 °C (100 °F) all year. The average annual temperature is around 28 °C (82 °F). Freetown is home to a large population of both Muslims and Christians, though Muslims make up the majority of the population. In the youth populations of both faiths can be found a significant liberal influence. Like
3965-450: Was acquitted of seventeen of the nineteen charges against him. He was convicted of two less serious charges by the Freetown High Court judge Jon Bosco Katutsi and sentenced to pay a fine . Acting Mayor Kanu lost the APC nomination for the mayor of Freetown in the 2012 Mayoral elections by 56 votes; council member Sam Franklyn Bode Gibson won 106 in a landslide victory. In the national presidential and parliamentary elections, Freetown
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#17328490798364030-415: Was among those taken ill during the voyage. Upon reaching Sierra Leone, Clarkson and some of the Nova Scotian 'captains' "dispatched on shore to clear or make roadway for their landing". The Nova Scotians were to build Freetown on the former site of the first Granville Town, where jungle had taken over since its destruction in 1789. Its surviving Old Settlers had relocated to Fourah Bay in 1791. At Freetown,
4095-448: Was an abolitionist, was sent to Nova Scotia in British North America to register immigrants to take to Sierra Leone for a new settlement. Tired of the harsh weather and racial discrimination in Nova Scotia, more than 1,100 former American slaves chose to go to Sierra Leone. They sailed in 15 ships and arrived in St. George Bay between February 26 – March 9, 1792. Sixty-four settlers died en route to Sierra Leone, and Lieutenant Clarkson
4160-508: Was established in 1787 by the London-based Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor . They arranged for the transport of London's so-called Black Poor to Sierra Leone where they were amongst its original settlers. Many of these Black Poor were Black Loyalists who had decided or were forced to leave the United States after the American War of Independence ; some came via several years in Nova Scotia , another British North American colony and so are known as Black Nova Scotians . All asserted
4225-529: Was removed from office and replaced by council member Alhaji Gibril Kanu as acting mayor. Mayor Herbert George-Williams and eight others, including the Chief Administrator of the Freetown city council Bowenson Fredrick Philips; and the Freetown city council Treasurer Sylvester Momoh Konnehi, were arrested and indicted by the Sierra Leone Anti-corruption Commission on twenty-five counts on graft charges, ranging from conspiracy to commit corruption to misappropriation of public funds . Mayor Herbert George-Williams
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