Tarkwa

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Tarkwa
Town
Village and road at Tarkwa 2005.jpg
Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal District logo.jpg
Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal District logo
Ghana adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Tarkwa
Location of Tarkwa in Western region, South Ghana
Coordinates: 05°18′00″N01°59′00″W / 5.30000°N 1.98333°W / 5.30000; -1.98333
CountryFlag of Ghana.svg  Ghana
Region Flag of Western Region (Ghana).gif Western Region
District Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal
Population
 (2013)
 • Total
34,941 [1]
Time zone GMT
 • Summer (DST) GMT
Geologic map of the Tarkwa gold district in Ghana showing significant folding and faulting USGS geologic map Ghana.png
Geologic map of the Tarkwa gold district in Ghana showing significant folding and faulting
The Mali Empire in 1337, including the location of the Bambuk, Bure, Lobi and Akan Goldfields The Mali Empire.jpg
The Mali Empire in 1337, including the location of the Bambuk, Bure, Lobi and Akan Goldfields

Tarkwa is a town and is the capital of Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal district, a district in the Western Region southwest of South Ghana. [6] [7] Frequently dubbed as the "Golden City" by its indigenous populace, the region is characterized by a rich tapestry of Fante communities, among which include Efuanta, Tamso, Aboso, Akoon, Nzemaline, and Kwabedu.

Contents

Tarkwa has a population of 218,664 people according to 2021 settlement. [1] [8]

Economy

Mining

Tarkwa is noted as a centre of gold mining and manganese mining. Tarkwa Mine, which is a large open-cast gold mine, is situated to the northwest of the town, and Nsuta manganese mine is situated to the east of the town. Tarkwa Mine mines several low-grade conglomeratic "reefs" of Tarkwaian type. [6] These reefs are of mid-Proterozoic age.

A number of mining companies cluster between the villages of Aboso and Tamso in the late 19th century. [9]

Tarkwa Mine has the distinction of being one of the largest gold mines in South Ghana. Approximately 24 tons of gold is produced annually, and 100 million tons of earth is moved to achieve this production rate. The Iduapriem Gold Mine is also located near Tarkwa, 10 km south of the town. [10] The Tarkwa Goldfield was discovered a few years before the Witwatersrand Goldfield in South Africa.

There are a number of accidents that have occurred in mining sites in Tarkwa with the latest being recorded on Saturday, September 23, 2023, when a pit caved in, killing 7 people. [11]

Though mining is common in Tarkwa, some areas such as Ndumfri forest reserve are restricted from any mining activity and 3 people were jailed over 60 years for mining in a restricted area in September 2023. [12]

Climate

Climate data for Tarkwa
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)32
(89)		32
(90)		32
(90)		31
(87)		32
(89)		30
(86)		27
(80)		27
(80)		29
(84)		30
(86)		31
(87)		30
(86)		32
(90)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)24
(75)		25
(77)		25
(77)		25
(77)		25
(77)		24
(75)		23
(73)		22
(71)		22
(72)		24
(75)		24
(76)		23
(74)		22
(72)
Average precipitation mm (inches)25
(1.0)		25
(1.0)		100
(4.0)		130
(5.0)		200
(8.0)		330
(13.0)		100
(4.0)		25
(1.0)		51
(2.0)		150
(6.0)		130
(5.0)		51
(2.0)		1,320
(52.0)
Source: Myweather2.com [13]

Education

High schools

Tarkwa Senior High School (TARSCO) and Fiaseman Senior High School (FIASEC) are located in Tarkwa.

University

University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), is located in Tarkwa. [14]

Transport

Train

Tarkwa is a junction railway station and is served by Tarkwa Train Station on the Ghana Railway Corporation.

Politics

Tarkwa is the main political region of the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly. Tarkwa Nsuaem is a parliamentary constituency in the Western Region of Ghana, recognized for its contributions to the country's mining sector. [15] Politically, it has consistently supported the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which has won the parliamentary seat in the last five consecutive elections. The constituency's political landscape is marked by high voter turnout and a history of strong support for the NPP. [16]

During election periods, the area sees active engagement from candidates representing various political parties, though the NPP has maintained its electoral success in recent years.

Member of Parliament

Tourism

Waterfall

Places

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Grant University of Mines and Technology</span> Public university in Tarkwa, Ghana

The University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) is a public university located at Tarkwa in the Western Region of Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bimbilla (Ghana parliament constituency)</span> Ghana parliament constituency

Bimbilla is one of the constituencies represented in the Parliament of Ghana. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. Bimbilla is located in the Nanumba North district of the Northern Region of Ghana. Hon. Dominic Nitiwul represent the constituency in the 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.

The Obuasi Gold Mine is an underground gold mine situated near Obuasi, in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It was at one time one of the world's ten largest gold mines. The mine is in Obuasi Municipal District, 60 kilometres (37 mi) southwest of the regional capital Kumasi.

The Iduapriem Gold Mine is an open-pit gold mine situated 10 km south of Tarkwa, in the Western Region of Ghana. The mine is owned by AngloGold Ashanti and consists of the Iduapriem and the Teberebie operation, which were merged in 2000. AngloGold Ashanti originally only owned 85% of the mine but acquired the remaining 15% in September 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarkwa-Nsuaem (Ghana parliament constituency)</span> Constituency in Ghana

Tarkwa-Nsuaem is one of the constituencies represented in the Parliament of Ghana. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It is located in the Western Region of Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal District</span> Municipal district in Western Region, Ghana

Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal District, as at 2024, is one of the fifteen districts in Western Region, Ghana. Originally, it was formerly part of the then-larger Wassa West District in 1988, which was created from the former Wassa-Fiase-Mpohor District Council, until the northern part of the district was split off to create Prestea-Huni Valley District on 29 February 2008; thus the remaining part has been renamed as Tarkwa-Nsuaem District, which was later elevated to municipal district assembly status on that same year to become Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal District. It has a population of about 218,664 people. The municipality is located in the eastern part of Western Region and has Tarkwa as its capital town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prestea-Huni Valley Municipal District</span> Municipal district in Western region, Ghana

Prestea-Huni Valley Municipal District is one of the fourteen districts in Western Region, Ghana. Originally it was part of the then-larger Wassa West District in 1988, which was created from the former Wassa-Fiase-Mpohor District Council, until the northern part of the district was split off to create Prestea-Huni Valley District on 29 February 2008; thus the remaining part was renamed as Tarkwa-Nsuaem District. However, on 15 March 2018, it was later elevated to municipal district assembly status by President Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo-Addo to become Prestea-Huni Valley Municipal District. The municipality is located in the eastern part of Western Region and has Bogoso as its capital town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu</span> Ghanaian politician

Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu is a Ghanaian urban planner and politician. He was the majority leader in the Ghanaian Parliament until he stepped down on 21 February 2024 and is the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs in Ghana. He is the longest serving lawmaker in Ghana.

Aboso is a town near Tarkwa, and is the capital of Wassa West district, a district in the Western Region of Ghana. Aboso is the 78th most populous settlement in Ghana, with a population of 9,945 people. At the Ghana census of 18 March 1984, there were 4,700 inhabitants living in the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghana Chamber of Mines</span> Minerals industry association in Ghana

The Ghana Chamber of Mines (GCM) is the main minerals industry association in Ghana. The Chamber is a voluntary private sector employers association representing companies and organizations engaged in the minerals and mining industry. It was founded in 1928 and has its members accounting for over 90 percent of all of the country's mineral production.

Gifty Eugenia Kusi (nee Kwofie) (born 11 February 1958) is a Ghanaian politician. She was the member of the Fourth parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana to the Tarkwa-Nsuaem (Ghana parliament constituency) from 2001 to 2017. She is also the principal research assistant in the department of Community Health at the University of Ghana Medical School-Korle-Bu.

Barbara Oteng Gyasi is a Ghanaian politician and the former Member of Parliament of Prestea Huni-Valley constituency of the Western Region of Ghana. She is a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and was a Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in Ghana and also the former Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Asiamah Amoako</span> Ghanaian politician

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Mireku Duker</span> Ghanaian politician

George Mireku Duker is a Ghanaian politician. He is serving as a Deputy Minister at Ghana's Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources since 2021, and is the Member of Parliament for Tarkwa-Nsuaem since 2017. He was elected into parliament on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party.

Joseph Ghansah is a Ghanaian politician and a Member of the Second Parliament of the Fourth Republic representing the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency in the Western Region of Ghana.

Mathew Kojo Kum is a Ghanaian politician and a member of the first Parliament of the fourth Republic representing the Tarkwa-Nsuaem constituency in the Western region of Ghana. He represented the National Democratic Congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Acheampong</span> Ghanaian politician

Charles Acheampong is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana representing the Lower West Akim Constituency in the Eastern Region on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party. He is currently a board member of the Ghana News Agency.

Samuel Boakye Pobee is a Ghanaian mining executive, currently serving as the managing director of AngloGold Ashanti's Obuasi Mine.

References

  1. 1 2 "World Gazetteer online". World-gazetteer.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
  2. ↑ Wright, J.B.; Hastings, D.A.; Jones, W.B.; Williams, H.R. (1985). Wright, J.B. (ed.). Geology and Mineral Resources of West Africa. London: George Allen & UNWIN. pp. 45–47. ISBN   9780045560011.
  3. ↑ Taylor, Ryan; Anderson, Eric (2018). Quartz-Pebble-Conglomerate Gold Deposits, Chapter P of Mineral Deposit Models for Resource Assessment, USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5070-P (PDF). Reston: US Dept. of the Interior, USGS. p. 9.
  4. ↑ Meredith, Martin (2014). The Fortunes of Africa. New York: Public Affairs. p. 71,75. ISBN   9781610396356.
  5. ↑ Shillington, Kevin (2012). History of Africa. London: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 89, 93–94, 97, 101–102, 105, 110. ISBN   9780230308473.
  6. 1 2 Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal District
  7. ↑ Amoh, Emmanuel Kwame (2022-01-23). "Maxam's suspension will affect mining in Ghana - AGA Snr Manager". 3NEWS. Retrieved 2022-01-24.
  8. ↑ "Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal (Municipal District, Ghana) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  9. ↑ Dickson, Kwamina B. (1969). A Historical Geography of Ghana. CUP Archive. p. 183. ISBN   9780521071024.
  10. ↑ Country report: Ghana - Iduapriem AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 10 August 2010
  11. ↑ "Galamsey pit collapses at Bonsawire, 7 dead". GhanaWeb. 2023-09-24. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  12. ↑ "Three illegal miners get 60 years over mining in Ndumfri Forest Reserve - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  13. ↑ "Tarkwa Weather Averages". Myweather2. 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  14. ↑ "University History". umat.edu.gh. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
  15. ↑ FM, Peace. "Tarkwa Nsuaem Constituency Results - Election 2020". Ghana Elections - Peace FM. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
  16. ↑ FM, Peace. "Ghana Election 2020". Peace FM. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
  17. ↑ Ghanaweb. "NPP Primaries Mireku Duker wins Tarkwa Nsuaem by 96 of votes".
  18. ↑ "Parliament of Ghana". www.parliament.gh. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
  19. ↑ "UMaT OBSERVES WORLD WATER DAY". www.umat.edu.gh. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
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