Accra

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Accra
Accra is located in Ghana
Accra
Coordinates: 5°33′00″N 0°12′00″W / 5.55°N 0.2°W / 5.55; -0.2
Country  Ghana
District of Ghana Accra Metropolis District
Government
 - Chief Executive Stanley N. A. Blankson
Area
 - City 185 km2 (71.4 sq mi)
Elevation 61 m (200 ft)
Population (2000)
 - City 1,658,937
 - Density 8,967.2/km2 (23,224.9/sq mi)
 - Metro 2,905,726
Time zone GMT
 - Summer (DST) Not used (UTC)
Website http://www.ama.ghanadistricts.gov.gh/

Accra (English pronunciation: /ˈækrə/ or /əˈkrɑː/) is the capital and most populous city of Ghana, a nation on the coast of the western region of Africa. The city also doubles as the capital of the Greater Accra Region, and of the Accra Metropolis District with which it is coterminous.[1] It is the administrative, communications, and economic centre of the country. Over 70% of Ghana's manufacturing capacity is located within this region district.[2] Accra has been Ghana's capital since 1877, and contains public buildings reflecting its transition from a 19th century suburb of Victoriasborg to the modern metropolis it is today.

Among the attractions of Accra are the National Museum, with a display of exhibits that reflect the heritage of Ghana from prehistoric times to modern times, the National Theatre with its distinct modern architecture, the National Arts Center with local arts and crafts to suit all tastes, Independence Square, the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, the Accra International Conference Centre, the Anglican Holy Trinity Cathedral, the fishing port at Jamestown and Makola Market.

Contents

[edit] History

Central Accra

Accra was founded by the Ga people in the late 1400s.[3] The word Accra is derived from the word Nkran meaning "ants" in Akan, a reference to the numerous anthills seen in the countryside around Accra. During part of its history, Accra served as a centre for trade with the Portuguese, who built a fort in the town, followed by the Swedish, Dutch, French, British and Danish by the end of the seventeenth century.

Downtown Accra

The site of present-day Accra developed into a sizable town around the original Ga town as well as British, Danish and Dutch forts and their surrounding communities: Jamestown near the British fort, Osu near the Danish Christiansborg fort (now Osu Castle) and Ussherstown near the Dutch Ussher fort. The four areas form the core of the modern city.

Accra Skyline

Accra was captured by the British 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.[3] After the completion of a railway to the mining and agricultural interior, Accra became the economic centre of Ghana. Large areas were destroyed by earthquakes in 1862 and 1939, but the city grew around a seaport (now relocated to Tema), and later a brewery, expanding into neighbouring towns.

The Accra Riots in 1948 launched the Ghanaian campaign for independence, which in part led to Ghana's independence from the United Kingdom and nationhood in 1957.[4]

[edit] Government

Panorama of Accra

The Accra Metropolis District is governed by the 104-member Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), with governance over 200 square kilometers.[5] It is further divided into 11 sub-metropoli:[6]

  • Ablekuma Central
  • Ablekuma North
  • Ablekuma South
  • Ashiedu Keteke
  • Ayawaso Central
  • Ayawaso East
  • Ayawaso West Wuogon
  • La
  • Okaikoi North
  • Okaikoi South
  • Osu Klottey

The population of Accra itself was recorded as 1,658,937 in 2OOO, on an upward trend for some time.[7]

[edit] Climate

Osu neighborhood

Accra features a tropical savanna climate, with wet seasons and dry seasons. Accra actually has two rainy seasons, with the heaviest rains falling from April to July and a weaker rainy season in September and October. There is a brief dry spell in August and a more pronounced dry season from December through February. As is the case in a good portion of West Africa, the main dry season is accompanied by harmattan winds from the Sahara Desert, which between November and February can be quite strong. On average the hottest month is February; with a mean temperature of about 28°C (83°F); while August is the coolest month with an average temperature of about 25°C (77°F). However it should be noted 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, it's a breezy "dry heat" and doesn't feel as warm as the more humid but "cooler" rainy season.


Climate data for Accra
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 34
(93)		 38
(100)		 38
(100)		 34
(93)		 35
(95)		 33
(91)		 32
(90)		 32
(90)		 32
(90)		 32
(90)		 33
(91)		 34
(93)		 38
(100)
Average high °C (°F) 31
(88)		 31
(88)		 31
(88)		 31
(88)		 31
(88)		 29
(84)		 27
(81)		 27
(81)		 27
(81)		 29
(84)		 31
(88)		 31
(88)		 30
(86)
Average low °C (°F) 23
(73)		 24
(75)		 24
(75)		 24
(75)		 24
(75)		 23
(73)		 23
(73)		 22
(72)		 23
(73)		 23
(73)		 24
(75)		 24
(75)		 23
(73)
Record low °C (°F) 15
(59)		 17
(63)		 20
(68)		 19
(66)		 21
(70)		 20
(68)		 19
(66)		 18
(64)		 20
(68)		 19
(66)		 21
(70)		 17
(63)		 15
(59)
Precipitation mm (inches) 15
(0.59)		 33
(1.3)		 56
(2.2)		 81
(3.19)		 142
(5.59)		 178
(7.01)		 46
(1.81)		 15
(0.59)		 36
(1.42)		 64
(2.52)		 36
(1.42)		 23
(0.91)		 725
(28.54)
Source: BBC Weather [8] 2009-09-09

[edit] Economy

 Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (December 2009)
Makola Market

Ghana International Airlines has its head office in the Silver Star Tower in Airport City, Kotoka International Airport.[9] Prior to its dissolution, Ghana Airways was headquartered in the Ghana Airways House in the Airport Residential Area.[10] The city is home to the Ghana Commercial Bank and Makola Market. There is a perceived problem with street hawking in Accra, mainly carried out by internal immigrants from other parts of Ghana. Goods sold commonly include fruit, beverages and mobile phones or accessories.[11]

[edit] Education

Accra International Conference Centre

On the outskirts of Accra there are numerous popular secondary schools: Achimota Secondary School, commonly referred to as "Motown", which was founded in 1924 and opened in 1927;[12] the Presbyterian Boys' Secondary, commonly known as "Presec"; Aburi Girls Secondary School, popularly known as (Abugiss), one of the well known girls' boarding school in Ghana; St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, commonly known as "Quinas". Accra Academy (Bleoo), Kaneshie Secondary Technical (Kateco), Armed Forces Secondary Technical, Accra High (Ahisco), and others.

In the vicinity of Motown and Presec secondary schools is Ghana's first tertiary institution, the University of Ghana. It is located 13 km north at Legon. Quite recently, another tertiary institution - Ashesi University - was established in Accra. Ghana International School (GIS), a private non-profit A-Level school founded in 1955 for children from ages 3–18 is located in Cantonments, Accra. Abelemkpe is the home of Lincoln Community School. Lincoln Community School is a private, non-profit International Baccalaureate school for students aged 3–18, and was established in 1968.[13] American International School of Accra is also situated in Accra.[14]

[edit] Transport

Kotoka International Airport

Accra is served by Kotoka International Airport, which has both civil and military uses.[15] It is the centre of two of Ghana's three main railway lines: those to Kumasi and Takoradi.[16] See Transport in Ghana for more details.

[edit] Sport

National Theater of Ghana

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 and their main rivals are Asante Kotoko of Kumasi. The Accra Sports Stadium, home to the Hearts of Oak[17] and the regular pitch of the Black Stars (the national team), in 2008 hosted 9 matches in the 2008 African Cup of Nations.[18] Accra's most populous street, Oxford Street is lined with numerous stalls selling football jerseys of various teams. Michael Essien of Chelsea Football Club, in England, is one of the most successful footballers to come out of Ghana, (after legends like Abedi Pele) along with Steven Appiah, who is currently with Serie A side, Bologna FC, Italy. Ghana also appeared in the 2006 World Cup, putting their nation on the world footballing map. Ghana's U-20 team (known as the Black Satellites) also won the 2009 U-20 World Cup in Egypt after defeating Brazil in the final 4 to 3 on Penalty kicks. Additionally, the Black Stars have qualified again to represent Ghana in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

[edit] Attractions

Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum
Golden Jubilee House, residence and office of the President

Accra is home to the National Museum of Ghana, the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Archives of Ghana, and Ghana's central library. Also of note is Christianborg or Osu Castle, built by the Danes in the 17th century, Golden Jubilee House, the new residence cum office of the president of Ghana inaugurated in November 2008, the National Theatre, Accra Centre for National Culture, a lighthouse, the Ohene Djan Stadium, the Accra International Conference Centre, the W. E. B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture and several beaches. Near the Parliament of Ghana is the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT.

The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial is located in downtown Accra.

Osu is a neighborhood in the city known for its dining and nightlife options.


[edit] Sister cities

Accra is the sister city of:

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.ghanadistricts.com/districts/?news&r=1&_=3
  2. ^ 'Formal Economy'
  3. ^ a b "Accra - History". AfricaTravelling. 2000. http://www.africatravelling.net/ghana/accra/accra_history.htm. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  4. ^ Pearce, Robert D. (1982). The turning point in Africa: British colonial policy, 1938-48. Routledge. p. 188. ISBN 9780714631608. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=xa6pUrdsRJYC. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  5. ^ Accra Metropolitan Assembly 2006. Accessed 7 November 2009.
  6. ^ Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Boundary and Administrative Area, accessed July 1, 2009
  7. ^ Principal Cities: Accra. CityPopulation.de. June 2009 (figures from 2000). Accessed 7 November 2009.
  8. ^ "Average Conditions Accra, Ghana". BBC Weather. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT000240. Retrieved September 9, 2009. 
  9. ^ "Home Page." Ghana International Airlines. Retrieved on 20 October 2009.
  10. ^ "Offices." Ghana Airways. 11 January 1998. Retrieved on 20 October 2009.
  11. ^ Kwankye, Stephen O. et al.. Street Vending in Accra. http://uaps2007.princeton.edu/download.aspx?submissionId=70103. 
  12. ^ "Achimota School Website". Achimota School. http://www.achimota.edu.gh/. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  13. ^ "Lincoln Community School". School Website. http://www.lincoln.edu.gh. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  14. ^ "American International School of Accra". School Website. 2006. 
  15. ^ "Kotoka International Airport". World Aero Data. 2009. http://worldaerodata.com/wad.cgi?id=GH02526&sch=DGAA. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  16. ^ "Ghana". UK Trade and Investment. 28 April 2009. https://www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk/ukti/appmanager/ukti/countries;jsessionid=KTBQpDl6Xp1jtjp4NLphhKn0cT23s7p5jtpJ3DnkJcy1PSjz0Zds!89531318!NONE?_nfpb=true&portlet_3_5_actionOverride=/pub/portlets/genericViewer/showContentItem&_windowLabel=portlet_3_5&portlet_3_5navigationPageId=/ghana&portlet_3_5navigationContentPath=/BEA+Repository/326/226985&_pageLabel=CountryType1. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  17. ^ "Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club". Official website. Accra Hearts of Oak. http://www.accraheartsofoak.com/site/index.php. Retrieved 31 October 2009. 
  18. ^ "The 26th African Cup of Nations 2008". SportScheduler. 
  19. ^ Chicago's 28 Sister Cities. Chicago Sister Cities International. Accessed 7 November 2009.

[edit] External links

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