town, Atlantic seaport, western Sierra Leone, on Pepel Island, near the mouth of the Sierra Leone River (an estuary formed by the Rokel River and Port Loko Creek). Beginning in 1933 it exported iron ore brought by rail from the Sierra Leone Development Company's mines at Marampa, 41 miles (66 km) east-northeast. Until iron-ore mining was suspended in 1975, Pepel, the nation's only iron-ore port, had an annual turnover of 2–3 million tons of ore. Only Pepel and the port of Freetown have docking facilities. The local Temne population is also engaged in fishing and rice farming. Pop. (latest est.) 6,469.