Shia | |
|---|---|
| Nickname: Small London | |
  Shia | |
| Coordinates: 6°47′N0°34′E / 6.783°N 0.567°E | |
| Country |  Ghana |
| Region | Volta Region |
| District | Ho Municipal |
| Time zone | GMT |
| • Summer (DST) | GMT |
Shia is a town in the Ho Municipal District, a district of the Volta Region of Ghana. [1]
The name Shia originates from the activities of the Forebears of Shia who were particularly brave and so decided to carry out an act of knowing the content of an item and in the process tore open the item. The noise that emanated from the process was used to describe the people who had engaged in that act. The noise was shiiaaa and so the people were identified as the Shia people.
Shia is a town in Ghana within the Volta Region of Ghana. It is located about 16 Kilometers from Ho the regionals capital of the Volta region. It is to the east of Ho and is a border town between Ghana and Togo. It is within the Ho district and resides in the Shia-Ave constituency for electoral purposes. It is one of three border towns within the eastern Ho corridor.
The Shia people were part of the original Ewe people who originated from Notsie in Nigeria and travelled all the way through Benin, Togo, through the Keta and Anlo areas and finally settled in Ho and surrounding areas. The Shia people in particular settled at Taviefe where they were for several years and only moved to their present location after some disagreement with colleagues about the content of product which resulted in them splitting the item into two which ultimately resulted in them being forced to vacate the community to their present-day place.
The Climate of Shia is a forest area with rainfall patterns similar to that of Ho. It lies 153 millimeters above sea level. It has a tropical climate. The average annual temperature is 26.8 degrees Celsius. It has about three active seasons; Rainfall Season, Mix of autumn and spring season and Harmattan season.
Shia is in the Ho District and has Ho as the district capital. Shia is also part of the Norvisi Traditional area made of 11 communities who decided to be together for purposes of unity and development.
The town has a population of about 2000 inhabitants. There are more women and children than men. The population split is guessed at 60/40 split in favour of women.
There has been significant migration of the people of Shia to the cities. The main cities that have benefitted from the skills of the people of Shia are Accra, Kumasi and Ho. There has also been the migration of Shia people abroad. It is estimated there would be over 100 Shia person domiciled abroad.
The community was communally developed. The houses are well spaced with cleared streets etc.
The Economy is agrarian and some minimal commercial activities that are mainly driven by the activities at the Ghana Togo border.
The primary sector is Agriculture
There are a number of schools from Pre-schools through to Jss and Secondary school. There is however no tertiary school in the community.
There is one active Health Clinic in the community that takes care of the people.
There is a motorable road to the community. The road is tarred and leads from Ho and ends at Shia.
There are taxis and buses that ply the road to Shia. The private sector provides regular active transportation.
Shia had an active football club called Shia mighty warriors. Unfortunately due to administrative challenges the club is not so active.
There are a lot of active Orthodox, evangelical, Pentecostal and Charismatic churches
Churches include: Catholic Church, Evangelical Presbyterian church, Assemblies of God Church, Pentecost Church, Christ is the same Church, Light House Church and Global Evangelical Presbyterian church.
The culture of the people is built on the general culture of the Ewe people of Ghana. The Shia people are humanist in nature. Their activities are communal in that they are each other's keepers. The family structures are built around the extended family.
Shia houses a Senior High and Technical School, a second cycle institution that was admitted by the Ghana Education Service in 2010. [2]
Sokodé is the second largest city in Togo, with a population of about 189,000. It is a commercial center for the surrounding agricultural areas, and seat of the Tchaoudjo Prefecture and Centrale Region. It is in the center of the country, 339 kilometres (211 mi) north of Lomé, between the Mo and Mono rivers. It is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious city, but is dominated by Islam. The ethnic majority are Kotokolis, who live alongside Muslims.
Ho is the capital of the Ho Municipal District and the Volta Region of Ghana. The city lies between Mount Adaklu and Mount Galenukui or Togo Atakora Range, and is home to the Volta Regional Museum, a cathedral, and a prison. The city is the capital of unrecognised Western Togoland. It was formerly the administrative capital of British Togoland now part of the Volta Region. The population of Ho Municipality according to the 2010 Population and Housing Census is 177,281 representing 8.4 percent of the region's total population. Females constitute 52.7 percent and males represent 47.3 percent. The population in Ho grew up to 180,420 National Population Census. About 62 percent of the population resides in urban localities. The Municipality shares boundaries with Adaklu and Agotime-Ziope Districts to the South, Ho West District to the North and West and the Republic of Togo to the East. Its total land area is 2,361 square kilometers thus representing 11.5 percent of the region's total land area.
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Volta Region is one of Ghana's sixteen administrative regions, with Ho designated as its capital. It is located west of Republic of Togo and to the east of Lake Volta. Divided into 25 administrative districts, the region is multi-ethnic and multilingual, including groups such as the Ewe, the Guan, and the Akan peoples. The Guan peoples include the Lolobi, Likpe, Akpafu, Akyode, Buem, Nyagbo, Avatime, and Nkonya. This region was carved out of the Volta Region in December 2018 by the New Patriotic Party. The people of the Volta Region are popularly known as Voltarians (French: Voltaiens.This group includes the Ewes, Guans and other minor tribes living in the Volta Region. The people of the Volta Region are popular known for their rich cultural display and music some of which include Agbadza, Borborbor and Zigi.
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