Accra
Encyclopedia
Accra is the capital
and largest city of Ghana
, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region
and of the Accra Metropolitan District
, with which it is coterminous. Accra is furthermore the anchor of a larger metropolitan area
, the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), which is home to about 4 million people, making it the largest metropolitan conglomeration in Ghana by population, and the eleventh-largest metropolitan area in Africa.
Accra stretches along the Ghanaian Atlantic coast
and extends north into the country's interior. Originally built around a port, it served as the capital of the British-ruled Gold Coast
between 1877 and 1957. Once merely a 19th-century suburb of Victoriaborg
, Accra has since transitioned into a modern metropolis; the city's architecture reflects this history, ranging from 19th-century British colonial buildings to modern skyscrapers and apartment blocks.
Accra is Ghana's primate city
, serving as the nation's economic and administrative hub. It is furthermore a centre of culture and tourism, sporting a wide range of nightclubs, restaurants and hotels. Since the early 1990s, a number of new buildings have been built, including the multi-storey French
-owned Novotel
hotel. The city's National Theatre
was built with Chinese
assistance. In 2010, the GaWC designated Accra a Gamma-minus-level world city, indicating a growing level of international influence and connectedness.
The central business district
of Accra contains the city's main banks and department stores, the Cocoa Marketing Board headquarters (dealing with cocoa
, Ghana's chief export) and an area known as the Ministries, where Ghana's government administration is concentrated. Economic activities in Accra include the financial and agricultural sectors, Atlantic fishing, and the manufacture of processed food, lumber, plywood
, textiles, clothing and chemicals.
s" in Akan
, a reference to the numerous anthills seen in the countryside around Accra. The city was first settled in the 15th century, when the Ga
people migrated there after leaving their previous settlement at Ayawaso, ten miles (16 km) north of Accra. The site was advantageous as it removed the Ga people from the Akwamu people who were their rivals. Initially, Accra was not the most prominent trading centre; the trade hubs of the time were the ports at Ada and Prampram, along with the inland centres of Dodowa and Akusa to the east. However, Accra took on more importance serving as a centre for the slave trade with the Europeans who had built the nearby outposts of James Fort and Ussher Fort. By the 17th century, the Portuguese
, followed by the Swedish
, Dutch
, French
, British
and Danish
, had constructed forts in the town. Such activity went on in Accra until the abolition of the slave trade in 1807.
In the 1850s, Denmark sold Christiansborg and their other forts to the British. In 1873, after decades of tension between the British and the Asante
people of central Ghana, the British attacked and virtually destroyed the Asante capital of Kumasi
, and officially declared Ghana a crown colony. The British then captured Accra in 1874, and in 1877, at the end of the second Anglo-Asante War
, Accra replaced Cape Coast
as the capital of the British Gold Coast
colony. This decision was made because Accra had a drier climate relative to Cape Coast, and was not home to the tsetse fly
, thus allowing the use of animal transport. Until this time, the settlement of Accra was confined between Ussher Fort to the east and the Korle Lagoon to the west.
As the colony's administrative functions were moved to Accra, an influx of British colonists began, and the city began to expand to accommodate the new residents. Victoriaborg
was formed in the late nineteenth century as an exclusive European residential neighborhood, located to the east of the city limits of the time. The boundaries of Accra were further stretched in 1908, following an outbreak of the bubonic plague
. This expansion entailed the creation of a native-only neighbourhood, intended to accommodate members of the native population as a means of relieving congestion
problems in the overcrowded city centre. Adabraka was thus established to the north of the city centre to serve as an enclave for the town's growing Muslim
population.
One of the most influential decisions in the history of the city was that of building the Accra-Kumasi railway in 1908. This was to connect Accra, the country's foremost port at that time, with Ghana's main cocoa
-producing regions. In 1923 the railway was completed, and by 1924 cocoa was Ghana's largest export. Accra was the main exporter of cocoa until 1928; this was one of the main reasons for its rapid growth.
The British government heavily influenced the shape that Accra took during this period. For example, racial segregation
of neighborhoods was mandated by law until 1923, and all new buildings were required to be built out of stone or concrete. Despite these regulations, the British government was very hesitant to invest any large amount of money into the city to maintain its infrastructure or improve public works. This did not change until the governorship of Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg.
Among the achievements of Guggisberg was the building of a bridge across the Korle Lagoon in 1923, which opened the land west of the lagoon for settlement. Guggisberg also oversaw the building of hospital
s and schools. Such improvements led to an increase in Accra’s population due to the migration of rural dwellers into the city, and the immigration of increasing numbers of British businessmen and administrators.
, the neighbourhoods of Ridge and Cantonments were planned as low-density developments for Europeans, while many rural migrants settled in neighbourhoods which had not yet been incorporated into Accra's municipal boundary, such as Nima or Accra New Town. Thus, the development of these neighbourhoods was unregulated by the government, creating a crowded and jumbled shanty-town landscape.
Another area of Accra that took shape at this time was the central business district
(CBD). More administrative buildings were built on High Street, forming a massive judicial/administrative complex. Additionally, the expansion of the economy led to many more commercial buildings being built in the CBD.
In 1944, Accra's city planner Maxwell Fry had devised a town plan that was revised in 1958 by BDW Treavallion and Alan Flood. Although the Fry/Trevallion plan was never followed through, it illustrated the British vision of how Accra was intended to develop.
and cricket
fields. Additionally, the British planners intended to build large numbers of public squares, fountains and ornamental pools and statues throughout the city, as well as a vast Parliament Complex in the city centre. Lastly, the Fry/Treavallion plan included plans to make the coastal region an extension of the exclusive European neighborhood of Victoriaborg
, and to create a recreational preserve for the elite. However, the British colonial rule in Ghana ended before the Fry/Treavallion plan was enacted.
When Kwame Nkrumah
became Ghana's first post-independence Prime Minister
in 1957, he created his own plan for Accra's development. Instead of creating spaces to serve the elite, Nkrumah sought to create spaces to inspire pride and nationalism
in his people and people throughout Africa. Rather than creating ornamental fountains and a large Parliament complex, Nkrumah decided to build landmarks such as Independence Square, the State House, and the Organisation of African Unity building, and to refurbish Christianborg Castle.
Nkrumah decided to leave the Atlantic coastal region undeveloped, so as to not detract attention away from the Community Centre or Independence Square, lending both spaces symbolic significance. The Nkrumah plan did not emphasize order nearly as much as the Fry/Treavallion plan did; whereas the British plan strove to lessen crowding in the commercial district and help relieve the overcrowding of neighbourhoods bordering the CBD, the Nkrumah plan allowed for continued compression of commercial establishments into the CBD, as well as increased migration into Jamestown.
, Danish
and Dutch
forts and their surrounding communities: Jamestown
near the British James Fort, Osu
near the Danish fort of Christiansborg (now Osu Castle
), and Ussherstown near the Dutch Ussher fort
.
Today, Accra has several major tourist attractions, including the National Museum of Ghana, the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Archives of Ghana and Ghana's central library, the National Theatre, the Accra Centre for National Culture, a lighthouse
, and the National Sports Stadium. It is also a major transportation hub, home to the Kotoka International Airport
and with railway links to Tema
, Takoradi and Kumasi
.
.
The intersection of the Lafa stream and Mallam junction serves as the western border of the city. The Great Hall of the University of Ghana
forms Accra's northern border, while the Nautical College forms the eastern border. The Gulf of Guinea
forms the southern border. These borders notwithstanding, points of conflict with adjoining districts exist, resulting in a de facto shrinking of the city limits in recent years.
s. According to a UN Habitat report, Accra has 25 major slums. While some slum settlements, such as the so-called Sodom
and Gomorrah
shanty towns, are being demolished because of their negative effect on the environment, a pilot program at slum upgrading has begun in Nima and Maamobi.
Central Accra includes the CBD, which consists of the historic districts of Usshertown, Tudu, Victoriaborg
, West Ridge
, and East Ridge
, as well as the historic residential districts of Jamestown, Adabraka, Asylum Down, North Ridge
and Christiansborg/Osu.
Although satellite business districts such as the Airport City have been established across the city, Central Accra remains the administrative and cultural centre of Accra, hosting the nation's government ministries, hotels and businesses, along with the headquarters of many of Ghana's major financial institutions.
Central Accra's principal attractions include the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum
, the National Museum, Independence Square
, the National Theatre
, and the Ohene Djan Stadium.
, several important foreign embassies, Achimota School
, Achimota Golf Park, and the University of Ghana
's Legon campus, which serves as the city's northern boundary.
Geographically, for the purposes of this article, the areas north of Ring Road West and Central, east of Winneba/Graphic Road, and west of Liberation Road will be regarded as Northern Accra. The districts just north and south of the Kwame Nkrumah motorway will also be included in this classification.
An administrative border dispute is ongoing between the Accra Metropolitan Area and the Ga East Municipality. Thus, the settlements of West Legon/Westlands, Achimota, and Christian Village, which are west of the University of Ghana and located in the Ga East Municipal area, are sometimes included as neighbourhoods in the city of Accra.
.
Geographically, the areas west of Ring Road West, extending as far west as the saltponds and south of Graphic Road, are considered Accra West.
, where the coast runs parallel to the prevailing moist monsoonal winds, Accra features a tropical savanna climate
that borders on a semi-arid climate. The average annual rainfall is about 730 mm, which falls primarily during Ghana's two rainy seasons. The chief rainy season begins in April and ends in mid-July, whilst a weaker second rainy season occurs in October. Rain usually falls in short intensive storms and give rise to local flooding where drainage channels are obstructed.
There is very little variation in temperature throughout the year. The mean monthly temperature ranges from 24.7 °C (76.5 °F) in August (the coolest) to 28 °C (82.4 °F) in March (the hottest), with an annual average of 26.8 °C (80.2 °F). It should be noted, however, that the "cooler" months tend to be more humid than the warmer months. As a result, during the warmer months and particularly during the windy harmattan
season, the city experiences a breezy "dry heat" that feels less warm than the "cooler" but more humid rainy season.
As Accra is close to the equator
, the daylight hours are practically uniform during the year. Relative humidity is generally high, varying from 65% in the mid-afternoon to 95% at night. The predominant wind direction in Accra is from the WSW to NNE sectors. Wind speeds normally range between 8 to 16 km/h. High wind gusts occur with thunderstorm
s, which generally pass in squall
along the coast.
The maximum wind speed record in Accra is 107.4 km/h (58 knots). Strong winds associated with thunderstorm activity often cause damage to property by removing roofing material. Several areas of Accra experience micro-climatic effects. Low-profile drainage basin
s with a north-south orientation are not as well ventilated as those orientated east-west.
Air is often trapped in pockets over the city, and an insulation effect can give rise to a local increase in air temperature of several degrees. This occurs most notably in the Accra Newtown sports complex areas.
The period between 1960 and 1970 saw rapid industrialisation and expansion in Accra's manufacturing and commercial sectors. This contributed to high rural-urban migration to the city, and consequently a high population growth rate.
The stagnation of the Ghanaian economy during the 1970s slowed the growth of Accra’s population, as shown by the falling growth rate of the 1970-1984 intercensal years. Later, however, the decline in agriculture in rural communities in Ghana and rising industrialisation in urban regions, coupled with the late-1980s boom in the service sector, once again propelled immigration to Accra.
The primacy of the Accra Metropolitan Area as Ghana's administrative, educational, industrial and commercial centre continues to be the major force for its rapid population growth, with migration contributing to over 35% of the city's population growth.
At the community level, densities exceeding 250 persons per hectare occurred mostly in the immigrant and depressed areas in the oldest parts of Accra, such as Accra New Town, Nima, James Town and Ussher Town. In higher-income areas, densities ranged between 17.5 and 40 persons per hectare.
, which has so far been limited. Fifty-one percent (51%) of the population are females, and the remaining 49% males. This gives a males-to-females ratio of 1:1.04. The greater number of females is a reflection of the nationwide trend, where the estimated ratio of males to females is 1:1.03.
An assessment of the extent of migration to Accra, based on present locality and sex, reveals that 44% of residents in Accra are migrants. This reflects the cosmopolitan nature of the metropolis, but has adverse implications on the mobilisation of communities for development.
The rapid growth of Accra has led to the neglect of some of the old indigenous settlements, whilst efforts are being made to provide the newly developing suburban areas with services and infrastructure to cater for the needs of the middle-income earners mostly found there.
The result is that the older indigenous areas of Accra, such as Ga Mashie, are experiencing decay. Calls are being made for proactive efforts of inner city revitalisation to address this issue.
Peripheral residential development in Accra is usually haphazard, with barely sufficient infrastructure to support it. There are also large numbers of uncompleted houses, interspersed with pockets of undeveloped land, which are often subject of litigation, due to the inability of organisations and individuals who own them to complete or develop them due to lack of funds.
Housing can be grouped into three broad categories: the low-income, middle-income and high-income areas. The low-income housing zones may be divided into indigenous and non-indigenous (dominantly migrant) areas. The low-income indigenous housing areas comprise Osu, Jamestown, Adedenkpo, Chorkor, La, Teshie and Nungua.
The low-income non-indigenous housing areas include Sukura, Kwashieman, Odorkor, Bubiashie, Abeka, Nima, Maamobi and Chorkor. Altogether, these areas accommodate about 58% of Accra’s total population. Most of the city's informal businesses are located in low-income areas, which are the first place of abode for any new job-seeking migrant.
Buildings are of poor-quality material, often using mud, untreated timber and zinc
roofing sheets for walling. The housing environment is characterised by haphazard development, inadequate housing infrastructure, poor drainage, erosion
and high population concentrations.
The middle-income areas of Accra are predominantly populated by business, administrative and professional families. Much of the housing in these areas has been provided by state, parastatal and private sector organisations and individuals.
The middle-income areas include Dansoman Estates, North Kaneshie Estates, Asylum Down, Kanda Estates, Abelempke, Achimota and Tesano. Usually, these areas, unlike the low-income areas, are planned developments, but are in need of infrastructure services. Building materials and general housing conditions are of better quality. The middle-income group comprises 32% of the city's population.
The high-income areas provide housing for the remaining 10% of the population. They include areas like North and West Ridge, Ringway Estates, north Labone Estates, Airport Residential Area, Roman Ridge, East Legon. These areas are all planned and have well developed infrastructure with spacious and landscaped ground in sharp contrast with, particularly, the low-income areas. Buildings are usually built with sandcrete
blocks, and have walls and roofed with aluminium
, or asbestos
roofing sheets.
There are also high-income peripheral areas like Hatso, Adenta, Taifa, Mallam, where development of engineering infrastructure is not yet complete. These areas developed ahead of infrastructure and consequently lack almost all utility services. Building materials used are similar to those in the middle and high-income zones.
In total, 84.4% of all houses in the Accra Metropolitan Area have their outside walls made up of cement
, as compared to 63.3% for other Ghanaian urban areas, and 44.8% for the nation in general. Similarly, houses found within Accra have 99.2% of their floor materials made up of cement, while the figures for other urban areas and the nation are 95.1% and 84.7% respectively. It can therefore be inferred that, although in some instances low-income areas have exhibited poor housing conditions, the general quality of housing in Accra is significantly better than that of other urban areas and Ghanaian housing in general.
Conditions are nonetheless much worse in the low-income areas, with very high pressures on facilities – on average, there are about 30 people per toilet, 48 per kitchen and 22 per bathroom in the Accran slums. This is due to a combination of inadequate facilities, continual population growth and the conversion of facility spaces to other uses.
is vested with extensive executive powers. The mayor is appointed by the President
of the Republic of Ghana
and approved by the city council, although the public has expressed a desire to increase mayoral accountability by holding free mayoral elections. The current mayor of Accra is Alfred Vanderpuije, appointed by President John Atta Mills in 2009.
The Accra Assembly has a total of 104 members. Of these, 70% are elected and 30% are government appointees. The Town and Country Planning Department is responsible for land-use planning in the metropolis.
As the capital of Ghana
, Accra is the home of the national administration, including the Ministries and Parliament
. Accra also serves as the home of the Supreme Court of Ghana
, and is the headquarters of the Bank of Ghana
.
Due to its size, Accra is divided into 11 sub-metropolitan areas:
estimated that Accra's economy constituted around 10% of Ghana's total gross domestic product
(GDP), or around US$3 billion. The economically active population of Accra is estimated to be 823,327, but the daily influx of commuters from dormitory towns outside the city inflates this figure on most days.
Accra is a major centre for manufacturing, marketing, finance, insurance, transportation and tourism. It has about 350 major industrial establishments, and its financial sector incorporates a central bank, 9 commercial banks (with 81 branches), 4 development banks (with 19 branches), 4 merchant banks (with 7 branches), 3 discount houses, 1 home finance mortgage Bank, multiple building societies, a stock exchange
, 218 foreign exchange
bureaux, 9 finance houses, 9 insurance companies, 12 insurance brokerage firms, 2 savings and loans companies, and a host of real estate
developers. The road network in the Accra Metropolitan Area totals about 1117.89 km, made up of 918.10 km paved and 199.8 km of unpaved roads.
There are over 50,506 identified residential properties, and about 4,054 commercial/industrial/mixed properties, with a total rateable value of GH¢13,849,014. There are also 29 markets, 36 facilities for both on–street and off-street parking, and over 120,000 units of wholesale, retail and other self-employed businesses, as well as several facilities for sports and recreation, and many tourist centres.
, with fishing accounting for 77.8% of production labour.
Farming is practised mostly by families, often without the benefits of modern methods of production. Farming in Accra centres around the growth of vegetables such as okro, garden eggs, tomato
es, carrot
s, cucumber
s, cabbage
, cauliflower
, and lettuce
. The volume of production of these crops is negligible and declining. The increasing land value in Accra is resulting in urban agricultural land being converted to commercial and economic purposes.
Poultry
production is constrained by the high cost of feed. The metropolis has a number of domestic animals, mostly sheep and goats, which depend on the area's natural vegetation for feed. However, large quantities of meat and various dairy products are imported from neighbouring countries and abroad to supplement local production.
The fishing industry is the most important sub-sector, with 10% of the catch being exported and the rest consumed locally. The main types of fish caught include redfish
, red bullet
, herring
, sardine
s, tuna
, yellowfish and grouper
. There are also significant quantities of shrimp
, lobster
s and sole
caught. The industry is characterized by extreme seasonableness, operating primarily between June and September, especially in the case of herring and sardine fishing. As a result of Accra's lack of modern refrigerate storage facilities, prices tend to drop during the peak fishing season, resulting in the under-utilization of fishing resources. The bulk of the marine catch during the fishing season is caught by small canoe
fishermen, who have little or no link with credit institutions to support the expansion of their businesses.
Although most deep-water Atlantic fishing around Accra takes place in the June–September period, fishing operations take place close to the shore throughout the year, and there are clear indications of the depletion of fish stocks
in the near future. Fishing operations are most prominent at the Jamestown, La, Teshie, Nungua and Chorkor fishing shores.
In the 2001/2002 academic year, 61,080 pupils had enrolled in Accra, representing 57.17% of the 129,467 school-age 12–to-14-year-olds. The ratio of girls is also higher at this level. However, at 2001 rates, it seemed unlikely that full enrolment at the JSS level was achievable until after 2010.
The high drop-out rate of girls from elementary and secondary education has given a higher proportion of boys to girls at the secondary school level. Moreover, more than half of JHS graduates (70%) do not enter SHS.
Ghana International School (GIS), a private non-profit A-Level school founded in 1955 for children from ages 3–18, is located in Accra's Cantonments. Abelemkpe is the home of Lincoln Community School, a private, non-profit International Baccalaureate (IB) school for students aged 3–18, established in 1968. The American International School
is also situated in Accra.
A number of notable secondary schools lie on the outskirts of Accra: Achimota Secondary School, commonly referred to as "Motown", which was founded in 1924 and opened in 1927; the Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School, commonly known as "Presec"; Aburi Girls Secondary School, popularly known as "Abugiss" and one of the most well-known girls' boarding schools in Ghana; St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, commonly known as "Quinas"; the Accra Academy; West Africa Secondary School, commonly known as "WASS"; the Accra Girls' School, commonly known as "Agiss"; Kaneshie Secondary Technical School ("Kateco"); the Armed Forces Secondary Technical; Accra High School ("Ahisco"); St. John's Grammar School
; Action Senior High & Technical School ("Action"); and the City Secondary and Business College ("Cibusco"), among others.
institution, the University of Ghana
, is located 13 kilometres north of the city centre at Legon
, in the vicinity of the Motown and Presec secondary schools.
The table below lists Accra's public universities and other tertiary institutions.
, which has both civil and military uses. Located 6 miles (10 km) from downtown Accra, the airport handles all of the city's scheduled passenger services. Accra is furthermore the hub of two of Ghana's three main railway lines: those to Kumasi
and Takoradi.
Downtown Accra's streets were not organised in a grid plan
, but rather created as needed. By contrast, the streets of planned housing estates, such as Dansoman Estates, Ringway Estates and Kanda Estates, do follow a grid system.
With Ghana having only 21 passenger automobiles per 1,000 citizens as of 2009, public transportation is the most popular means of getting around Accra. Rail services to Tema
, Takoradi and Kumasi are unreliable and unpopular owing to their limited reach.
project are to be completed in 2011, to be followed by the construction of rail tracks within the following five years. The privately-funded project is to be undertaken by the American
Intercontinental Development Corporation (IDC).
network and numerous taxi ranks, but most taxis lack a meter system, so price negotiation is required between the passenger and driver. Metered taxis do operate in the city, but tend to be more expensive. Taxis in Ghana are painted in two colours: the four bumpers fender
s are yellow/orange, and the rest of the car is in a colour of the operator's choice.
There are various hand signals commonly used when travelling with trotros:
of Kumasi. The Ohene Djan Stadium is home to the Hearts of Oak and the regular pitch of the Black Stars, the national football team. In 2008, the stadium hosted 9 matches in the 2008 African Cup of Nations
.
, are both ranked four stars. There are numerous three-star hotels, including the Hotel Wangara, Hotel Shangri-La and Erata Hotel, as well as many budget hotels. The Accra International Conference Centre and other meeting facilities provide venues for conference tourism, an area in which Ghana leads the rest of the West African sub-region.
Accra furthermore hosts the National Museum
, which houses a large collection of Ghanaian historical treasures; the National Theatre
, with its distinctive modern Chinese architecture
; and the National Cultural Centre, whose arts and crafts bazaar
and traditional textile market host traditional handicrafts from all over Ghana.
The Du Bois Centre houses a research library and gallery of manuscripts, as well as the graves of its namesake, the African-American scholar W.E.B. Du Bois
, and his wife Shirley Graham Du Bois
. The Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum
is the resting place of Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah
, who oversaw the country's independence from British rule and was a leading exponent of Pan-Africanism
.
The city's foremost historical site is the Jamestown area, which contains the national monuments of Ussher Fort
and James Fort, and Osu Castle
(also known as Christiansborg), built by Danish
settlers in the 17th century.
Accra is well known for its Atlantic beachfront. The most popular of the city's beaches is Labadi Beach
, along with Kokrobite Beach, which is located 25 kilometres west of Accra. The beachfront area also houses the Academy of African Music and Arts.
Other sites of note include Golden Jubilee House
(the new residence and office of the President of Ghana
), the Accra Centre for National Culture, the Ohene Djan Stadium, Independence Square
, the Parliament of Ghana
, and the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT.
The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, which was founded in 1943 as the Apostolic Prefecture of Accra. The cathedral itself dates to 1947.
:
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
and largest city of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region
Greater Accra Region
The Greater Accra Region is the smallest of Ghana's 10 administrative regions in terms of area, occupying a total land surface of 3,245 square kilometres or 1.4 per cent of the total land area of Ghana...
and of the Accra Metropolitan District
Accra Metropolis District
The Accra Metropolis District is a district of Ghana in the Greater Accra Region. The district is considered Accra's city proper.-Sources:* * district area information...
, with which it is coterminous. Accra is furthermore the anchor of a larger metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
, the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), which is home to about 4 million people, making it the largest metropolitan conglomeration in Ghana by population, and the eleventh-largest metropolitan area in Africa.
Accra stretches along the Ghanaian Atlantic coast
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and extends north into the country's interior. Originally built around a port, it served as the capital of the British-ruled Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
between 1877 and 1957. Once merely a 19th-century suburb of Victoriaborg
Victoriaborg, Accra
Formed in the late nineteenth century as an exclusive European residential neighborhood, the historic district of Victoriaborg was located to the east of Accra's city limits of the time, behind cliffs where there was reported to ‘always be a breeze.’...
, Accra has since transitioned into a modern metropolis; the city's architecture reflects this history, ranging from 19th-century British colonial buildings to modern skyscrapers and apartment blocks.
Accra is Ghana's primate city
Primate city
A primate city is the leading city in its country or region, disproportionately larger than any others in the urban hierarchy. A 'primate city distribution' has one very large city with many much smaller cities and towns, and no intermediate-sized urban centres, in contrast to the linear 'rank-size...
, serving as the nation's economic and administrative hub. It is furthermore a centre of culture and tourism, sporting a wide range of nightclubs, restaurants and hotels. Since the early 1990s, a number of new buildings have been built, including the multi-storey French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-owned Novotel
Novotel
Novotel is a mid-scale hotel brand within the Accor group. Novotel has close to 400 hotels and resorts in 60 countries, situated in the business districts and tourist destinations of major international cities.-History:...
hotel. The city's National Theatre
National Theatre (Accra)
The National Theatre, opened in 1992 and located in the Victoriaborg district of Accra, Ghana, was built by the Chinese and offered as a gift to Ghana....
was built with Chinese
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
assistance. In 2010, the GaWC designated Accra a Gamma-minus-level world city, indicating a growing level of international influence and connectedness.
The central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Accra contains the city's main banks and department stores, the Cocoa Marketing Board headquarters (dealing with cocoa
Cocoa
Cocoa bean is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids and cocoa butter are extracted...
, Ghana's chief export) and an area known as the Ministries, where Ghana's government administration is concentrated. Economic activities in Accra include the financial and agricultural sectors, Atlantic fishing, and the manufacture of processed food, lumber, plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
, textiles, clothing and chemicals.
History
The word Accra is believed to be derived from the word nkran, meaning "antAnt
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s" in Akan
Akan languages
The Central Tano or Akan languages are languages of the Kwa language family spoken in Ghana and Ivory Coast by the Akan people*Akan language *Bia**North Bia***Anyin***Baoulé***Chakosi ***Sefwi **South Bia***Nzema...
, a reference to the numerous anthills seen in the countryside around Accra. The city was first settled in the 15th century, when the Ga
Ga people
The Ga-Adangbe are an ethnic group in the West African nation of Ghana. It is part of the Dangme ethnic group. The Ga people are grouped as part of theGa–Dangme ethnolinguistic group. They speak Kwa languages...
people migrated there after leaving their previous settlement at Ayawaso, ten miles (16 km) north of Accra. The site was advantageous as it removed the Ga people from the Akwamu people who were their rivals. Initially, Accra was not the most prominent trading centre; the trade hubs of the time were the ports at Ada and Prampram, along with the inland centres of Dodowa and Akusa to the east. However, Accra took on more importance serving as a centre for the slave trade with the Europeans who had built the nearby outposts of James Fort and Ussher Fort. By the 17th century, the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, followed by the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, had constructed forts in the town. Such activity went on in Accra until the abolition of the slave trade in 1807.
In the 1850s, Denmark sold Christiansborg and their other forts to the British. In 1873, after decades of tension between the British and the Asante
Asante
Asante may mean:*The Ashanti people of Ghana*The Ashanti Confederacy, a pre-colonial state in West Africa.*Asante Kotoko, a football club*Empire of Ashanti The ancient state of the ashanti that was powerful around the West African region...
people of central Ghana, the British attacked and virtually destroyed the Asante capital of Kumasi
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
, and officially declared Ghana a crown colony. The British then captured Accra in 1874, and in 1877, at the end of the second Anglo-Asante War
Anglo-Asante Wars
The Anglo-Ashanti Wars were four conflicts between the Ashanti Empire, in the Akan interior of what is now Ghana, and the British Empire in the 19th century between 1824 and 1901. The ruler of the Ashanti was the Asantehene. The wars were mainly over the Ashanti establishing strong control over...
, Accra replaced Cape Coast
Cape Coast
Cape Coast, or Cabo Corso, is the capital of the Central Region of Ghana and is also the capital city of the Fante people, or Mfantsefo. It is situated 165 km west of Accra on the Gulf of Guinea. It has a population of 82,291 . From the 16th century the city has changed hands between the...
as the capital of the British Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
colony. This decision was made because Accra had a drier climate relative to Cape Coast, and was not home to the tsetse fly
Tsetse fly
Tsetse , sometimes spelled tzetze and also known as tik-tik flies, are large biting flies that inhabit much of mid-continental Africa between the Sahara and the Kalahari deserts. They live by feeding on the blood of vertebrate animals and are the primary biological vectors of trypanosomes, which...
, thus allowing the use of animal transport. Until this time, the settlement of Accra was confined between Ussher Fort to the east and the Korle Lagoon to the west.
As the colony's administrative functions were moved to Accra, an influx of British colonists began, and the city began to expand to accommodate the new residents. Victoriaborg
Victoriaborg, Accra
Formed in the late nineteenth century as an exclusive European residential neighborhood, the historic district of Victoriaborg was located to the east of Accra's city limits of the time, behind cliffs where there was reported to ‘always be a breeze.’...
was formed in the late nineteenth century as an exclusive European residential neighborhood, located to the east of the city limits of the time. The boundaries of Accra were further stretched in 1908, following an outbreak of the bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
. This expansion entailed the creation of a native-only neighbourhood, intended to accommodate members of the native population as a means of relieving congestion
Congestion
Congestion generally means excessive crowding.Congestion may refer to:* congestion in heart failure, a term to describe low cardiac output seen in heart failure.* Nasal congestion, the blockage of nasal passages due to swollen membranes...
problems in the overcrowded city centre. Adabraka was thus established to the north of the city centre to serve as an enclave for the town's growing Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
population.
One of the most influential decisions in the history of the city was that of building the Accra-Kumasi railway in 1908. This was to connect Accra, the country's foremost port at that time, with Ghana's main cocoa
Cocoa
Cocoa bean is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids and cocoa butter are extracted...
-producing regions. In 1923 the railway was completed, and by 1924 cocoa was Ghana's largest export. Accra was the main exporter of cocoa until 1928; this was one of the main reasons for its rapid growth.
The British government heavily influenced the shape that Accra took during this period. For example, racial segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
of neighborhoods was mandated by law until 1923, and all new buildings were required to be built out of stone or concrete. Despite these regulations, the British government was very hesitant to invest any large amount of money into the city to maintain its infrastructure or improve public works. This did not change until the governorship of Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg.
Among the achievements of Guggisberg was the building of a bridge across the Korle Lagoon in 1923, which opened the land west of the lagoon for settlement. Guggisberg also oversaw the building of hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s and schools. Such improvements led to an increase in Accra’s population due to the migration of rural dwellers into the city, and the immigration of increasing numbers of British businessmen and administrators.
Post-World War II
In the years following World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the neighbourhoods of Ridge and Cantonments were planned as low-density developments for Europeans, while many rural migrants settled in neighbourhoods which had not yet been incorporated into Accra's municipal boundary, such as Nima or Accra New Town. Thus, the development of these neighbourhoods was unregulated by the government, creating a crowded and jumbled shanty-town landscape.
Another area of Accra that took shape at this time was the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
(CBD). More administrative buildings were built on High Street, forming a massive judicial/administrative complex. Additionally, the expansion of the economy led to many more commercial buildings being built in the CBD.
In 1944, Accra's city planner Maxwell Fry had devised a town plan that was revised in 1958 by BDW Treavallion and Alan Flood. Although the Fry/Trevallion plan was never followed through, it illustrated the British vision of how Accra was intended to develop.
Fry/Treavallion Plan
In the Fry/Treavallion plan, a reorganisation of the CBD was called for, as well as the development of the coastal region of the city. In order to reorganize the CBD, the planners decided to superimpose a tight street grid north of Fort Ussher. To the east of this newly organised CBD, the planners hoped to preserve a broad open space for a restaurant, country club, and poloPolo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
fields. Additionally, the British planners intended to build large numbers of public squares, fountains and ornamental pools and statues throughout the city, as well as a vast Parliament Complex in the city centre. Lastly, the Fry/Treavallion plan included plans to make the coastal region an extension of the exclusive European neighborhood of Victoriaborg
Victoriaborg, Accra
Formed in the late nineteenth century as an exclusive European residential neighborhood, the historic district of Victoriaborg was located to the east of Accra's city limits of the time, behind cliffs where there was reported to ‘always be a breeze.’...
, and to create a recreational preserve for the elite. However, the British colonial rule in Ghana ended before the Fry/Treavallion plan was enacted.
Nkrumah Plan
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
became Ghana's first post-independence Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Ghana
The Prime Minister of Ghana was the head of government of Ghana from 1957 to 1960 and again from 1969 to 1972.-History of the office:The country's first leader and Prime Minister was Kwame Nkrumah of the Convention People's Party...
in 1957, he created his own plan for Accra's development. Instead of creating spaces to serve the elite, Nkrumah sought to create spaces to inspire pride and nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
in his people and people throughout Africa. Rather than creating ornamental fountains and a large Parliament complex, Nkrumah decided to build landmarks such as Independence Square, the State House, and the Organisation of African Unity building, and to refurbish Christianborg Castle.
Nkrumah decided to leave the Atlantic coastal region undeveloped, so as to not detract attention away from the Community Centre or Independence Square, lending both spaces symbolic significance. The Nkrumah plan did not emphasize order nearly as much as the Fry/Treavallion plan did; whereas the British plan strove to lessen crowding in the commercial district and help relieve the overcrowding of neighbourhoods bordering the CBD, the Nkrumah plan allowed for continued compression of commercial establishments into the CBD, as well as increased migration into Jamestown.
Present-day Accra
The modern city is centred around the original Ga town, as well as the BritishGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
forts and their surrounding communities: Jamestown
Jamestown, Ghana
Located directly east of the Korle Lagoon, Jamestown and Usshertown are the oldest districts in the city of Accra, Ghana and emerged as communities around the 17th century British James Fort and Ussher Fort on the Gulf of Guinea coast...
near the British James Fort, Osu
Osu, Ghana
Located about 3 km east of the CBD, Osu is a district in central Accra, Ghana, known for its busy commercial, restaurant and nightlife activity. It is locally known as the 'West End' of Accra. Bounded to the south by the Gulf of Guinea, Osu's western boundary is the Independence Avenue...
near the Danish fort of Christiansborg (now Osu Castle
Osu Castle
Osu Castle, also known as Fort Christiansborg or simply the Castle, is a castle located in Osu, Accra, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean's Gulf of Guinea. The first substantial fort was built by the Danish in the 1660s, though the castle has changed hands between Denmark, Portugal, the Akwamu, the...
), and Ussherstown near the Dutch Ussher fort
Ussher Fort
Ussher Fort is a fort in Accra, Ghana. It was built by the Dutch in 1649 as Fort Crêvecoeur near Fort Christiansborg and Fort James...
.
Today, Accra has several major tourist attractions, including the National Museum of Ghana, the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Archives of Ghana and Ghana's central library, the National Theatre, the Accra Centre for National Culture, a lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
, and the National Sports Stadium. It is also a major transportation hub, home to the Kotoka International Airport
Kotoka International Airport
Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, is the country's premier international airport and has the capacity for large aircraft such as the Boeing 747-800...
and with railway links to Tema
Tema
Tema is a city on the Atlantic coast of Ghana, lying east of the Ghanaian capital city, Accra, in the region of Greater Accra. As of 2005, Tema had a population of 209,000. The Greenwich Meridian passes directly through the city...
, Takoradi and Kumasi
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
.
Geography
Central Accra is compact, centered around the historical British, Danish, and Dutch forts. Over the years, however, with immigration from rural areas, the city has expanded with no regard to zoning, giving it a sprawled attribute. The city of Accra has a total area of 200 square kilometre, and is the anchor city of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), which is made up of the Accra Metropolitan District, Tema Metropolitan District, Ga South Municipal District, Ga East Municipal District, Ga West Municipal District, Adenta Municipal District, Ashaiman Municipal District, Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal District, and the town of Kasoa in the Awutu Senya District of the Central RegionCentral Region (Ghana)
The Central Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It is bordered by the Ashanti and Eastern regions to the north, Western region to the west, Greater Accra region to the east, and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean.-Districts:...
.
The intersection of the Lafa stream and Mallam junction serves as the western border of the city. The Great Hall of the University of Ghana
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian universities and tertiary institutions. It is one of the best universities in Africa and by far the most prestigious in West Africa...
forms Accra's northern border, while the Nautical College forms the eastern border. The Gulf of Guinea
Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean between Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian is in the gulf....
forms the southern border. These borders notwithstanding, points of conflict with adjoining districts exist, resulting in a de facto shrinking of the city limits in recent years.
Neighborhoods
Owing to its sprawled nature, Accra has a vast number of neighbourhoods. The growth of the city has outstripped the rate of provision of services such as waste collection, potable water and electricity, giving rise to slumSlum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
s. According to a UN Habitat report, Accra has 25 major slums. While some slum settlements, such as the so-called Sodom
Sodom
- Places :* Sodom and Gomorrah, infamous Biblical cities* Sodom, Ontario, Canada* Mount Sodom or Mount Sedom, Israel* Mount Sudum and valley near Lund Khwar, Pakistan Lund Khwar#Holy war against the Sikh* Winschoten or Sodom, Netherlands...
and Gomorrah
Gomorrah
Gomorrah or Gomorra may refer to:* Sodom and Gomorrah, infamous biblical cities* Gomorrah , by Roberto Saviano** Gomorrah , based on the book* Operation Gomorrah, the Bombing of Hamburg in World War II in July 1943...
shanty towns, are being demolished because of their negative effect on the environment, a pilot program at slum upgrading has begun in Nima and Maamobi.
Accra Central
The Ring Road, extending from the Korle Lagoon in the west, north to Kwame Nkrumah Circle, following east to the juncture of Independence Avenue, and continuing on to Osu, forms a ring around the oldest districts of Accra, and separates central Accra from the outlying suburbs.Central Accra includes the CBD, which consists of the historic districts of Usshertown, Tudu, Victoriaborg
Victoriaborg, Accra
Formed in the late nineteenth century as an exclusive European residential neighborhood, the historic district of Victoriaborg was located to the east of Accra's city limits of the time, behind cliffs where there was reported to ‘always be a breeze.’...
, West Ridge
West Ridge, Accra
West Ridge is a district of Accra, Ghana bounded to the south by Kinbu Gardens. Barnes Road serves as the district's western boundary, while the Independence Avenue/Liberation Avenue is the eastern boundary. Castle Road separates West Ridge from the northern district of North Ridge...
, and East Ridge
East Ridge, Accra
East Ridge is a district of Accra, Ghana bounded to the south and East by Sir Charles Quist Street. Independence Avenue serves as the district's western boundary...
, as well as the historic residential districts of Jamestown, Adabraka, Asylum Down, North Ridge
North Ridge, Accra
North Ridge is a district of Accra, Ghana bounded to the south by Castle Road. The Kanda highway serves as the district's western boundary, while the Independence Avenue/Liberation Avenue is the eastern boundary. The Ring road separates North Ridge from the northern district of Kanda. The...
and Christiansborg/Osu.
Although satellite business districts such as the Airport City have been established across the city, Central Accra remains the administrative and cultural centre of Accra, hosting the nation's government ministries, hotels and businesses, along with the headquarters of many of Ghana's major financial institutions.
Central Accra's principal attractions include the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum
Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum
The Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and memorial park is located in downtown Accra, the capital of Ghana.It is dedicated to the prominent Ghanaian leader Kwame Nkrumah .A video of the mausoleum can be found here. [GhanaClips -References:*...
, the National Museum, Independence Square
Independence Arch (Accra)
The Independence Square of Accra, Ghana, inscribed with the words "Freedom and Justice, AD 1957", commemorates the independence of Ghana, a first for Sub Saharan Africa...
, the National Theatre
National Theatre (Accra)
The National Theatre, opened in 1992 and located in the Victoriaborg district of Accra, Ghana, was built by the Chinese and offered as a gift to Ghana....
, and the Ohene Djan Stadium.
Accra North
Northern Accra is a major residential and business district. The area also contains important landmarks such as the "37" Military Hospital, Golden Jubilee HouseGolden Jubilee House
The Golden Jubilee House is a presidential palace in Accra which serves as a residence and office to the President of Ghana. It replaced the seat of government at Osu Castle. The original budget of $30m was a loan from the Indian government. However BBC journalist David Amanor reported the...
, several important foreign embassies, Achimota School
Achimota School
Achimota School , is an elite and highly selective co-educational secondary school located at Achimota in Accra, Ghana. It was established and commenced operations in 1924 and formally opened in 1927 by Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg -- then governor of the Gold Coast...
, Achimota Golf Park, and the University of Ghana
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian universities and tertiary institutions. It is one of the best universities in Africa and by far the most prestigious in West Africa...
's Legon campus, which serves as the city's northern boundary.
Geographically, for the purposes of this article, the areas north of Ring Road West and Central, east of Winneba/Graphic Road, and west of Liberation Road will be regarded as Northern Accra. The districts just north and south of the Kwame Nkrumah motorway will also be included in this classification.
An administrative border dispute is ongoing between the Accra Metropolitan Area and the Ga East Municipality. Thus, the settlements of West Legon/Westlands, Achimota, and Christian Village, which are west of the University of Ghana and located in the Ga East Municipal area, are sometimes included as neighbourhoods in the city of Accra.
Accra East
Eastern Accra is largely residential, and geographically north of Ring Road East, stretching as far north as Kwame Nkrumah Motorway; the district is bordered to the west by Liberation Road.Accra West
Western Accra is largely a residential and business area. Whilst geographically less expansive than the northern and eastern reaches of the city as a result of the large saltponds of Tettegu and Aplaku, it nonetheless boasts one of Accra's most important landmarks, the Korle Bu Teaching HospitalKorle Bu Teaching Hospital
The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is the premier health care facility in Ghana. It is the only tertiary hospital in the southern part of Ghana and it is also a teaching hospital affiliated with the medical school of the University of Ghana...
.
Geographically, the areas west of Ring Road West, extending as far west as the saltponds and south of Graphic Road, are considered Accra West.
Climate
Owing to its location in the Dahomey GapDahomey Gap
In West Africa, the Dahomey Gap refers to the portion of the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic that extends all the way to the coast in Benin, Togo and Ghana, thus separating the forest zone that covers much of the south of the region into two separate parts...
, where the coast runs parallel to the prevailing moist monsoonal winds, Accra features a tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a type of climate that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories "Aw" and '"As."...
that borders on a semi-arid climate. The average annual rainfall is about 730 mm, which falls primarily during Ghana's two rainy seasons. The chief rainy season begins in April and ends in mid-July, whilst a weaker second rainy season occurs in October. Rain usually falls in short intensive storms and give rise to local flooding where drainage channels are obstructed.
There is very little variation in temperature throughout the year. The mean monthly temperature ranges from 24.7 °C (76.5 °F) in August (the coolest) to 28 °C (82.4 °F) in March (the hottest), with an annual average of 26.8 °C (80.2 °F). It should be noted, however, that the "cooler" months tend to be more humid than the warmer months. As a result, during the warmer months and particularly during the windy harmattan
Harmattan
The Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind. It blows south from the Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March...
season, the city experiences a breezy "dry heat" that feels less warm than the "cooler" but more humid rainy season.
As Accra is close to the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
, the daylight hours are practically uniform during the year. Relative humidity is generally high, varying from 65% in the mid-afternoon to 95% at night. The predominant wind direction in Accra is from the WSW to NNE sectors. Wind speeds normally range between 8 to 16 km/h. High wind gusts occur with thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
s, which generally pass in squall
Squall
A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed which is usually associated with active weather, such as rain showers, thunderstorms, or heavy snow. Squalls refer to an increase in the sustained winds over a short time interval, as there may be higher gusts during a squall event...
along the coast.
The maximum wind speed record in Accra is 107.4 km/h (58 knots). Strong winds associated with thunderstorm activity often cause damage to property by removing roofing material. Several areas of Accra experience micro-climatic effects. Low-profile drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
s with a north-south orientation are not as well ventilated as those orientated east-west.
Air is often trapped in pockets over the city, and an insulation effect can give rise to a local increase in air temperature of several degrees. This occurs most notably in the Accra Newtown sports complex areas.
Demographics
With an estimated population of about 3.9 million, Accra is today one of the largest and fastest-growing cities in Africa, with an annual growth rate of 3.36%.The period between 1960 and 1970 saw rapid industrialisation and expansion in Accra's manufacturing and commercial sectors. This contributed to high rural-urban migration to the city, and consequently a high population growth rate.
The stagnation of the Ghanaian economy during the 1970s slowed the growth of Accra’s population, as shown by the falling growth rate of the 1970-1984 intercensal years. Later, however, the decline in agriculture in rural communities in Ghana and rising industrialisation in urban regions, coupled with the late-1980s boom in the service sector, once again propelled immigration to Accra.
The primacy of the Accra Metropolitan Area as Ghana's administrative, educational, industrial and commercial centre continues to be the major force for its rapid population growth, with migration contributing to over 35% of the city's population growth.
Distribution and density
The gross density of population for the Accra Metropolitan Area in 2000 was 10.03 persons per hectare, compared to 6.23 per hectare in 1970. The highest densities were recorded in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, with an overall average of 69.3 persons per hectare.At the community level, densities exceeding 250 persons per hectare occurred mostly in the immigrant and depressed areas in the oldest parts of Accra, such as Accra New Town, Nima, James Town and Ussher Town. In higher-income areas, densities ranged between 17.5 and 40 persons per hectare.
Population distribution by age and gender
Accra’s population is a very youthful one, with 56% of the population being under 24 years of age. This predominance of young people is not expected to decline in the foreseeable future, short of a change in the pro-natalist tendencies among Ghanaians and an improvement in the impact of family planningFamily planning
Family planning is the planning of when to have children, and the use of birth control and other techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexuality education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, pre-conception counseling and...
, which has so far been limited. Fifty-one percent (51%) of the population are females, and the remaining 49% males. This gives a males-to-females ratio of 1:1.04. The greater number of females is a reflection of the nationwide trend, where the estimated ratio of males to females is 1:1.03.
Migration
Decentralisation and birth control policies are expected to reduce both the natural birth and migration rates in Accra. However, the city's infrastructure and economic growth will for a long time make it a more attractive place for unemployed rural dwellers, as well as public servants and national and international investors.An assessment of the extent of migration to Accra, based on present locality and sex, reveals that 44% of residents in Accra are migrants. This reflects the cosmopolitan nature of the metropolis, but has adverse implications on the mobilisation of communities for development.
Housing characteristics
Parts of inner-city Accra comprise a mixture of very low-density development with under-utilised service infrastructure on the one hand, and indigenous, low-class, and high-density development with depressed conditions and overstretched infrastructure services on the other.The rapid growth of Accra has led to the neglect of some of the old indigenous settlements, whilst efforts are being made to provide the newly developing suburban areas with services and infrastructure to cater for the needs of the middle-income earners mostly found there.
The result is that the older indigenous areas of Accra, such as Ga Mashie, are experiencing decay. Calls are being made for proactive efforts of inner city revitalisation to address this issue.
Peripheral residential development in Accra is usually haphazard, with barely sufficient infrastructure to support it. There are also large numbers of uncompleted houses, interspersed with pockets of undeveloped land, which are often subject of litigation, due to the inability of organisations and individuals who own them to complete or develop them due to lack of funds.
Housing can be grouped into three broad categories: the low-income, middle-income and high-income areas. The low-income housing zones may be divided into indigenous and non-indigenous (dominantly migrant) areas. The low-income indigenous housing areas comprise Osu, Jamestown, Adedenkpo, Chorkor, La, Teshie and Nungua.
The low-income non-indigenous housing areas include Sukura, Kwashieman, Odorkor, Bubiashie, Abeka, Nima, Maamobi and Chorkor. Altogether, these areas accommodate about 58% of Accra’s total population. Most of the city's informal businesses are located in low-income areas, which are the first place of abode for any new job-seeking migrant.
Housing conditions
Almost all low-income areas are built up with little room for expansion. This is particularly so in the indigenous areas of the inner city. Conditions are generally depressed, with poor supporting social and engineering infrastructure.Buildings are of poor-quality material, often using mud, untreated timber and zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
roofing sheets for walling. The housing environment is characterised by haphazard development, inadequate housing infrastructure, poor drainage, erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
and high population concentrations.
The middle-income areas of Accra are predominantly populated by business, administrative and professional families. Much of the housing in these areas has been provided by state, parastatal and private sector organisations and individuals.
The middle-income areas include Dansoman Estates, North Kaneshie Estates, Asylum Down, Kanda Estates, Abelempke, Achimota and Tesano. Usually, these areas, unlike the low-income areas, are planned developments, but are in need of infrastructure services. Building materials and general housing conditions are of better quality. The middle-income group comprises 32% of the city's population.
The high-income areas provide housing for the remaining 10% of the population. They include areas like North and West Ridge, Ringway Estates, north Labone Estates, Airport Residential Area, Roman Ridge, East Legon. These areas are all planned and have well developed infrastructure with spacious and landscaped ground in sharp contrast with, particularly, the low-income areas. Buildings are usually built with sandcrete
Sandcrete
Sandcrete is a yellow-white building material made from Portland cement and sand in a ratio of circa 1:8. It is similar but weaker than mortar, for which the ratio is circa 1:5....
blocks, and have walls and roofed with aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
, or asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
roofing sheets.
There are also high-income peripheral areas like Hatso, Adenta, Taifa, Mallam, where development of engineering infrastructure is not yet complete. These areas developed ahead of infrastructure and consequently lack almost all utility services. Building materials used are similar to those in the middle and high-income zones.
In total, 84.4% of all houses in the Accra Metropolitan Area have their outside walls made up of cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
, as compared to 63.3% for other Ghanaian urban areas, and 44.8% for the nation in general. Similarly, houses found within Accra have 99.2% of their floor materials made up of cement, while the figures for other urban areas and the nation are 95.1% and 84.7% respectively. It can therefore be inferred that, although in some instances low-income areas have exhibited poor housing conditions, the general quality of housing in Accra is significantly better than that of other urban areas and Ghanaian housing in general.
Conditions are nonetheless much worse in the low-income areas, with very high pressures on facilities – on average, there are about 30 people per toilet, 48 per kitchen and 22 per bathroom in the Accran slums. This is due to a combination of inadequate facilities, continual population growth and the conversion of facility spaces to other uses.
Government
Accra has a mayoral council government system in which the mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
is vested with extensive executive powers. The mayor is appointed by the President
President of Ghana
The President of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana. Officially styled President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghanaian Armed Forces. The current President of Ghana is Prof. John Atta Mills, who took office in January...
of the Republic of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and approved by the city council, although the public has expressed a desire to increase mayoral accountability by holding free mayoral elections. The current mayor of Accra is Alfred Vanderpuije, appointed by President John Atta Mills in 2009.
The Accra Assembly has a total of 104 members. Of these, 70% are elected and 30% are government appointees. The Town and Country Planning Department is responsible for land-use planning in the metropolis.
As the capital of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Accra is the home of the national administration, including the Ministries and Parliament
Parliament of Ghana
The Parliament of Ghana is the legislative body of the Ghanaian government.-History:Legislative representation in Ghana dates back to 1850, when the country was a British colony. The body, called the Legislative Council, was purely advisory as the Governor exercised all legislative and executive...
. Accra also serves as the home of the Supreme Court of Ghana
Supreme Court of Ghana
The Supreme Court of Ghana is the highest judicial body in Ghana. Ghana's 1992 constitution guarantees the independence and separation of the Judiciary from the Legislative and the Executive arms of government.-History:...
, and is the headquarters of the Bank of Ghana
Bank of Ghana
The Bank of Ghana is the central bank of Ghana. It is located in Accra and was formed in 1957. Its name is abbreviated to BOG.-Brief Historical Background:...
.
Due to its size, Accra is divided into 11 sub-metropolitan areas:
- Ablekuma Central
- Ablekuma North
- Ablekuma South
- Ashiedu Keteke
- Ayawaso Central
- Ayawaso East
- Ayawaso West Wuogon
- La
- Okaikoi North
- Okaikoi South
- Osu Klottey
Economy
In 2008, the World BankWorld Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
estimated that Accra's economy constituted around 10% of Ghana's total gross domestic product
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
(GDP), or around US$3 billion. The economically active population of Accra is estimated to be 823,327, but the daily influx of commuters from dormitory towns outside the city inflates this figure on most days.
Accra is a major centre for manufacturing, marketing, finance, insurance, transportation and tourism. It has about 350 major industrial establishments, and its financial sector incorporates a central bank, 9 commercial banks (with 81 branches), 4 development banks (with 19 branches), 4 merchant banks (with 7 branches), 3 discount houses, 1 home finance mortgage Bank, multiple building societies, a stock exchange
Stock exchange
A stock exchange is an entity that provides services for stock brokers and traders to trade stocks, bonds, and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for issue and redemption of securities and other financial instruments, and capital events including the payment of income and...
, 218 foreign exchange
Foreign exchange market
The foreign exchange market is a global, worldwide decentralized financial market for trading currencies. Financial centers around the world function as anchors of trading between a wide range of different types of buyers and sellers around the clock, with the exception of weekends...
bureaux, 9 finance houses, 9 insurance companies, 12 insurance brokerage firms, 2 savings and loans companies, and a host of real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
developers. The road network in the Accra Metropolitan Area totals about 1117.89 km, made up of 918.10 km paved and 199.8 km of unpaved roads.
There are over 50,506 identified residential properties, and about 4,054 commercial/industrial/mixed properties, with a total rateable value of GH¢13,849,014. There are also 29 markets, 36 facilities for both on–street and off-street parking, and over 120,000 units of wholesale, retail and other self-employed businesses, as well as several facilities for sports and recreation, and many tourist centres.
Sectors of the economy
The sectors of Accra's economy consist of the primary (farming, fishing, mining and quarrying), secondary and (manufacturing, electricity, gas, water, construction) and tertiary sectors (wholesale trade, retail trade, hotel, restaurant, transportation, storage, communication, financial intermediation, real estate service, public administration, education, health and other social services). The tertiary service sector is the city's largest, employing about 531,670 people. The second largest, the secondary sector, employs 22.34% of the labor force, or around 183,934 people. Accra has 114,198 of its workforce unemployed, making an unemployment rate of 12.2%.Primary sector
The primary sector, the smallest economic sector of Accra, employs 91, 556. The predominant primary economic activities are fishing and urban agricultureUrban agriculture
Urban agriculture is the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing food in, or around, a village, town or city. Urban agriculture in addition can also involve animal husbandry, aquaculture, agro-forestry and horticulture...
, with fishing accounting for 77.8% of production labour.
Farming is practised mostly by families, often without the benefits of modern methods of production. Farming in Accra centres around the growth of vegetables such as okro, garden eggs, tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
es, carrot
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
s, cucumber
Cucumber
The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
s, cabbage
Cabbage
Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
, cauliflower
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed...
, and lettuce
Lettuce
Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...
. The volume of production of these crops is negligible and declining. The increasing land value in Accra is resulting in urban agricultural land being converted to commercial and economic purposes.
Poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
production is constrained by the high cost of feed. The metropolis has a number of domestic animals, mostly sheep and goats, which depend on the area's natural vegetation for feed. However, large quantities of meat and various dairy products are imported from neighbouring countries and abroad to supplement local production.
The fishing industry is the most important sub-sector, with 10% of the catch being exported and the rest consumed locally. The main types of fish caught include redfish
Redfish
Redfish is a common name for several species of fish. It is most commonly applied to members of the deep-sea genus Sebastes, or the reef dwelling snappers, Lutjanus. It is also applied to the slimeheads or roughies , and the alfonsinos ....
, red bullet
Red Bullet
Red Bullet is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2000 Preakness Stakes. Bred and raced by auto parts magnate Frank Stronach, he was sired by Unbridled, the 1990 American Champion 3-Year-Old Male Horse and winner of that year's Breeders' Cup Classic...
, herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
, sardine
Sardine
Sardines, or pilchards, are several types of small, oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. Sardines are named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which they were once abundant....
s, tuna
Tuna
Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
, yellowfish and grouper
Grouper
Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes.Not all serranids are called groupers; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name grouper is usually given to fish in one of two large genera: Epinephelus...
. There are also significant quantities of shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
s and sole
Sole
Sole may refer to:* Sole , the bottom of the foot* Sole , the bottom supporting member of the shoe-Business:* Sole proprietorship, a business which legally has no separate existence from its owner...
caught. The industry is characterized by extreme seasonableness, operating primarily between June and September, especially in the case of herring and sardine fishing. As a result of Accra's lack of modern refrigerate storage facilities, prices tend to drop during the peak fishing season, resulting in the under-utilization of fishing resources. The bulk of the marine catch during the fishing season is caught by small canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
fishermen, who have little or no link with credit institutions to support the expansion of their businesses.
Although most deep-water Atlantic fishing around Accra takes place in the June–September period, fishing operations take place close to the shore throughout the year, and there are clear indications of the depletion of fish stocks
Overfishing
Overfishing occurs when fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level. This can occur in any body of water from a pond to the oceans....
in the near future. Fishing operations are most prominent at the Jamestown, La, Teshie, Nungua and Chorkor fishing shores.
Pre-school
In 2001, there were a total of 7,923 children (3,893 girls and 4,030 boys) in pre-schools in Accra. Pre-schools are regulated by the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, and are mostly privately-owned and operated. In 2001, there were 62 government-owned pre-schools in the Accra metropolis.Primary school
Primary school enrolment in 2001 was 101,531, although the school-going population of 6-11 year olds was 279,087 pupils, resulting in an apparent school attendance rate of only 36.38%. The enrolment of girls is higher than that of boys. In order to have full enrolment by 2001 standards, 244,241 new school places would have to be provided, representing about 24,500 new places annually for 10 years.Junior high school (JHS)
The Junior High School is part of Ghana's basic education program. Its nationwide implementation began on 29 September 1987.In the 2001/2002 academic year, 61,080 pupils had enrolled in Accra, representing 57.17% of the 129,467 school-age 12–to-14-year-olds. The ratio of girls is also higher at this level. However, at 2001 rates, it seemed unlikely that full enrolment at the JSS level was achievable until after 2010.
Senior high school (SHS)
The transition rate between junior high and senior high school is assumed to increase from 30 per cent in 1990 to 50 per cent in 2001. The number of students is expected to grow by 23,102 between 1990 and 2005, an increase of about 2,310 a year. This will require 3 schools at a cost of 4,200 million Cedis, based on an average school enrolment of 979.84 students.The high drop-out rate of girls from elementary and secondary education has given a higher proportion of boys to girls at the secondary school level. Moreover, more than half of JHS graduates (70%) do not enter SHS.
Ghana International School (GIS), a private non-profit A-Level school founded in 1955 for children from ages 3–18, is located in Accra's Cantonments. Abelemkpe is the home of Lincoln Community School, a private, non-profit International Baccalaureate (IB) school for students aged 3–18, established in 1968. The American International School
American International School of Accra
American International School—Accra, Ghana , was founded in 2006 to provide quality education for the international community. Located in East Legon, Accra Ghana, AIS offers limited bus service from the Cantonments and Labone areas of Accra. AIS provides an American curriculum for students from...
is also situated in Accra.
A number of notable secondary schools lie on the outskirts of Accra: Achimota Secondary School, commonly referred to as "Motown", which was founded in 1924 and opened in 1927; the Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School, commonly known as "Presec"; Aburi Girls Secondary School, popularly known as "Abugiss" and one of the most well-known girls' boarding schools in Ghana; St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, commonly known as "Quinas"; the Accra Academy; West Africa Secondary School, commonly known as "WASS"; the Accra Girls' School, commonly known as "Agiss"; Kaneshie Secondary Technical School ("Kateco"); the Armed Forces Secondary Technical; Accra High School ("Ahisco"); St. John's Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
; Action Senior High & Technical School ("Action"); and the City Secondary and Business College ("Cibusco"), among others.
Universities
Ghana's first tertiary educationTertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, university-preparatory school...
institution, the University of Ghana
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian universities and tertiary institutions. It is one of the best universities in Africa and by far the most prestigious in West Africa...
, is located 13 kilometres north of the city centre at Legon
Legon
Legon, a suburb of the Ghanaian capital city Accra, is situated about twelve kilometres north-east of the city center. Legon is home to the main campus of the University of Ghana. The word "Legon" is derived from the indigenous Ga language of the people of Greater Accra; NI-LEY GON therefore "Hill...
, in the vicinity of the Motown and Presec secondary schools.
The table below lists Accra's public universities and other tertiary institutions.
| Institution | Location | Public/Private | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Ghana | Legon | Public | |
| Ghana Telecom University College | Tesano | Private | |
| Islamic University College | East Legon | Private | University of Ghana |
| Knutsford College | East Legon | Private | University of Ghana |
| Methodist University College | Dansoman | Private | University of Ghana |
| Regent University College of Science and Technology | Mataheko | Private | Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology |
| Ashesi University College | Labone | Private | University of Cape Coast |
| Central University College | Mataheko | Private | University of Cape Coast |
| Advanced Business College | Kaneshie | Private | University of Education, Winneba |
| Ghana Institute Of Management and Public Administration(GIMPA) | Achimota | Public | |
| The Institute of Professional Studies | Legon | Accra | Public |
| National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) | Cantonments | Public | University of Ghana |
Transportation
Accra is served by Kotoka International AirportKotoka International Airport
Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, is the country's premier international airport and has the capacity for large aircraft such as the Boeing 747-800...
, which has both civil and military uses. Located 6 miles (10 km) from downtown Accra, the airport handles all of the city's scheduled passenger services. Accra is furthermore the hub of two of Ghana's three main railway lines: those to Kumasi
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
and Takoradi.
Downtown Accra's streets were not organised in a grid plan
Grid plan
The grid plan, grid street plan or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid...
, but rather created as needed. By contrast, the streets of planned housing estates, such as Dansoman Estates, Ringway Estates and Kanda Estates, do follow a grid system.
With Ghana having only 21 passenger automobiles per 1,000 citizens as of 2009, public transportation is the most popular means of getting around Accra. Rail services to Tema
Tema
Tema is a city on the Atlantic coast of Ghana, lying east of the Ghanaian capital city, Accra, in the region of Greater Accra. As of 2005, Tema had a population of 209,000. The Greenwich Meridian passes directly through the city...
, Takoradi and Kumasi are unreliable and unpopular owing to their limited reach.
Metro monorail
Feasibility studies for a $1.5 billion monorailMonorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
project are to be completed in 2011, to be followed by the construction of rail tracks within the following five years. The privately-funded project is to be undertaken by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Intercontinental Development Corporation (IDC).
Taxis
Accra has an extensive taxiTaxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
network and numerous taxi ranks, but most taxis lack a meter system, so price negotiation is required between the passenger and driver. Metered taxis do operate in the city, but tend to be more expensive. Taxis in Ghana are painted in two colours: the four bumpers fender
Fender
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, commonly referred to as simply Fender, of Scottsdale, Arizona is a manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers, such as solid-body electric guitars, including the Stratocaster and the Telecaster...
s are yellow/orange, and the rest of the car is in a colour of the operator's choice.
Trotros
By far the most common form of transport in Accra, trotros (motor vehicles repurposed for passenger transport) are the most efficient and cost-effective way of getting around the city. Trotros stop at any bus stop or gathering of people, and can also be found at truck stations, such as the Neoplan station. Waving the hand (palm down) up and down at an oncoming trotro gets the driver’s mate's attention, who in turn will shout out the trotro's destination.There are various hand signals commonly used when travelling with trotros:
- Pointing the index finger of the right hand up means ‘to Accra Central’.
- Pointing the right index finger down and making a circular motion with the finger means ‘to Kwame Nkrumah Circle’, a major circle in Accra.
- Pointing the index finger forward repeatedly means 'to Legon/Madina/Adenta'.
Buses
In 2003, the Metro Mass Transit Service was inaugurated in Accra as a more comfortable and cheaper alternative to the trotro. However, the services of these buses have not been highly used. Recently, plans have been afoot to develop a more advanced rapid transit bus system for the city and its metropolitan area. This project is aimed at creating an "integrated, efficient, cost-effective and sustainable transportation system responsive to the needs of society, supporting growth and poverty reduction".Sport
Football is the most popular sport in Accra, as in the rest of the country. The most famous football club in the city is Accra Hearts of Oak, whose main rivals are Asante KotokoAsante Kotoko
Asante Kotoko Football Club, also known as Asante Kotoko, is one of the biggest and most successful football clubs in Ghana as well as being one of the more successful teams in Africa, having won twenty national league titles. They have also twice been champions of Africa. The club's home ground is...
of Kumasi. The Ohene Djan Stadium is home to the Hearts of Oak and the regular pitch of the Black Stars, the national football team. In 2008, the stadium hosted 9 matches in the 2008 African Cup of Nations
2008 African Cup of Nations
The 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the MTN Africa Cup of Nations due to the competition's sponsorship by MTN, was the 26th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football tournament for nations affiliated to the Confederation of African Football . The tournament was staged at...
.
Attractions
Accra is Ghana's cultural and tourist hub, sporting a wide variety of hotels, monuments, museums and nightclubs. The city has three five-star hotels: the Labadi Beach Hotel, the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel and the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel. The Golden Tulip Hotel and Novotel Accra, located in Accra's central business districtCentral business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
, are both ranked four stars. There are numerous three-star hotels, including the Hotel Wangara, Hotel Shangri-La and Erata Hotel, as well as many budget hotels. The Accra International Conference Centre and other meeting facilities provide venues for conference tourism, an area in which Ghana leads the rest of the West African sub-region.
National museum
A national museum is a museum maintained by a nation.The following is a list of national museums:-Australia:*Australian National Aviation Museum*Australian National Maritime Museum*, Sydney*Australian War Memorial*Museum Victoria...
, which houses a large collection of Ghanaian historical treasures; the National Theatre
National Theatre (Accra)
The National Theatre, opened in 1992 and located in the Victoriaborg district of Accra, Ghana, was built by the Chinese and offered as a gift to Ghana....
, with its distinctive modern Chinese architecture
Chinese architecture
Chinese architecture refers to a style of architecture that has taken shape in East Asia over many centuries. The structural principles of Chinese architecture have remained largely unchanged, the main changes being only the decorative details...
; and the National Cultural Centre, whose arts and crafts bazaar
Bazaar
A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...
and traditional textile market host traditional handicrafts from all over Ghana.
The Du Bois Centre houses a research library and gallery of manuscripts, as well as the graves of its namesake, the African-American scholar W.E.B. Du Bois
W.E.B. Du Bois
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, and editor. Born in Massachusetts, Du Bois attended Harvard, where he was the first African American to earn a doctorate...
, and his wife Shirley Graham Du Bois
Shirley Graham Du Bois
Shirley Graham Du Bois was an American-born author, playwright, composer, and activist for African-American and other causes, as well as spouse of noted African-American thinker, writer, and activist W. E. B...
. The Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum
Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum
The Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and memorial park is located in downtown Accra, the capital of Ghana.It is dedicated to the prominent Ghanaian leader Kwame Nkrumah .A video of the mausoleum can be found here. [GhanaClips -References:*...
is the resting place of Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
, who oversaw the country's independence from British rule and was a leading exponent of Pan-Africanism
Pan-Africanism
Pan-Africanism is a movement that seeks to unify African people or people living in Africa, into a "one African community". Differing types of Pan-Africanism seek different levels of economic, racial, social, or political unity...
.
Ussher Fort
Ussher Fort is a fort in Accra, Ghana. It was built by the Dutch in 1649 as Fort Crêvecoeur near Fort Christiansborg and Fort James...
and James Fort, and Osu Castle
Osu Castle
Osu Castle, also known as Fort Christiansborg or simply the Castle, is a castle located in Osu, Accra, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean's Gulf of Guinea. The first substantial fort was built by the Danish in the 1660s, though the castle has changed hands between Denmark, Portugal, the Akwamu, the...
(also known as Christiansborg), built by Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
settlers in the 17th century.
Accra is well known for its Atlantic beachfront. The most popular of the city's beaches is Labadi Beach
Labadi Beach
Labadi Beach or more properly La Pleasure Beach is the busiest beach on Ghana's coast.It is one of Accra's few beaches and is maintained by the local hotels. An entrance fee to those not staying the hotels is charged. On holidays and weekends there are often performances of reggae, hiplife,...
, along with Kokrobite Beach, which is located 25 kilometres west of Accra. The beachfront area also houses the Academy of African Music and Arts.
Other sites of note include Golden Jubilee House
Golden Jubilee House
The Golden Jubilee House is a presidential palace in Accra which serves as a residence and office to the President of Ghana. It replaced the seat of government at Osu Castle. The original budget of $30m was a loan from the Indian government. However BBC journalist David Amanor reported the...
(the new residence and office of the President of Ghana
President of Ghana
The President of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana. Officially styled President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghanaian Armed Forces. The current President of Ghana is Prof. John Atta Mills, who took office in January...
), the Accra Centre for National Culture, the Ohene Djan Stadium, Independence Square
Black Star Square
Black Star Square, also known as Independence Square, is a public square in Accra, Ghana. It holds a memorial to three Ghanaians shot and killed by colonial authorities. It is also a common site for parades and national festivals....
, the Parliament of Ghana
Parliament of Ghana
The Parliament of Ghana is the legislative body of the Ghanaian government.-History:Legislative representation in Ghana dates back to 1850, when the country was a British colony. The body, called the Legislative Council, was purely advisory as the Governor exercised all legislative and executive...
, and the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT.
The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, which was founded in 1943 as the Apostolic Prefecture of Accra. The cathedral itself dates to 1947.
Sister cities
Accra has two official sister cities, as recognized by Sister Cities InternationalSister Cities International
Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
:
| City | Country | Date | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
 ChicagoChicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... , Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
1989 | |
| Washington, DC |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
2006 |
External links
- Google Earth image of Accra, Ghana
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/georgeappiah/2772298616/sizes/l/in/photostream/
- Interesting pictures of Accra