Great Accra Region | |
---|---|
Country | Ghana |
Capital | Accra |
Districts | 16 |
Government | |
• Regional Minister | Henry Quartey |
• Mayor | Mohammed Adjei Sowah |
Area | |
• Total | 3,245 km2 (1,253 sq mi) |
• Rank | Ranked 10th |
Population (2021 Census) [1] | |
• Total | 5,455,692 |
• Rank | Ranked 2nd |
• Density | 1,700/km2 (4,400/sq mi) |
GDP (PPP) | |
• Year | 2013 |
• Per capita | $5,150 |
GDP (Nominal) | |
• Year | 2013 |
• Per capita | $2,500 |
Time zone | GMT |
Area code | 030 |
ISO 3166 code | GH-AA |
HDI (2021) | 0.707 [2] high · 1st |
The Greater Accra Region has the smallest area of Ghana's 16 administrative regions, occupying a total land surface of 3,245 square kilometres. [3] 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. [4] [5]
The Greater Accra region is the most urbanized region in the country with 87.4% of its total population living in urban centres. [6] The capital city of Greater Accra Region is Accra which is at the same time the capital city of Ghana.
In 1960, Greater Accra, then referred to as Accra Capital District, was geographically part of the Eastern Region. It was, however, administered separately by the Minister responsible for local government. With effect from 23 July 1982, Greater Accra was created by the Greater Accra Region Law (PNDCL 26) as a legally separate region. [7]
The Greater Accra Region is bordered on the north by the Eastern Region, on the east by the Volta Region, on the south by the Gulf of Guinea, and on the west by the Central Region. It is smallest region of Ghana in total area, and is made up of 16 administrative areas.
The Ga people celebrate the Homowo festival, which literally means "hooting at hunger." This festival originated several centuries ago. It is celebrated in remembrance of a great famine that hit the Ga people in the sixteenth century. It is mainly a food festival which celebrates the passing of that terrible period in Ga history. It takes place in August every year and is celebrated by all the Ga clans.
The Adangbe people from Ada celebrate the Asafotu festival, which is also called 'Asafotufiam', an annual warrior's festival celebrated by Ada people from the last Thursday of July to the first weekend of August commemorates the victories of the warriors in battle and is a memorial for those who fell on the battlefield. To re-enact these historic events, the warriors dress in traditional battle dress and stage a mock battle. This is also a time for male rites of passage, when young men are introduced to warfare. The festival also coincides with the harvest cycle, when these special customs and ceremonies are performed. These include purification ceremonies. The celebration reaches its climax with a durbar of chiefs, a colourful procession of the Chiefs in palanquins with their retinue. They are accompanied by traditional military groups called 'Asafo Companies' amidst drumming, singing and dancing through the streets and on the durbar grounds. At the durbar, greetings are exchanged between the chiefs, libations are poured and declarations of allegiance are made.
The political administration of the region is through the local government system. Under this administration system, the region is divided into 29 MMDA's (made up of 2 Metropolitan, 23 Municipal and 4 Ordinary Assemblies). [1] Each District, Municipal or Metropolitan Area and it's corresponding constituency, is administered by a Chief Executive and a Member of Parliament, representing the central government but deriving authority from an Assembly headed by a presiding member elected from among the members themselves. The MMDA's were increased from 3 to 5 in 1988; then from 5 to 6 in 2004; then from 6 to 10 in 2008; then from 10 to 16 in 2012; and recently from 16 to 29 in 2018. The number of constituencies increased/spread from 22 to 27 in 2004 making and 34 prior to the 2012 Ghanaian general election.The current list is as follows:
The center of population of the Greater Accra region is located in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area which comprises the Accra Metropolitan, Tema Metropolitan, Adenta Municipal, La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal District, Ashaiman Municipal, Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal, Ga East Municipal, Ga West Municipal, and Ga South Municipal districts [9]
According to the 2010 census, the region had a population of 4,010,054, making it the second most populous (total number of people) region of Ghana behind the Ashanti Region. [4] Owing to in-migration and a high population growth rate, however, the region has the highest population density in the country.Greater Accra is the regional capital of Ghana.
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1984 | 1,431,099 | — |
2000 | 2,905,726 | +103.0% |
2010 | 4,010,054 | +38.0% |
2021 | 5,455,692 | +36.1% |
source: [10] |
The Ga sub-group of the Ga-Dangme people is the historical population of Accra. They form the largest ethnic sub-group in the Greater Accra Region, with 18.9% of the population. [11] [ circular reference ] The Ga peoples were organized into six independent towns (Accra (Ga Mashie), Osu, La, Teshie, Nungua, and Tema). Each town had a stool, which served as the central object of Ga ritual and war magic. Now, the town of La has a community bank which offers banking services to them. [12] Accra became the most prominent Ga-Dangme towns and is now the heartbeat and capital of Ghana.[4] The Ga people were originally farmers, but today fishing and trading in imported goods are the principal occupations. Trading is generally in the hands of women, and a husband has no control over his wife's money. Succession to most offices held by women and inheritance of women's property are by matrilineal descent. Inheritance of other property and succession to male-held public offices are by patrilineal descent. Men of the lineage live together in a men's compound, while women, even after marriage, live with their mothers and children in a women's compound. Each Ga town has a number of different cults and many gods, and there are a number of annual town festivals. The Adangme people occupy the coastal area of Ghana from Le Kpone to Ada, on the Volta River and South Atlantic Ocean along the Gulf of Guinea and inland along the Volta River. The Adangme People include the Ada, Le Kpone, Krobo, Ningo, Osuduku, Prampram, and Shai, all speaking Adangbe of the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo family of languages. [5] The Adangme People have the largest Population among the two related Ga-Adangme People. About 70% of the Greater Accra Regional Land is owned by the Adangmes located in Dangme East and Dangme West Districts of Ghana.
1.3% of the inhabitants of the Greater Accra Region are immigrants from outside Ghana.
The largest portion of the population of Accra is Akan, at 39.8% of the population. The next largest group is Ga-Dangme at 30.7% of the population. After this 18% of the population is Ewe. [13] The Ga sub-group of the Ga-Dangme people is the historical population of Accra. They form the largest ethnic sub-group in the Greater Accra Region, with 18.9% of the population. The Fante are the next largest ethnic sub-group, with 10% of the population.
In 1960 the population of the Greater Accra Region was 491,817. In 2000 the population was 2,905,726. In 2010 the population was 4,010,054. [13] [4]
The religious affiliations of the people of the Greater Accra region are below: [1]
The Greater Accra region is served by the Kotoka International Airport in Accra. The airport offers flight to destinations within Ghana, the African continent and to other continents.
Four National highways – N1, N2, N4 and N6 – and one Regional highway – R40 – pass through the Greater Accra region. N1 enters the region in Ada to the east and runs west, intersecting the N2 at Tema, the Ghana Road Network Tetteh Quarshie Interchange, and the N6 at Achimota. It passes through Kokrobite and exits the region at Weija where it continues on through the Central Region to Elubo in the Western region. The N2 crosses the Eastern Regional border into Asikuma and runs north entering the Upper East Region, ending at Kulungugu. The N4 heads north from the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange, while the N6 originates from Achimota. These highways cut through the northern part of the region and terminate at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
There is also an active railway line connecting Accra and Tema.
Greater Accra has three public four-year institutions, the University of Ghana in Accra, Ghana Institute of Journalism and University of Professional Studies, East Legon, Accra. In addition, there are a number of private universities and university colleges spread through the region.
Famous native citizens of Greater Accra | ||
---|---|---|
# | Citizen | Settlement |
1 | Sarkodie | Tema |
2 | Stonebwoy | Ashaiman |
3 | Joselyn Canfor Dumas | Accra |
4 | Azumah Nelson | Accra |
5 | Arthur Wharton | Accra |
6 | Nana Aba Anamoah | Accra |
7 | Asamoah Gyan | Accra |
8 | Leo Myles-Mills | Accra |
9 | Shatta Wale | Korle Gonno |
10 | Serwaa Amihere | Accra |
11 | Samuel Darko | Accra |
12 | Terry Darious N Gibson | Nima/Korle Gono |
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, 20.4 km2 (7.9 sq mi), had a population of 284,124 inhabitants, and the larger Greater Accra Region, 3,245 km2 (1,253 sq mi), had a population of 5,455,692 inhabitants. In common usage, the name "Accra" often refers to the territory of the Accra Metropolitan District as it existed before 2008, when it covered 199.4 km2 (77.0 sq mi). This territory has since been split into 13 local government districts: 12 independent municipal districts and the reduced Accra Metropolitan District (20.4 km2), which is the only district within the capital to be granted city status. This territory of 199.4 km2 contained 1,782,150 inhabitants at the 2021 census, and serves as the capital of Ghana, while the district under the jurisdiction of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly proper (20.4 km2) is distinguished from the rest of the capital as the "City of Accra".
The Dangme language, also Adangme, Dangbe or Adaŋgbi, is a Kwa language spoken in south-eastern Ghana by the Dangme people (Dangmeli). They are part of the larger Ga-Dangme ethnic group. Klogbi is a variant, spoken by the Kloli. Kropp Dakubu (1987) is the most thorough grammar of the language.
The Ga-Dangbe, Ga-Dangme, Ga-Adangme or Ga-Adangbe are an ethnic group in Ghana, Togo and Benin. The Ga or Gan and Dangbe or Dangme people are grouped 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.
Teshie is a coastal town in the Ledzokuku Municipal District, a district in the Greater Accra Region of southeastern Ghana. Teshie is the ninth most populous settlement in Ghana, with a population of 171,875 people.
The Accra Metropolitan District is one of the 254 Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts in Ghana, and among the 26 such districts in the Greater Accra Region with a population of 284,124 as of 2021. As of March 2018, it spans an area of approximately 60 km2 (23 sq mi) and encompasses the Ablekuma South, Ashiedu Keteke, and Okaikoi South sub-metropolitan district councils.
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.
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, Dagare, Sisaala, Waale, and Gonja are among the most widely spoken in the northern part of the country.
Articles related to Ghana include:
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Accra covers the Greater Accra Region and parts of the Volta Region. There are 62 parishes and rectories. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Accra is the Metropolitan See for the ecclesiastical province of Accra in Ghana which includes the suffragan dioceses of Ho, Koforidua, Jasikan and Keta-Akatsi. The Latin title of the archdiocese is Archidioecesis Accraënsis, and the corporate title is Archdiocese of Accra. The cathedral parish for the archdiocese is the Holy Spirit Cathedral.
Sakumono is a small town before Nungua from Ashaiman. It is in the Tema Metropolitan district, a district in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. It was originally a small fishing village on Sakumono Lagoon, but by 2008 was being swallowed up as the twin cities of Nungua and Tema were merging. Its elevation is 71m. Sakumono, also known as Community 13, is one of the interesting towns in the area, with the main township being close to the beach and the lagoon. It also has several sectors of Estate buildings and jurisdiction.
Pokuase, also spelled Pokoasi, is a suburb of Accra, the capital city of Ghana and spans the area from Pokuase, leading off the Accra-Kumasi motorway on the right coming from Accra central; and leading off the motorway at Pokuase Junction and rising to ‘Okai Kwei Hill’, on the left coming from town. It is a mixture of lively retail shopping areas, with local stores, bars or 'drinking spots', bus/taxi stations, and a market. It also has many hotels, guest houses and rental apartments- such as the eco-chic Legassi Gardens Apartments-, and 'high-end' developing residential estates, such as Ofankor Hills Estates and Franko Estates, amongst many others; as well as the long-established executive gated community of ACP Estates.; and HFS Estates which borders the erstwhile Gua Koo Sacred Grove in Pokuase.
Nungua is a town in Krowor Municipal District in the Greater Accra Region of southeastern Ghana near the coast. Nungua is the eighteenth most populous settlement in Ghana, in terms of population, with a population of 84,119 people.
Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal District is a former district that was located in Greater Accra Region, Ghana. Originally it was formerly part of Accra Metropolitan District in 1988, until the far eastern portion of the district was split off to create Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal District on 1 November 2007 ; thus the remaining part has been retained as Accra Metropolitan District. However on 15 March 2018, it was split off into two new municipal districts: Ledzokuku Municipal District and Krowor Municipal District. The municipality was located in the central part of Greater Accra Region and had Teshie-Nungua as its capital town.
Old Ningo is a town in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.
The Universal Merchant Bank, formerly known as Merchant Bank Ghana Limited, is a Ghanaian financial institution headquartered in Accra.
The Krobo people are an ethnic group in Ghana. They are grouped as part of Ga-Adangbe ethnolinguistic group and they are also the largest group of the seven Dangme ethnic groups of Southeastern Ghana. The Krobo are a farming people who occupy Accra Plains, Akuapem Mountains and the Afram Basin.
Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover is a Ghanaian politician and the Member of Parliament of Tema East constituency. He is a member of the New Patriotic Party and the Deputy Minister of Transport in Ghana.
Ada West District is one of the twenty-nine districts in Greater Accra Region, Ghana. Originally it was formerly part of the then-larger Dangme East District in 1988, which was created from the former Dangme District Council, until the western part of the district was split off to create Ada West District on 28 June 2012; thus the remaining part has been renamed as Ada East District. The district assembly is located in the eastern part of Greater Accra Region and has Sege as its capital town.
Weija Gbawe Municipal District is one of the twenty-nine districts in Greater Accra Region, Ghana. Originally it was formerly part of the then-larger Ga West District in 2004, until the western part of the district was split off to create the first Ga South Municipal District on 29 February 2008, with Weija as its capital town; thus the remaining part was elevated to municipal district assembly status to become Ga West Municipal District. Later, a small portion of the district was split off to create Ga Central Municipal District on 28 June 2012; thus the remaining part has been retained as Ga South Municipal District. However on 15 March 2018, the northern part of the district was split off to create a new Ga South Municipal District, with Ngleshie Amanfro as its capital town; thus the remaining part has been renamed as Weija Gbawe Municipal District, with Weija as its capital town. The municipality is located in the western part of Greater Accra Region and has Weija as its capital town.