Ada Foah

Last updated

Ada Foah
Ada
District Capital
Ada Foah Fort.jpg
Old trading fort at Ada Foah
Ghana adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Ada Foah
Location in Ghana
Coordinates: 5°47′N0°38′E / 5.783°N 0.633°E / 5.783; 0.633
Country Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana
Region Greater Accra Region
District Ada East

Ada Foah is a town on the southeast coast of Ghana, where the Volta River meets the Atlantic Ocean. The town is located along the Volta River, off of the Accra-Aflao motorway. Known for palm-lined beaches and estuary islands, Ada Foah is also the capital of the Ada East District (formerly Dangme East District) and the seat of the District Assembly. [1]

Contents

History

Dutch colonialism into Ada in the 16th century saw development of a trading post in 1775. The name "Foah" comes from the word Fort, [2] as from 1783, Fort Kongenstein was built by the Dutch and used in the Transatlantic Slave Trade [3] and Sub-Saharan Slave Trade. The fort was purchased by the English on 15 March 1850. [4]

Only traces of Fort Kongenstein are found in Ada, in the Greater Accra Region. The port of Ada is located at the mouth of the Volta River. Ada people were sold and shipped to the Americas through this fort as slaves. The fort has almost disappeared into the sea and is half eroded, gradually washing the building that once used to be a prison into the ocean. [5] As rising water levels continues to jeopardise the coast and local communities, construction of the sea defence wall hope to stop this progress. [6] [7]

British colonial rule was imposed at the end of the 19th century. Trading with the Europeans in the transatlantic slave trade, Ada became a major market for the slave trade in human exports. After the slave trade had been abolished, the Dangmes traded products of the African tropical forests (mostly palm oil, palm kernels and rubber).[ citation needed ]

Ada used to be a major trading centre and trade was one of the main sources of income. There were large warehouses for storing the trading goods close to the seaside. Its location at the estuary ensured a quick transportation along the Volta River up to the north of the country.

Ada today

Today, Ada is a shadow of its former self as far as social life and economic activities are concerned. There are hardly any traces of physical structures such as forts, factories and shops remaining, since large parts of the town have been eroded and washed into the sea. Especially with the start of the cocoa industry, Ada lost its importance, since cocoa was transported on the road instead of the river and was harvested far away from the Volta River. Also, the construction of the hydroelectric dam, in Akosombo, completed in 1965, dried up the Volta River and ships could no longer pass. [8] Nene Abram Kabu Akuaku III is the current Paramount Chief of the Ada Traditional Area. [9]

Tourism

Beach in Ada Foah Beach in Ada Foah.jpg
Beach in Ada Foah

Ada Foah is the tourism centre of the Ada East District with its beaches, the estuary and many tourism attractions and services. With the river and the ocean, Ada Foah is famous for water sports like swimming, sailing, fishing and boat cruises. The river shore is mostly blocked by holiday chalets as many people from Accra use the place as a weekend getaway. There is a ferry and boat harbor at the riverside where boats can be rented for a cruise around the islands in the river. The Ghana Sailing Club, located at the Volta River, is open to members only.

Ada Turtle Bay, developed by Trasacco Estates Development Company, a real estate developer based in Ghana, is a private residence project including 40 private villas and a Hilton Resort and Spa. [10] [11]

Sights

Remains of Fort Kongenstein Remains of Fort Kongenstein (A).jpg
Remains of Fort Kongenstein

Although the old trading fort, built by Danish traders in the 18th century, is already halfway eroded and washed into the ocean, the remains can still be visited. [12] Close to the fort is the Presbyterian Church that was built by the first generation of Ghanaian Christians. Next to it is the old missionary cemetery.

Ghanaian artist Kwame Akoto-Bamfo's installation, Nkyinkyim, which consists of more than 1,300 cement effigies, is embedded in a field in Nuhalenya Ada, a town outside Accra. This collection of cement effigies represents those people involved in the slave trade, opening a dialogue about African history, of which Ada Foah played its role as a trading fort. [13]

Events

Ada Foah is the secondary venue of the annual Asafotufiami Festival that takes place during the first week of August. Its main venue is Big Ada but many celebrations also take place in Ada Foah.[ citation needed ]

There is a beach soccer tournament on the first weekend of each month at the seaside near the estuary, where teams from different communities in the district compete against each other. Before the start of the tournament, the beach is cleaned, which is the underlying intention of the whole event. Once a month, there is a symposium on the ferry that operates between Ada Foah and Anyanui. This is to inform both locals and tourists about specific topics concerning health, tradition and education.[ citation needed ]

A boat race takes place every year in December. Paddle boats for 5 or 15 people compete against each other. Visitors can watch the race and also participate if they register as a group about a week in advance.[ citation needed ]

Geography

Climate

Tropical savanna climates have monthly mean temperature above 18 °C (64 °F) in every month of the year and typically a pronounced dry season, with the driest month having precipitation less than 60 mm (2.36 in) of precipitation. The Köppen climate classification subtype for this climate is Aw, tropical savanna climate. [14]

Climate data for Ada Foah
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)36.0
(96.8)
35.8
(96.4)
36.7
(98.1)
35.0
(95.0)
35.0
(95.0)
33.9
(93.0)
32.8
(91.0)
31.7
(89.1)
32.8
(91.0)
34.4
(93.9)
35.0
(95.0)
35.6
(96.1)
36.7
(98.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)30.6
(87.1)
31.1
(88.0)
31.6
(88.9)
31.6
(88.9)
30.9
(87.6)
28.9
(84.0)
27.5
(81.5)
26.9
(80.4)
28.1
(82.6)
29.7
(85.5)
31.1
(88.0)
31.3
(88.3)
29.9
(85.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)27.6
(81.7)
28.3
(82.9)
28.6
(83.5)
28.4
(83.1)
27.7
(81.9)
26.4
(79.5)
25.2
(77.4)
24.4
(75.9)
25.6
(78.1)
26.9
(80.4)
28.1
(82.6)
28.0
(82.4)
27.1
(80.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)24.7
(76.5)
25.5
(77.9)
25.7
(78.3)
25.2
(77.4)
24.5
(76.1)
23.9
(75.0)
23.0
(73.4)
22.0
(71.6)
23.1
(73.6)
24.1
(75.4)
25.1
(77.2)
24.7
(76.5)
24.3
(75.7)
Record low °C (°F)17.0
(62.6)
19.5
(67.1)
20.5
(68.9)
20.5
(68.9)
20.5
(68.9)
20.5
(68.9)
19.0
(66.2)
19.5
(67.1)
20.5
(68.9)
20.5
(68.9)
20.5
(68.9)
19.5
(67.1)
17.0
(62.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches)15
(0.6)
25
(1.0)
93
(3.7)
122
(4.8)
166
(6.5)
256
(10.1)
45
(1.8)
10
(0.4)
29
(1.1)
109
(4.3)
38
(1.5)
19
(0.7)
927
(36.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.3 mm)12691317535115178
Average relative humidity (%) (at 15:00)76767676788383838179777479
Mean monthly sunshine hours 210.8197.8213.9204.0204.6129.0179.8207.7192.0238.7258.0254.22,490.5
Mean daily sunshine hours 6.87.06.96.86.64.35.86.76.47.78.68.26.8
Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Ghana</span>

Ghana is a West African country in Africa, along the Gulf of Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volta River</span> River in West Africa

The Volta River is the main river system in the West African country of Ghana. It flows south into Ghana from the Bobo-Dioulasso highlands of Burkina Faso. The main parts of the river are the Black Volta, the White Volta, and the Red Volta. In the northwest, the Black Volta forms the international borders between the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Burkina Faso. The Volta flows southward along the Akwapim-Togoland highlands, and it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at the Gulf of Guinea at Ada Foah. It has a smaller tributary river, the Oti, which enters Ghana from Togo in the east. The Volta River has been dammed at Akosombo for the purpose of generating hydroelectricity. The reservoir named Lake Volta stretches from Akosombo Dam in the south to the northern part of the country, and is the largest man-made reservoir by area in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akosombo Dam</span> Dam in Akosombo, Ghana

The Akosombo Dam, also known as the Volta Dam, is a hydroelectric dam on the Volta River in southeastern Ghana in the Akosombo gorge and part of the Volta River Authority. The construction of the dam flooded part of the Volta River Basin and led to the subsequent creation of Lake Volta. Lake Volta is the largest man-made lake in the world by surface area. It covers 8,502 square kilometres (3,283 sq mi), which is 3.6% of Ghana's land area. With a volume of 148 cubic kilometers, Lake Volta is the world's third largest man-made lake by volume; the largest being Lake Kariba which contains 185 cubic kilometers of water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Komla Agbeli Gbedemah</span> Ghanaian politician (1913–1988)

Komla Agbeli Gbedemah was a Ghanaian politician and Minister for Finance in Ghana's Nkrumah government between 1954 and 1961. Known popularly as "Afro Gbede", he was an indigene of Anyako in the Volta Region of Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Volta</span> Largest artificial reservoir, in Ghana

Lake Volta, the largest artificial reservoir in the world based on surface area, is contained behind the Akosombo Dam which generates a substantial amount of Ghana's electricity. It is completely within the country of Ghana and has a surface area of 8,502 square kilometres. It extends from Akosombo in the south to the northern part of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Accra Region</span> Region of Ghana

The Greater Accra Region has the smallest area of Ghana's 16 administrative regions, occupying a total land surface of 3,245 square kilometres. This is 1.4 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. It is the most populated region, with a population of 5,455,692 in 2021, accounting for 17.7 per cent of Ghana's total population.

The Ga-Dangbe, Ga-Dangme, Ga-Adangme or GaDangme are an ethnic group in Ghana, Togo and Benin. The Ga and Dangbe people are grouped respectively as part of the Ga–Dangme ethnolinguistic group. The Ga-Dangmes are one ethnic group that lives primarily in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Ethnic Ga family names (surnames) include Nikoi, Amon, Kotey, Kotei, Adei, Adjei, Kutorkor, Oblitey, Lartey, Nortey, Aryee, Obodai, Oboshi, Torgbor, Torshii and Lante. The following are names derived from the ethnic Dangme and common among the Ningos Nartey, Tetteh, Kwei, Kweinor, Kwetey, Narteh, Narh, Dugbatey, Teye, Martey, Addo, Siaw, Saki, Amanor, Djangba. These are aligned to the ethnic Ga as well: Lomo, Lomotey, Tetteh, Ankrah, Tetteyfio, Laryea, Ayitey, Okai, Bortey, Quaye, Quaynor, Ashong, Kotei, Sowah, Odoi, Ablor, Adjetey, Dodoo, Darku and Quartey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aflao</span> Town in Volta Region, Ghana

Aflao is a town in Ketu South District in the Volta Region on Ghana's border with Togo. Aflao is the twenty-eighth most populous settlement in Ghana, in terms of population, with a population of 96,550 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dangme East District</span> Former District in Ghana

Dangme East District is a former district that was located in Greater Accra Region, Ghana. Originally created as an ordinary district assembly in 1988, which was created from the former Dangme District Council. However on 28 June 2012, it was split off into two new districts: Ada East District and Ada West District. The district assembly was located in the eastern part of Greater Accra Region and had Ada Foah as its capital town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of Ghana</span>

Ghana is a multilingual country in which about eighty languages are spoken. Of these, English, which was inherited from the colonial era, is the official language and lingua franca. Of the languages indigenous to Ghana, Akan is the most widely spoken in the south. Dagbani is most widely spoken in the north.

Articles related to Ghana include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Prinzenstein</span> Danish fort in Keta, Ghana

Fort Prinzenstein is a fort located at Keta, Ghana, which was used in the slave trade. Many such forts were built in Africa, but Prinzenstein is one of the few that lie east of the Volta River. Keta served as an open port until the Tema Harbour commenced its operation to the west in 1962. The fort has been designated a World Heritage Site because of its historical importance and testimony to the Atlantic slave trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electricity sector in Ghana</span> Government of Ghana sponsored electricity supply

Ghana generates electric power from hydropower, fossil-fuel, and renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy. Electricity generation is one of the key factors in order to achieve the development of the Ghanaian national economy, with aggressive and rapid industrialization; Ghana's national electric energy consumption was 265 kilowatt hours per each one in 2009.

Alexander Narh Tettey-Enyo is an educationist and politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Ada since 2005 and the Ghanaian Minister for Education between 2009 and 2011.

Rev. Mrs. Victoria Ama Zormelo-Gorleku was the first woman prison officer in Ghana, and the first ordained woman priest in any of the established Mission Churches in Ghana.

Big Ada is a town in the Ada East District, a district in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The settlement lies along the road from Ada Kasseh to the district capital Ada Foah, just off the Accra-Aflao motorway.

Tourism in Ghana is regulated by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture. This ministry is responsible for the development and promotion of tourism related activities in Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castro (musician)</span> Ghanaian musician (1982–2014)

Theophilus Tagoe, popularly known as Castro, Castro Under Fire or Castro De D’Destroyer, was a Ghanaian hiplife recording artist and musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Memorial for Peace and Justice</span> Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama, commemorating victims of lynching in the US

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, informally known as the National Lynching Memorial, is a memorial to commemorate the black victims of lynching in the United States. It is intended to focus on and acknowledge past racial terrorism and advocate for social justice in America. Founded by the non-profit Equal Justice Initiative, it opened in downtown Montgomery, Alabama on April 26, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwame Akoto-Bamfo</span> Ghanaian sculptor (born 1983)

Kwame Akoto-Bamfo is a multi-disciplinary artist, educator and activist, known for his sculptures and massive body of works dedicated to the memory, healing and Restorative Justice for people of African descent. His outdoor sculptures are dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Transatlantic slave trade, notably the installation Nkyinkim, on display at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice that opened in 2018 in Montgomery, Alabama. His other sculptures include an installation of 1,200 concrete heads representing Ghana's enslaved ancestors in Accra, the capital of Ghana. Called Faux-Reedom, it was unveiled in 2017.

References

  1. "Ada East". Ghana Districts. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  2. "Field Notes | Nature, Spirit and Climate Change in Ghana". fieldnotes.nationalgeographic.org. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  3. "Field Notes | Nature, Spirit and Climate Change in Ghana". fieldnotes.nationalgeographic.org. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  4. "Ghana Museums & Monuments Board". 2 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. "Fort Kongenstein, Ada". ghanamuseums.org. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  6. "As rising seas destroy Ghana's coastal communities, researchers warn against a seawall-only solution". Mongabay Environmental News. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  7. "Field Notes | Nature, Spirit and Climate Change in Ghana". fieldnotes.nationalgeographic.org. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  8. "Ghana's Akosombo Dam, Volta Lake Fisheries & Climate Change". direct.mit.edu. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  9. GTonline (7 April 2022). "Ada Paramount Chief applauds Electrochem for transforming Songhor lagoon for salt mining". Ghanaian Times. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  10. Agency, Ghana News. "Ada Foah Community Wants All-inclusive Local Content policy - News Ghana". www.newsghana.com.gh. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  11. "Trasacco's new 300-bed hotel at Ada Foah to boost tourism" . Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  12. "Ghana Museums & Monuments Board". 2 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. "Kwame Akoto-Bamfo's Sculptural Installation in Ghana Re-Narrativizes the Transatlantic Slave Trade". www.culturedmag.com. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  14. Climate Summary for Ada Foah
  15. "Klimatafel von Ada / Ghana" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 17 October 2016.

5°47′N0°38′E / 5.783°N 0.633°E / 5.783; 0.633