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MAIN CITIES

(A)   ACCRA:

Accra, with a population of 3.6 million is the capital of Ghana.  It is Ghana’s largest city and it’s administrative, communications and economic centre.  The primary economic activities are finance, banking and other services, agriculture, fishing, food processing, production of lumber and plywood, textiles and clothing, and manufacturing of chemicals.  Accra is located 5.30’ North, 0.10’ West 95.5, 0.1667).

Accra was founded in the 1500s by the Ga people who settled on the west side of the Korle Lagoon where they traded with passing Portuguese ships.  The name Accra is said to have been derived from the word “Nkran” meaning ants, due to the numerous anthills that occupied the countryside around Accra.

During part of its history, Accra served as a centre for trade with the Portuguese; who built a fort in the town, to be followed by the Swedish, Dutch, French, British, and Danish by the end of the seventeenth century.  Clear evidence of the people’s early contracts with Europeans are the three most distinct fortified buildings situated on the coastline from the mid 17th Century  by the Dutch (Ussher Fort), the British (James Fort) and the Christiansburg Castle which had its beginnings as a small fortified lodge or a trading post built by the Swedes in 1652.  James Fort now serves as a prison while Ussher Fort and a Colonial era lighthouse near James Fort are managed by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board.

Accra is today one of the wealthiest and most modern cities in the West African region and has a high quality of living by African standards.  Accra has one of the continents most active and vibrant night lives.

Attractions in Accra

Accra is home to the National Museum of Ghana, the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Archives of Ghana.  Of particular interest is the Christianborg or Osu castle, the seat of government. The city’s attractions include the National Theatre, the Accra Centre for National Culture, the W.E.B. Dubois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture, the State House, with the attached gigantic Banquet Hall, used to host the conference of the Organisation of African Unity in Ghana in the 1960s and is now home to Ghana’s Fourth Republic Parliament. Close to the State House/Parliament of Ghana is the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre for Excellence in ICT.

The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Mausoleum is located in downtown Accra, at the former Polo Grounds, the exact spot where Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah declared Ghana’s independence from colonial rule and made the historic statement to link the independence of Ghana to the total liberation of the whole of the continent of Africa.

(B) KUMASI

Kumasi the capital city of the Ashanti Region of Ghana is noted for its cultural pomp and pageantry.  Because of its location in the forest belt with a multiplicity of varied and exotic plant life many of which produce the most beautiful flowers in the area, Kumasi has for a longtime been known as the “Garden City”.

Tradition has it that the city was founded by the first Asantehene Nana Osei-Tutu who relocated from Kwamoso.  It was during Osei-Tutu’s reign that the priest, Okomfo Anonkye conjured from the sky the legendary Golden stool which has ever since served as the symbol of the soul and unity of Asantes.

Kumasi is a sprawling city set in a forest belt with rolling hills, and is also home to the largest street market in West Africa; gloriously restored recently to its former hectic self after it was partially destroyed by fire in 1995.  Few people would spend time in Kumasi and not pay a visit to the vast continuously expanding Kejetia market. It is reckoned that as many as 10,000 traders operate within the 12 hectare market, with many more stalls spilling out along the surrounding streets.

Kumasi has a choice of restaurants, excellent accommodation and a vibrant nightlife. There must be more than 100 hotels and guesthouses scattered around Kumasi and its suburbs. Its choicest eateries, however lie outside the city center and include restaurants, hotels and guesthouses.

The city’s “must see” for visitors include several museums, including the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum which offers a good overview of Ashanti history; the National Museum and the Armed Forces Museum with a collection of weapons and the spoils from various campaigns in which the Gold Coast Regiment was involved.

Other interesting sites are the Manhyia Palace, the abode of the Asantehene, which also houses a small but interesting museum open to the public on weekdays; the Kumasi Fort, said to be the oldest ‘building’ in the city; the Kumasi Zoo; and the Okomfo Anokye Sword, which according to oral tradition has been stuck in the same position in the ground for 300 years. Additionally, there are many intriguing shrines in the Ashanti Region.

(C)  SEKONDI-TAKORADI

Sekondi-Takoradi, originally two separate towns lying just few kilometers apart, combined in 1946, into the twin city which now has a population of approximately 335,000 and is the capital of the Western Region of Ghana. It is Ghana’s third largest city and an industrial and commercial centre. The principal industries are timber, plywood, cigarettes, shipbuilding and railroad repairs. The city lies on the main railway lines to Accra and Kumasi. Sekondi, older and larger, prospered from the railroad built in 1903 into the hinterland, the source for minerals and timber.

Takoradi has an important deep seaport, Ghana’s first, built in 1928. Takoradi is Ghana’s main export port with around 500 vessel-calls per year, handling 65% of Ghana’s exports. Main commodities are manganese, bauxite, timber and cocoa. Takoradi handles over 2.2 million tonnes of cargo per year.

(D)  TAMALE

Tamale is the capital of the Northern Region of Ghana, with a population of approximately 305,000. It is mostly populated by the Dagomba people who speak Dagbani and are followers of Islam. It is located in the northern part of the country,where the vegetation is Savannah, consisting of grasslands with drought-resistant trees. The city is like a conglomeration of villages, with many people living in the traditional mud brick houses. While majority of the houses are roofed with corrugated iron sheets, a good number of them are roofed with grass.

Despite their antiquated and rather rustic outlook, many of these mud block compounds are fitted with the most modern gadgets, and

their multiplicity of TV antennae and electricity wiring provide a very interesting spectacle for the visitor.

Attractions &Cultural, Historical Heritage Slave Route of Northern Ghana.

The Northern Region was a major arena of slave raiders and key supply source for the slaves who were sent to markets and sold to local merchants from the South. They were subsequently

marched on the coast and resold to European traders for export.

Larabanga Mosque

It is the oldest and largest Sudanese style mosque in the country dating as far back as the 13th Century. In the building is a Quran, which is as old as the mosque itself. It is believed to have been

first built by Moorish Traders and is one of the holiest sites in Ghana.

Larabanga Mystery Stone

Legend has it that this stone on the outskirts of Larabanaga always returns to its original resting place when moved. Due to this legend the main road that runs through this area has to be

diverted around the stone.

Nalerigu Defense Wall

Located 120 km from the Bolgatanga (shortened Bolga), the remnants of this ancient wall in the Gambaga scarps is said to have been built in the  16th century to protect the inhabitants.