Sixteen Regions, One Ghana

One country, sixteen regions

Ghana is one country, but it is big. From the beach at Accra to the border at Paga in the far north is more than 800 kilometres. That is a long trotro ride!

To make the country easier to run, Ghana is divided into sixteen regions. Each region has a capital town where its government offices are.

For many years Ghana had ten regions. In 2019, six new regions were created, making sixteen.

In this book you will learn all sixteen regions and their capitals, find them on the map, learn one special thing about each, and see how a region is governed.

The map of Ghana

Look at the map. Ghana is shaped a bit like a rectangle standing up.

• The south touches the sea, the Gulf of Guinea.
• The north touches Burkina Faso.
• The west touches Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast).
• The east touches Togo.

The big blue shape running down the east side is Lake Volta.

Each coloured shape on the map is a region. The dot inside each region is its capital.

Try this: Find the region where you live. Put your finger on its capital. Which regions touch yours?

The sixteen regions and their capitals

Here they are. Learn them like a song.

Region	Capital
Greater Accra	Accra
Central	Cape Coast
Western	Sekondi-Takoradi
Western North	Sefwi Wiawso
Eastern	Koforidua
Volta	Ho
Oti	Dambai
Ashanti	Kumasi
Bono	Sunyani
Bono East	Techiman
Ahafo	Goaso
Northern	Tamale
Savannah	Damongo
North East	Nalerigu
Upper East	Bolgatanga
Upper West	Wa

Try this: Cover the capitals column. Say each capital from memory. Then cover the regions and do it the other way.

The coast: four regions by the sea

Four regions touch the sea: Western, Central, Greater Accra and Volta.

Life by the sea is special. There are:

• Fishing towns with canoes painted in bright colours.
• Harbours at Tema and Takoradi where big ships bring goods in and take cocoa and oil out.
• Castles and forts built hundreds of years ago by Europeans.
• Beaches where people relax at the weekend.

The sea also brings the moist winds that give the south its two rainy seasons.

Try this: Which of the four coast regions is furthest west? Which is furthest east?

Greater Accra Region

Capital: Accra

Greater Accra is the smallest region in size but has the most people. Accra is also the capital city of the whole country.

Here you find:

• The Jubilee House, where the President works.
• Parliament, where laws are made.
• Independence Square and the Black Star Gate, where Ghana celebrates Independence Day on 6 March.
• Kotoka International Airport.
• Tema, Ghana's biggest harbour.
• Makola Market, one of the busiest markets in West Africa.

The Ga people are the first people of Accra. Their big festival is Homowo, which celebrates the end of hunger.

Try this: Why do you think so many people move to Accra?

Central Region

Capital: Cape Coast

Central Region is famous for history and schools.

Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle are old forts by the sea. Hundreds of years ago, enslaved Africans were held there before being taken across the ocean. Today people from all over the world visit to remember.

Cape Coast has some of Ghana's oldest and best secondary schools, so people call it the "centre of education".

Kakum National Park has a rope walkway high up in the trees of the rainforest.

The Fante people live here. Their big festival is Fetu Afahye in Cape Coast.

Try this: Why do you think the Europeans built castles right next to the sea?

Western Region

Capital: Sekondi-Takoradi

Sekondi-Takoradi is really two towns joined together. People often just say "Takoradi" or "Tadi".

Western Region is called the oil city region. In 2007, oil was found under the sea off the coast. Now ships and helicopters go out to the oil rigs from Takoradi.

The region also has:

• Ghana's wettest place, near Axim.
• Nzulezu, a village built on stilts over a lake.
• Beautiful beaches at Busua and Axim.
• Takoradi Harbour, built in 1928, Ghana's first deep-sea harbour.

Try this: What do you think is carried in the big ships at Takoradi Harbour?

Western North Region

Capital: Sefwi Wiawso

Western North is one of the six new regions made in 2019. It was cut from the top part of the old Western Region.

It is a region of forests and cocoa farms. The land is green, the rain is plentiful and the soil is rich. Much of Ghana's cocoa, which is made into chocolate all over the world, comes from here and from neighbouring regions.

The Sefwi people are the main group. Their towns include Sefwi Wiawso, Bibiani and Juaboso.

Bibiani is also known for gold mining.

Try this: Cocoa beans grow in a pod on a tree. Have you ever seen a cocoa pod? What colour is it?

Eastern Region

Capital: Koforidua

Eastern Region sits just north of Accra, and it is full of hills, waterfalls and the big dam.

• The Akosombo Dam on the Volta River makes most of Ghana's hydroelectricity.
• Boti Falls is a twin waterfall that people visit in the rainy season.
• The Aburi Botanical Gardens on the hills above Accra are cool and green.
• Koforidua is famous for its bead market. Beads are made from recycled glass.

The region grows cocoa, palm oil and the pineapples sold along the Accra road.

Try this: Why do you think Aburi, on a hill, is cooler than Accra?

Volta Region

Capital: Ho

Volta Region runs along the eastern border with Togo. It is named after the Volta River and Lake Volta.

It has Ghana's highest mountain, Mount Afadja (often called Afadjato), near the village of Liati Wote. Many people climb it for the view.

Other famous places:

• Wli Falls, Ghana's tallest waterfall.
• Keta and Anloga, fishing and salt-making towns by the sea.
• Hohoe and Kpando in the hills.

The Ewe people are the main group. Their big festival is Hogbetsotso, which remembers a long journey their ancestors made.

Try this: Volta Region touches both the sea and Lake Volta. Find both on the map.

Oti Region

Capital: Dambai

Oti Region is a new region from 2019. It was the northern part of the old Volta Region.

It is named after the Oti River, which flows into Lake Volta.

Dambai sits right on the lake. For a long time, people crossed the lake here by ferry. Now there is a bridge at Dambai so cars and lorries can cross.

The region is home to many groups, including the Guan, Konkomba and Akan. Farmers grow yam, maize and rice, and people fish in the lake.

Try this: Why would a bridge be better than a ferry for a town like Dambai?

Ashanti Region

Capital: Kumasi

Ashanti Region is right in the middle of Ghana. Kumasi is Ghana's second-biggest city, and people call it the "Garden City".

The Ashanti kingdom is one of the most famous in Africa. Its king is the Asantehene, who lives at Manhyia Palace in Kumasi. The Golden Stool is the symbol of the kingdom.

Kumasi also has:

• Kejetia Market, one of the biggest markets in West Africa.
• Bonwire, where kente cloth is woven.
• Lake Bosomtwe, a round lake made by a meteorite long ago.
• Obuasi, a gold-mining town.

Try this: Kumasi is in the centre of Ghana. Why is that a good place for a big market?

Bono Region

Capital: Sunyani

Bono Region was part of the old Brong-Ahafo Region until 2019, when Brong-Ahafo was split into three: Bono, Bono East and Ahafo.

Sunyani is a clean, quiet town known for its Cocoa House, a tall building that stands out above the town.

The region is famous for:

• Growing cashew nuts, cocoa and maize.
• Fiema and Boabeng, a village where monkeys are sacred and live freely among the people.
• The Bono people, who are among the oldest Akan groups in Ghana.

Try this: Why might a community decide to protect monkeys instead of hunting them?

Bono East Region

Capital: Techiman

Bono East is another new region from 2019.

Techiman has one of the largest food markets in Ghana. Every week, lorries from all over the country come to buy yams, maize, plantain and vegetables. Techiman is in the middle of Ghana, where the forest meets the savannah, so food from both sides arrives there.

Other places:

• Kintampo Waterfalls, a famous tourist spot.
• Yeji, a fishing town on Lake Volta.
• Atebubu and Nkoranza, farming towns.

The region is often called the "food basket" of Ghana.

Try this: Why is a town in the middle of the country a good place for a big food market?

Ahafo Region

Capital: Goaso

Ahafo is the smallest of the three regions made from Brong-Ahafo.

It is a land of forest, cocoa and gold.

• The Ahafo gold mine near Kenyasi is one of the biggest in Ghana.
• Cocoa and timber come from its thick forests.
• Towns include Goaso, Hwidiem, Kenyasi, Mim and Bechem.

Goaso is a small, growing town. Becoming a regional capital means new roads, offices and hospitals are being built.

Try this: How might life change in a small town when it becomes a regional capital?

The north: savannah land

Five regions make up the north of Ghana: Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper East and Upper West.

The land here is savannah: wide grassland with scattered trees like shea and baobab. It is hotter and drier than the south, with one rainy season.

Life in the north:

• Farmers grow millet, sorghum, rice, yam and groundnuts, and keep cattle, goats and sheep.
• Women collect shea nuts and make shea butter.
• Many people wear the smock (called fugu or batakari), a hand-woven shirt.
• Round houses with thatched roofs are common in villages.

Try this: Why do you think people in the north build round houses with thick mud walls?

Northern Region

Capital: Tamale

Tamale is the biggest city in the north of Ghana and one of the fastest-growing cities in West Africa.

The Northern Region is the home of the Dagomba people. Their king is the Ya-Na, who lives at Yendi.

Famous places:

• The Tamale Central Mosque, a landmark of the city.
• Yendi, the seat of the Dagbon kingdom.
• The Tamale Sports Stadium.

Tamale is known for its many bicycles and motorbikes, and for shea butter, rice and groundnuts.

Try this: Tamale is far from the sea. How do you think goods get there?

Savannah Region

Capital: Damongo

Savannah Region is a new region from 2019, cut from the western part of the old Northern Region. It is Ghana's largest region by land, but it has few people.

It is home to Mole National Park, Ghana's biggest wildlife park. There you can see elephants, antelopes, warthogs, baboons and many birds.

Next to Mole is Larabanga, which has one of the oldest mosques in West Africa, built of mud in the old Sudanese style.

The Gonja people are the main group. Their king is the Yagbonwura.

Try this: Why do you think a region with so much open land has so few people?

North East Region

Capital: Nalerigu

North East Region is another new region from 2019, cut from the Northern Region.

Nalerigu is the home of the Nayiri, king of the Mamprusi people. The Mamprusi kingdom is very old, and the Dagomba and Mossi kingdoms grew from it.

Near Nalerigu is the Nalerigu Defence Wall, built hundreds of years ago to protect the town. People say it was built with mud mixed with honey.

Other towns include Walewale and Gambaga, which sits on a high escarpment with cool breezes.

Farmers here grow millet, maize and rice, and the region is known for its smocks.

Try this: Why would a town build a wall around itself long ago?

Upper East Region

Capital: Bolgatanga

Upper East is in the far north-east corner of Ghana, touching Burkina Faso and Togo. People shorten Bolgatanga to "Bolga".

Bolga is famous for its baskets. Women weave strong, colourful baskets from straw, and they are sold all over the world.

Other famous places:

• Paga, right on the border, where there is a pond with friendly crocodiles that let people sit near them.
• Tongo Hills and the shrines of Tengzug.
• Navrongo, with its mud-built cathedral.

The Frafra, Kusasi and Kassena peoples live here. Houses are painted with beautiful patterns.

Try this: Why might crocodiles in one pond be friendly when crocodiles elsewhere are dangerous?

Upper West Region

Capital: Wa

Upper West is in the far north-west corner, touching Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire.

Wa is the home of the Wa Naa, the chief of the Wala people. His palace is built in the old mud style with pointed towers.

The region is known for:

• Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary on the Black Volta River, where hippos live.
• Gwollu, which has an old defence wall like Nalerigu's.
• Shea butter and groundnut farming.
• The xylophone (gyil), a wooden instrument played by the Dagaaba and Sisaala peoples.

It is one of the quietest regions, with wide open spaces.

Try this: Hippos live in rivers. Why does the Black Volta make a good home for them?

Old regions and new regions

Before 2019, Ghana had ten regions. Then the government asked the people in some places if they wanted new regions. They voted yes.

Here is what changed:

Old region	Became
Western	Western + Western North
Volta	Volta + Oti
Northern	Northern + Savannah + North East
Brong-Ahafo	Bono + Bono East + Ahafo

The other six regions (Greater Accra, Central, Eastern, Ashanti, Upper East, Upper West) stayed the same.

Why make new regions? So that government offices are closer to the people, and so that places far from the old capital get more attention.

Try this: Which old region was split into the most pieces?

Regions, districts and communities

A region is divided into smaller parts called districts. Ghana has more than 260 districts.

Think of it like a school:

• The country is the whole school.
• A region is like a class level, such as Basic 4.
• A district is like one classroom.
• Your community (town or village) is like your row of desks.

Big districts with cities are called Metropolitan (like Accra or Kumasi). Medium ones are Municipal. Smaller ones are just District.

Each district has an Assembly that looks after local things: markets, refuse collection, local roads, basic schools and clinics.

Try this: What is the name of your district? Where is its office?

Who runs a region?

Every region has a Regional Minister. The President chooses the Regional Minister, and Parliament must agree.

The Regional Minister:

• Represents the President in the region.
• Chairs the Regional Coordinating Council, which brings together the leaders of all the districts.
• Makes sure government plans (roads, hospitals, schools) are carried out.
• Helps keep peace and order.

The Regional Minister works from the Regional Coordinating Council office in the regional capital. That is one reason the capital town matters: it is where the region's government sits.

Try this: Find out the name of your Regional Minister. Listen for it on the news.

Who runs a district?

Each district is run by a District Chief Executive (DCE). In a city it is a Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), and in a municipality a Municipal Chief Executive (MCE). People often just say "the DCE".

The DCE works with the District Assembly. Assembly members are mostly elected by the people in each small area, called an electoral area.

The Assembly decides on:

• Where to build a new market or clinic.
• How to collect rubbish.
• Local rules, called by-laws.
• How to spend the district's money.

Below the Assembly are Unit Committees in each community, the closest level of government to you.

Try this: If you could ask your Assembly member for one thing for your community, what would it be?

Chiefs and traditional leaders

Alongside the government, Ghana's regions have chiefs. Chiefs are traditional leaders chosen according to the customs of their people.

Each region has a Regional House of Chiefs, and the whole country has a National House of Chiefs.

Some of the best-known chiefs:

• The Asantehene in Kumasi (Ashanti).
• The Ya-Na in Yendi (Northern).
• The Nayiri in Nalerigu (North East).
• The Yagbonwura in Damongo (Savannah).
• The Wa Naa in Wa (Upper West).
• The Ga Mantse in Accra (Greater Accra).

Chiefs settle disputes, look after land and customs, and lead festivals. They work together with the government.

Try this: Who is the chief of your town? What title does he or she use?

Festivals of the regions

Every region has festivals that celebrate harvest, history or the ancestors.

• Homowo (Greater Accra): the Ga people sprinkle kpokpoi and "hoot at hunger".
• Fetu Afahye (Central): Cape Coast's colourful procession.
• Odwira (Eastern): the Akuapem people at Akropong.
• Akwasidae (Ashanti): the Asantehene sits in state at Manhyia.
• Hogbetsotso (Volta): the Anlo-Ewe remember their journey.
• Damba (Northern, North East, Savannah): drumming, horses and smocks.
• Kundum (Western): the Nzema and Ahanta harvest festival.
• Bugum (fire festival) in the north.

Try this: Which festival is held where you live? What do people do during it?

Languages across the regions

Ghana's official language is English, but more than 70 languages are spoken across the regions.

• Akan (Twi, Fante): Ashanti, Eastern, Central, Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, Western, Western North.
• Ga and Dangme: Greater Accra.
• Ewe: Volta and Oti.
• Dagbani: Northern.
• Gonja: Savannah.
• Mampruli: North East.
• Frafra (Gurenɛ), Kusaal, Kasem: Upper East.
• Dagaare, Waali, Sisaali: Upper West.
• Nzema: Western.
• Hausa is spoken in zongo communities everywhere.

Many Ghanaians speak three or four languages!

Try this: How many languages are spoken in your class? Say "good morning" in each one.

What the regions make and grow

Each region is known for different things.

• Cocoa: Ashanti, Western North, Western, Eastern, Ahafo, Central.
• Gold: Ashanti (Obuasi), Western (Tarkwa), Ahafo (Kenyasi), Western North (Bibiani).
• Oil: off the coast of Western Region.
• Fish: all four coast regions, plus Lake Volta towns in Volta, Oti and Bono East.
• Yam and maize: Bono East, Northern, Savannah, Oti.
• Rice: Northern, Upper East, Volta.
• Shea butter: Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah.
• Pineapple: Central, Eastern, Greater Accra.
• Cashew: Bono, Bono East.
• Salt: Volta (Keta), Greater Accra (Ada).

Try this: What is the main crop or product where you live? Where is it sold?

Travelling between regions

How do people and goods move between the regions?

• Roads: the Accra–Kumasi road, the Accra–Cape Coast–Takoradi coastal road, and the Kumasi–Tamale–Bolga road to the north are the busiest. Trotros, buses and lorries use them every day.
• Air: there are airports at Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Takoradi, Sunyani, Ho and Wa.
• Water: the ferry on Lake Volta carries people and yams between Akosombo, Yeji and other lake towns.
• Rail: old railway lines link Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi, and new lines are being built.

A trip from Accra to Tamale by road takes about 10 to 12 hours. By plane, about one hour.

Try this: How would you travel from your region to Kumasi? How long would it take?

The flag that unites all sixteen

No matter which region you live in, you are a Ghanaian, and the same flag flies over you.

The flag was designed by Theodosia Okoh in 1957, when Ghana became independent.

• Red remembers those who died for freedom.
• Gold stands for Ghana's mineral wealth.
• Green stands for the forests and farms.
• The black star stands for African freedom.

The regions are different in language, food and weather, but the flag, the anthem, the cedi, the national football team and the constitution belong to everyone.

Try this: Draw the flag. Which colour stands for the forests of Western North? Which for the gold of Obuasi?

Reading the map: compass directions

To describe where a region is, use the compass: North, South, East, West.

• Upper West is in the north-west.
• Upper East is in the north-east.
• Western is in the south-west.
• Volta is in the south-east.
• Ashanti is in the centre.

You can also say which regions border (touch) each other.

• Ashanti borders Eastern, Central, Western, Western North, Ahafo, Bono and Bono East.
• Greater Accra borders Central, Eastern and Volta.

Try this: Use the map. Which regions border Northern Region? Which region borders the most other regions?

Tricks for remembering

Here are some ways to remember the capitals.

Same first letter:

• Accra for Greater Accra.
• Wa for Upper West.

Rhyme or sound:

• Ho is short, like "Volta, Ho!"
• Bolga for Upper East: "East is Bolga's beast."

The three B's: Bono (Sunyani), Bono East (Techiman), Ahafo (Goaso) all came from Brong-Ahafo.

The far north four: Wa (west), Bolga (east), Nalerigu (middle-east), Damongo (middle-west), with Tamale in the centre.

Try this: Make up your own rhyme or song for five capitals you find hard. Teach it to a friend.

Words to remember

• Region: one of the sixteen big parts Ghana is divided into.
• Regional capital: the town where the region's government offices are.
• District: a smaller part of a region. Ghana has more than 260.
• Regional Minister: the person the President chooses to lead a region.
• District Chief Executive (DCE): the person who leads a district.
• District Assembly: elected people who decide local matters.
• Chief: a traditional leader chosen by custom.
• Savannah: grassland with scattered trees, found in the north.
• Border: the line where one region (or country) meets another.
• Capital city: Accra, the capital of the whole country.

Try this: Cover the meanings and test yourself.

Practice: regions and capitals

Write the capital of each region.

1. Ashanti
2. Northern
3. Central
4. Upper West
5. Volta
6. Bono East
7. Western
8. Savannah
9. Eastern
10. Oti

Now write the region for each capital.

11. Bolgatanga
12. Goaso
13. Sefwi Wiawso
14. Nalerigu
15. Sunyani
16. Accra

Practice: facts and government

1. How many regions does Ghana have? When were the newest ones created?
2. Which region has the most people? Which is the biggest in land?
3. Name the four regions that touch the sea.
4. Which region is home to Mole National Park?
5. Where does the Asantehene live?
6. What is Techiman famous for?
7. Who chooses the Regional Minister?
8. What does a District Assembly do?
9. Name three festivals and their regions.
10. Which old region was split into Bono, Bono East and Ahafo?

Answer in full sentences. Check your answers with a friend or your teacher.

Make a region poster

Choose one region (not your own) and make a poster about it.

Include:

• The name of the region and its capital.
• A small map showing where it is in Ghana.
• The main language spoken.
• One famous place to visit.
• One food or crop it is known for.
• One festival.
• The name of a chief or king, if you can find it.
• One thing you would like to do if you visited.

Present your poster to the class in two minutes. Listen to the others, and by the end your class will have covered all sixteen regions.

Check yourself

Tick the ones you can do.

• I can name all sixteen regions.
• I can name the capital of each region.
• I can find my own region on the map and name its neighbours.
• I know which regions touch the sea and which are in the north.
• I know which six regions were created in 2019.
• I can give one special fact about at least eight regions.
• I know what a Regional Minister does.
• I know what a District Assembly does.
• I know the difference between a chief and a government official.
• I can explain what the colours of the flag mean.

Go back to any page you need. Use the song in the video to practise the capitals.

Learn more

• Regions of Ghana (Wikipedia) — a table of all sixteen regions with capitals, size and population
• Ghana Districts — every region and district in Ghana with its assembly and capital
• National Geographic Kids: Ghana — a short country profile with pictures

Watch more

Think about it

1. Why do you think Ghana made six new regions in 2019? What are the good points and the difficulties?
2. If you could move the capital of your region to another town, would you? Why or why not?
3. How is life in a northern savannah region different from life in a coastal region?
4. Why is it useful to have both chiefs and government officials in a region?
5. Which region would you most like to visit, and what would you do there?