Accra

Accra
—  City  —
Aerial view of downtown Accra
Accra is located in Ghana
Accra
Location in Ghana
Coordinates:
Country  Ghana
District Accra Metropolitan Area
Settled 15th century
Incorporated (city) 1898
Government
 - Type Mayor–council
 - Mayor Alfred Vanderpuije
Area[1]
 - City 200 km2 (77.22 sq mi)
 - Metro 894 km2 (345.18 sq mi)
Elevation 61 m (200 ft)
Population [2][3]
 - City 1,963,264 ('07 est.)
 - Density 9,816/km2 (25,424/sq mi)
 - Metro 3,835,304 ('07 est.)
Time zone UTC
Area code(s) 030
Website http://www.ama.gov.gh

Accra (English pronunciation: /ˈækrə/ or /əˈkrɑː/) is the capital and largest city in Ghana with the population of the city proper estimated at 1,963,264 as of 2009. Accra also doubles as the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District with which it is coterminous.[4] Accra is also the anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area called the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and includes eight districts - Accra Metropolitan, Tema Metropolitan, Ga East Municipal, Ga West Municipal, Ga South Municipal, Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal, Ashaiman Municipal and Adenta Municipal.[5] It is home to about 4 million people, making it the largest metropolitan conglomeration in the country by population.[3]

Greater Accra Metropolitan Area

As a primate city, Accra is the administrative, communications, and economic centre of the country.

Originally built around a port, Accra stretches along the Atlantic Coast and north into the interior. Serving as the nation’s capital, then the Gold Coast, from 1877 its architecture ranges from large and elegant 19th Century colonial buildings to skyscrapers and apartment blocks made of concrete, glass and steel in the 1970s, reflecting its transition from a 19th century suburb of Victoriaborg to the modern metropolis it is today.

Spreading along the Atlantic coast, the city is well endowed with luxury as well as great value hotels, excellent restaurants and night clubs. A range of absorbing museums and fine public monuments, modern business and commercial areas, as well as busy markets and tree-lined residential suburbs, is ready to be explored [6] Since the early 1990s a number of new buildings have been built, including the multi-storey Novotel hotel which is French-owned. There is also an impressive National Theatre that was built with help from the Chinese.

The centre of Accra contains the main banks, the large department stores, the Cocoa Marketing board headquarters and a whole area known as The Ministries, where the government administration is concentrated. Economic activities in Accra are financial, agriculture, fishing, and manufacturing processed food, lumber and plywood, textiles, clothing and chemicals.

Contents

History

Accra International Conference Centre

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. The city was first settled in the 15th century when the Ga people migrated there after leaving their previous settlement at Ayawaso, ten miles north of Accra. The site was advantageous as it removed the Ga people from the Akwamu people who were their rivals. Initially, Accra was not the most prominent trading center but the ports at Ada and Prampram, along with the inland centers of Dodowa and Akusa to the east. However, Accra took on more importance serving as a center for trade during the slave trade with the Europeans who had built forts nearby: James Fort and Ussher Fort. This went on until the abolition of the slave trade in 1807. Later the Portuguese, followed by the Swedish, Dutch, French, British and Danish built forts in the town by the 17th century.

In the 1850s, Denmark sold Christiansborg and their other castles to the British. In 1873, after decades of an uneasy relationship between the British and the Asante people of central Ghana, the British attacked and virtually destroyed the Asante capital of Kumasi, and officially declared Ghana a crown colony. The British then captured Accra 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 because Accra had a drier climate relative to Cape Coast, and was not home to the tsetse fly hence allowing the use animal transport. Until this time, the settlement of Accra was confined between the Ussher Fort to the East and the Korle Lagoon to the West.[7]

One of the most influential decisions in the history of the city was that of building the Accra-Kumasi railway in 1908. This was to connect Accra, the major port at that time, with Ghana's main cocoa producing regions. In 1923, the railway was completed and by 1924 cocoa was Ghana's largest export. Accra was the main exporter of cocoa until 1928 and this was one of the main reasons for its rapid growth. Piped water was yet another factor that drew in many migrants from rural areas in 1915. Accra prospered during the 1920s, and this has been associated with the influence of the governorship of Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg who had several changes done such as building a bridge across the Korle Lagoon in 1923, opening the land west of the lagoon for settlement, and building hospitals and schools. This led to an increase of Accra’s population due to migration of rural people into the city, and the immigration of increasing numbers of European businessmen and administrators. 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. During the post-WWII era more administrative, commercial buildings including a massive judicial/administrative complex were built.

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.[8]

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 James fort, Osu near the Danish fort of Christiansborg (now Osu Castle) and Ussherstown near the Dutch Ussher fort. The four areas form the core of the modern city.

Today, Accra has several tourists’ attractions such as the National Museum of Ghana, the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Archives of Ghana, and Ghana's central library, the National Theatre, Accra Centre for National Culture, a lighthouse, the National Sports Stadium among others. It is also a major transportation hub, home to the Kotoka International Airport and lies on railway lines to Tema, Takoradi and Kumasi.

Geography

Due to its early founding around the British, Danish, and Dutch forts, central Accra is compact. Over the years, however, with in-migration from rural areas, the city has expanded with no regard to zoning, giving it a sprawled attribute. The city of Accra has a total area of 200km2 and is the anchor city of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) which is made up of the Accra Metropolitan District, Tema Metropolitan District, Ga South Municipal District, Ga East Municipal District, Ga West Municipal District, Adenta Municipal District, Ashaiman Municipal District, Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal District, and the town of Kasoa in the Awutu Senya District of the Central Region.

The intersection of the Lafa stream and Mallam junction serves as thewestern border of the city. The Great Hall of the University of Ghana forms the northern border, while the Nautical College forms the eastern border. The Gulf of Guinea forms the southern border. These borders notwithstanding, conflict points with adjoining districts exists, resulting in a de-facto shrinking of the city limits[9]

Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods of Accra

Owing to its sprawled nature, Accra has a vast number of neighborhoods. The growth of the city has outstripped the rate of provision of services such as waste collection, potable water and electricity, giving rise to slums. According to UN Habitat, Accra has 25 slums[10]. While some slum settlements such as Sodom and Gomorrah are being demolished because of their negative effect on the environment, a pilot program at slum upgrading has begun in Nima and Maamobi[11].

Accra Central

Central Accra is the administrative & cultural center of Accra, and is the location of many of the nation's government ministries, hotels and businesses, and is headquarters of many major financial institutions in Ghana. Many of Accra's principal attractions such as the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, the National Museum, Independence Arch & Square, the National Theatre, and the Ohene Djan Stadium.

Geographically, it is difficult to define the limits of central Accra, although for the purpose of simplification, the Ring Road will be recognized as a perimeter separating central Accra from the outlying neighborhoods.

Extending from Korle Lagoon in the west, north to Kwame Nkrumah Circle, following east to the juncture of Independence Avenue, and continuing on to Osu, Ring Road is a multi-lane highway which forms a ring around some of the oldest districts in Accra.

Accra North

Northern Accra is a residential and business centre of Accra. The area also contains important landmarks such as the "37" Military Hospital, Golden Jubilee House, several important embassies, Achimota School, Achimota Golf Park, and the University of Ghana's Legon campus.

Geographically, for the purposes of this article, the areas north of Ring Road West & Central, east of Winneba/Graphic Road, and west of Liberation Road will be regarded as Northern Accra. The districts just north and south of the Kwame Nkrumah motorway will also be included in this classification.

With the dispute in the border between the Accra Metropolitan Area and the Ga East Municipality, the settlements of West Legon/Westlands, Achimota, and Christian Village, which are west of the University of Ghana and located in the Ga East Municipal area are sometimes included as neighborhoods in the city of Accra.

Accra East

Eastern Accra is largely residential, and geographically north of Ring Road east as far north as Kwame Nkrumah motorway and bordered to the west by Liberation road.

Accra West

Western Accra is largely a residential & business area of the capital of Ghana. While geographically less expansive than the northern and eastern reaches of the city as a result of the large saltponds of Tettegu & Aplaku, it nonetheless boasts of one of Accra's most important landmarks - the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Geographically, the areas west of Ring Road west as far west as the saltponds and south of Graphic Road are considered Accra West.

Climate

[12] Accra lies in the Savannah zone and features a tropical savanna climate. There are two rainy seasons. The average annual rainfall is about 730mm, which falls primarily during the two rainy seasons.

The first begins in May and ends in mid-July. The second season begins in mid-August and ends in October. Rain usually falls in intensive short storms and give rise to local flooding where drainage channels are obstructed.

There is very little variation in temperature throughout the year. The mean monthly temperature ranges from 24.7°C in August (the coolest) to 28°C in March (the hottest) with annual average of 26.8°C. It should be noted, however, 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.

As the area is close to the equator, the daylight hours are practically uniform during the year. Relative humidity is generally high varying from 65% in the mid-afternoon to 95% at night. The predominant wind direction in Accra is from the WSW to NNE sectors. Wind speeds normally range between 8 to 16 km/hr. High wind gusts occur with thunderstorm activity, which pass in squall along the coast.

The maximum wind speed record in Accra is 107.4 km/hr (58 knots). Strong winds associated with thunderstorm activity often cause damage to property by removing roofing material. Several areas of Accra experience micro climatic effects. Low profile drainage basins with a north-south orientation are not as well ventilated as that orientated east west.

Air is often trapped in pockets and an insulation effect gives rise to local increase in air temperature of several degrees. This occurs in the Accra Newtown sports complex areas.

Climate data for Accra
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: BBC Weather [13]

Demographics

With a population of about 1,695,136 million people (2000 National Population Census), Accra is today one of the most populated and fast growing Metropolis of Africa with an annual growth rate of 3.36%.

The period between 1960 and 1970 saw some of the rapid industrialisation and expansion in the manufacturing and commercial sectors in some major areas within the metropolis. This factor contributed to high immigration to Accra, and the resultant high population growth rate between 1960-1970 intercensal years[14]

The stagnation of the Ghanaian Economy during the 1970s had adverse effect on the growth rate of Accra’s population as shown in the growth rate of the 1970-1984 intercensal years. The decline in agriculture in rural communities in Ghana and industrialisation in urban regions coupled with the late 1980s and 1990s boom in the service sector in primate cities propelled immigration to Accra.

The primacy of the Accra Metropolitan Area as an administrative, educational, industrial and commercial centre in attracting people from all over Ghana, continues to be the major force for rapid population growth, with migration contributing to over 35% of the population increase.

Distribution and Density

The gross density of population for Accra Metropolitan Area in 2000 was 10.03 person per hectare compared to 6.23 per ha. in 1970. The highest densities were recorded in Accra Metropolitan Assembly with an overall average of 69.3-person per/ha.

At the Community level, densities exceeding 250 persons/ha occurred mostly in the dominant immigrant and depressed areas and the oldest parts of Accra such as Accra New Town, Nima, James Town and Ussher Town while densities ranged between 17.5 - 40 persons/ha. in the high-income areas.

Population Distribution by Age and Gender

Accra’s population like that of other urban centres is a very youthful one with 56.% of the population under the age of 24years. The area is not expected to decline in the foreseeable future, short of a change in the pro-natalist tendencies among Ghanaians and an improvement in the impact of family planning, which has so far been limited. Below is a table that gives age and sex distribution for Accra. k;lkl,,;

Fifty-one percent (51%) of the population are females and the remaining 49% males. This gives a sex ratio of 1:1.04 males to females. The dominance of females over males is a reflection of the nationwide trend where the estimated ratio is 1:1.03. the need to target women in any development programme in the metropolis can therefore not be overemphasised.

Migration

Decentralisation and birth control policies are expected to reduce both the natural birth and migration rates. However, the infrastructure already built in AMA will for a long time make it a more attractive place for unemployed rural people as well as public servants, national and international investors.

An assessment of the extent of migration by present locality and sex from the table above, points to the fact that 44% of residents in Accra are migrants. This reflects the cosmopolitan nature of the metropolis and has adverse implications on the mobilisation of communities for development.

Housing Characteristics

There is an inner city area comprising a mixture of very low-density development with under-utilised service infrastructure on the one hand, indigenous, low class, and high-density development with depressed conditions and over stretched infrastructure services on the other.

According to statistics available, urban centres in the country are rapidly growing, especially the Accra metropolis. This rapid growth had led to the neglect of some of the old indigenous settlements, whilst efforts are being made to provide the newly developing suburban areas with services and infrastructure to cater for the needs of the middle-income earners mostly found there.

The result is that the older indigenous areas of Accra like Ga Mashie among others which are the historical and cultural repository of the Nation, are experiencing decay. This calls for proactive measures at inner city revitalisation to address this issue.

The peripheral residential development is usually haphazard, with barely sufficient infrastructure to support it. There are also large numbers of uncompleted houses inter-dispersed with pockets of undeveloped land which are often subject of litigation, or the inability of organisations and individuals who own it to complete or develop due to the lack of funds.

Housing can be grouped into 3 broad categories: the low income, middle income and high income areas. The low income housing zones may be divided into indigenous and non-indigenous (dominantly migrant) areas. The low-income indigenous housing areas comprise Osu, Jamestown, Adedenkpo, Chorkor, La, Teshie and Nungua.

The low-income non-indigenous housing areas include: Sukura, Kwashieman, Odorkor, Bubiashie, Abeka, Nima, Maamobi and Chorkor. Altogether these areas accommodate about 58% of Accra’s population. Most of the informal businesses are located in low-income areas and they are the first place of abode for any new job-seeking migrant.

Housing Conditions

Almost all low-income areas are built up with little room for expansion. This is particularly so in the indigenous areas of the inner city. Conditions are generally depressed with poor supporting social and engineering infrastructure.

Buildings are of poor quality material such as mud, untreated timber and zinc roofing sheets for walling. The housing environment is characterised by haphazard development, inadequate housing infrastructure, poor drainage, erosion and high population concentrations.

The middle-income areas are predominantly business, administrative and professional income families. Much of the housing has been provided by state, parastatal and private sector organisations and individuals.

They include areas like Dansoman Estates, North Kaneshie Estates, Asylum Down, Kanda Estates, Abelempke, Achimota and Tesano. Usually, these areas, unlike the low income areas, are planned but are in need of infrastructure services. Building materials and general housing conditions are of better quality. The middle-income group comprises 32% of the population.

The high-income areas provide housing for the remaining 10% of the population. They include areas like North and West Ridge, Ringway Estates, north Labone Estates, Airport Residential Area, Roman Ridge, East Legon. These areas are all planned and have well developed infrastructure with spacious and landscaped ground in sharp contrast with, particularly, the low income areas, Buildings are usually built with sandcrete blocks, they have walls and roofed with aluminium, or asbestos roofing sheets.

There are also high-income peripheral areas like Hatso, Adenta, Taifa, Mallam where development of engineering infrastructure is not yet complete. These areas developed ahead of infrastructure and consequently lack almost all utility services. Building materials used are similar to those in the middle and high-income zones.

It will be realised that in general, 84.4% of all houses in the Accra Metropolis have their outside walls made up of cement as compared to 63.3% and 44.8% for other urban areas and the nation respectively.

Similarly, houses found within the Accra Metropolis have 99.2% of floor materials made up of cement while the figures for other urban areas and the nation are 95.1% and 84.7% respectively.

It can therefore be inferred that although in some instances, low income areas have exhibited poor housing conditions, the general conditions of houses in the Accra Metropolis is good compared with the national figures and that of other urban areas .

It must however be mentioned that whilst efforts are being made to provide the newly developing suburban areas with services and infrastructure the older areas of Accra including Ga Mashie, which are the historical and cultural repository of the Nation, are experiencing decay and measures should be taken to reverse this trend.

Conditions are much worse in the low-income areas with very high pressures on facilities – about 30 person per toilet, 48 persons per kitchen and 22 persons per bathroom. This is either due to inadequate facilities, conversion of facility spaces to some other uses other than the kind of facility provided for.

Government

Acccra has a Mayor–council government system in which the mayor is vested with extensive executive powers. The mayor is appointed by the president of the Republic of Ghana and approved by the city council in a secret ballot, although cries have been made by the public to increase accountability of the office by having the mayor elected. The current mayor of Accra is Alfred Vanderpuije, appointed by H.E. President Atta Mills in 2009.

The full membership of the Assembly is 104; of this, 70% are elected and 30% are government appointees. The chart below shows the Institutional and Administrative Structure of AMA. The Town and Country Planning Department is responsible for land-use planning in the metropolis.[15]

As the capital of Ghana, Accra plays a major role in national politics. The city has several properties relating to the national government including the Ministries and Parliament. Accra also serves as the home of the Supreme Court, and is the headquarters of the Bank of Ghana.

Due to its sprawled size, Accra is divided into 11 sub-metropoli:[16]

Economy

The economically active population of AMA is estimated to be 823,327. However, the daily influx of people from dormitory towns makes the figure higher than estimated. It is worthwhile to state that the estimated figure of all the economically active population who dwell within the Metropolis excludes the workers of both formal and informal sectors who commute daily to engage in various economic activities.

Banks along High Street

Accra is a major centre for manufacturing, marketing, finance, insurance, transportation and tourism. It has about 350 major industrial establishments, a Central Bank, 9 Commercial Banks (with 81 Branches), 4 Development Banks (with 19 Branches), 4 Merchant Banks (with 7 Branches), 3 Discount Houses, 1 Home Finance Mortgage Bank, Building Societies, a Stock exchange, 218 Foreign Exchange Bureaux, 9 Finance Houses, 9 Insurance Companies, 12 Insurance Brokerage Firms, 2 Savings and Loans Companies and a host of Real Estate Developers. The road network in the Metropolis is about 1117.89 km made up of 918.10 km paved and 199.8 km of unpaved roads.

There are over 50,506 identified residential properties and about 4,054 commercial/Industrial/mixed properties with a total rateable value of GH¢13,849,014.[17] There are also 29 markets, 36 facilities for both on – street and off-street parking and over 120,000 units of wholesale, retail and other self-employed businesses as well as several facilities for the promotion of sports, recreation and many tourist centres.

Sectors of the economy

The sectors of AMA economy consist of Primary Sector (farming, fishing, mining and quarrying), Secondary Sector (manufacturing, electricity, gas, water, construction) and Tertiary Sector (Wholesale trade, retail trade, hotel, restaurant, transportation, storage, communication, financial intermediation, real estate service, public administration, education, health and other social services). As an urban economy the service sector is the largest, employing about 531,670 people. The second largest, secondary sector, employs 22.34% of the labor force (that is 183,934 people). Accra has 114,198 of its labour unemployed, making an unemployment rate of 12.2%[17].

Primary Sector

The primary sector, the smallest economic sector of Accra, employs 91, 556. The predominant primary economic activities are fishing and urban agriculture, with fishing accounting for 77.8% of production labour.

Farming is practised mostly by families, often without the benefits of modern methods of production. Farming in Accra is a typical urban farming system growing varieties of vegetables including okro, garden eggs, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce.

The volume of production of these crops is negligible and declining. The increasing land value in Accra is resulting in change use of urban agriculture land to commercial and economic purposes.

Poultry production is constrained by the high cost of feed. The metropolis has a number of domestic animals such as sheep and goats, which depend on the natural vegetation for feed. However, large quantities of meat and various dairy products are imported from neighbouring countries and abroad to supplement local production.

The fishing industry is the most important sub-sector where 10% of the catch is exported and the rest consumed locally. The main types of fish range from red fish, red bullet, and herring to sardines, tuna, yellow fish and grouper.

There are also significant quantities of shrimp, lobsters and sole. The industry is characterized by extreme seasonableness (June – September) especially in the case of herring and sardines. As a result of lack of storage facilities, prices tend to drop during the peak fishing season, resulting in the under-utilization of the fishing resources.

The bulk of the marine catch during the season is by the small canoe fishermen who have little or no link with credit institutions to support the expansion of their businesses.

Fishing operations take place close to the shore throughout the year, and there is clear indication of the depletion of fish stock in the near future. The operations are prominent at Jamestown, La, Teshie, Nungua and Chorkor fishing shores.

Education

Pre-School

There were a total of 7,923 children (3,893 girls; 4,030 boys) in pre-school in Accra in 2001/2002. Pre-schools are regulated by the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare,and are mostly privately- owned and operated. There were 62 government-owned pre-schools in the Accra metropolis.

Primary School

Primary school enrolment in 2001/2001 was 101,531 although the number of school going population of 6-11 year olds, was 279,087 pupils, resulting in apparent school participatory rate of 36.38 per cent. The Enrolment of girls is higher than boys. In order to have full enrolment, 244,241 new pupils/places must be provided, which represents about 24,500 new places annually, for 10 years.

Junior High School (JHS)

The Junior High School is part of the basic education program. Its implementation began on September 29, 1987 nation-wide.

As at 2001/2002 academic year, 61,080 pupils had enrolled,representing 57.17 per cent of the 129,467 in the school going age group of 12 – 14. The ratio of girls is also higher at this level. However, it does not seem likely that full enrolment at the JSS level can be achieved until after 2010.

Senior High School (SHS)

The transition rate between junior high and senior high school is assumed to increase from 30 per cent in 1990 to 50 per cent in 2001. The number of students is expected to grow by 23,102 between 1990 and 2005, an increase of about 2,310 a year. This will require 3 schools at a cost of 4,200 million Cedis, based on an average school enrolment of 979.84 students.

The high drop-out rate of girls from elementary and secondary education has given a higher proportion of boys to girls at the secondary school level. More so, more than half of JHS graduates (70%) do not enter SHS.

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.[18] American International School of Accra is also situated in Accra.

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;[19] the Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School, commonly known as "Presec"; Aburi Girls Secondary School, popularly known as "Abugiss", one of the most well-known girls' boarding schools in Ghana; St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School commonly known as "Quinas"; Accra Academy ("Bleoo"), Kaneshie Secondary Technical School ("Kateco"), Armed Forces Secondary Technical, Accra High School("Ahisco"), among others.

Universities

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. Public universities and other tertiary institutions have sprung up in the city.

Institution Location Public/Private Affiliation
University of Ghana Legon Public
Ghana Telecom University College Tesano Private
Islamic University College East Legon Private University of Ghana
Knutsford College East Legon Private University of Ghana
Methodist University College Dansoman Private University of Ghana
Regent University College of Science and Technology Mataheko Private Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Ashesi University College Labone Private University of Cape Coast
Central University College Mataheko Private University of Cape Coast
Advanced Business College Kaneshie Private University of Education, Winneba

Transportation

Kotoka International Airport

Accra is served by Kotoka International Airport, which has both civil and military uses.[20] Located 6 miles (10 km) from downtown Accra, handles all of the scheduled passenger service for Accra. It is the centre of two of Ghana's three main railway lines: those to Kumasi and Takoradi.[21]

Downtown Accra's streets were not organized on a grid, but rather created as needed. By contrast, streets in various estate housing such as Dansoman Estates, Ringway Estates and Kanda Estates do follow a grid system.

Public transportation is the most popular means of getting around accra. While Accra is well connected by rail to Tema, Takoradi and Kumasi, the service is unreliable and unpopular owing to its limited reach.

Taxis

There is a convenient taxi network but most don't have meter system so price negotiation is required between passenger and driver. But there are also metered taxis which are slightly expensive. Taxis in Ghana are painted in two colors: the four fenders are yellow/orange and the rest of the car is in a color of choice. Taxis can be obtained at taxi ranks or along any road in Accra. At taxi ranks, taxis have signs on top of the cars stating the area where that taxi will take passengers. Along roads, drivers will honk at pedestrians to see if they require a taxi.

Trotro

By far the most common form of transport in Accra, trotro are the most efficient and cost-effective way of getting around the city despite their frightening and dilapidated appearance. Trotro stop at any bus stop or gathering of people, and can also be found at lorry(truck) stations, one being the Neoplan station.[22] Waving the hand(palm down) up and down at an oncoming trotro gets the driver’s mate's attention, who in turn will shout out the trotro’s destination. There are signals used when travelling with trotros:

Buses

In 2003 the Metro Mass Transit Service was inaugurated in Accra as a more comfortable and cheaper alternative to the trotro. While laudable, the services of these buses have not been highly patronized. Recently, plans have been afoot to develop a bus rapid transit system for the city of Accra and its metro area. This project is aimed at an "integrated efficient, cost-effective and sustainable transportation system responsive to the needs of society, supporting growth and poverty reduction" in Accra[23]

Sport

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 Ohene Djan Stadium, home to the Hearts of Oak[24] and the regular pitch of the Black Stars (the national team), in 2008 hosted 9 matches in the 2008 African Cup of Nations.[25]

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 Stephen Appiah, who is currently with Serie A side, Bologna FC, Italy.

Attractions

Accra provides a concentration and variety of accommodation and other tourist facilities and services for both business and holiday tourists. Both the Labadi Beach Hotel and the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel rank five stars. The elegant Golden Tulip Hotel and Novotel Hotel, which are right in the centre of Accra’s main business district, are both ranked four stars.

Kwame Nkrumah mausoleum

There are numerous three star hotels, including the exotic Hotel Wangara, Shangri-La and Erata Hotel. There are, indeed, hotels for every kind of tourists, including budget hotels. The Accra International Conference Centre and other meeting facilities provide facilities for conference tourism, an area in which Ghana leads the rest of the West African sub-region.

Spreading along the Atlantic coast, the city is endowed with excellent restaurants and decent night clubs. A range of absorbing museums and fine public monuments, modern business and commercial areas, as well as busy, well-stocked markets and tree-lined residential neighborhoods are waiting to be explored.

The Accra metropolis hosts the National Museum, which houses a cream collection of Ghana’s historical treasures; the National Theatre, with its distinctive modern Chinese architecture; and the National Cultural Centre, whose arts and crafts bazaar and traditional textile market is the best place to find traditional handicrafts from all over Ghana.

The Du Bois Centre is a source of inspiration, housing a research library and gallery of manuscripts, as well as the graves of this famed African – American scholar and his wife. The Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum is the last resting place of Ghana’s first President who is remembered in history as one of the leading exponents of Pan –Africanism during his days.

Independence Arch

Historical sites, such as Jamestown area in which the national monuments of Usher Fort and James Fort are located, are well preserved. Accra is replete with palm tree-fringed beaches, blue skies and the Atlantic Ocean. The most popular is Labadi Beach, a festive beach for relaxation and entertainment. Kokrobite Beach is 25 kilometers west of Accra.

A modern hotel faces the beach front and the area houses the Academy of African Music and Arts. Also of note are Christianborg or Osu Castle, built by the Danes in the 17th century, Golden Jubilee House, the new residence and office of the president of Ghana, Accra Centre for National Culture, the Ohene Djan Stadium, the Independence Square, the Parliament of Ghana, the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT.

The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Accra.

Sister cities

Accra has two official sister cities as recognized by Sister Cities International[26]

City Country Date Reference
United States Chicago, Illinois United States 1989 [26]
United States Washington, DC United States 2006 [27]

References

  1. ↑ "Boundary and Administrative Area". Ghanadistricts.com. http://ghanadistricts.com/districts/?r=1&_=3&rlv=location. Retrieved 2010-07-22. 
  2. ↑ "Population of Accra, Ghana". GeoNames. http://population.mongabay.com/population/ghana/2306104/accra. Retrieved 2010-07-22. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Ghana". Thomas Brinkhoff. http://www.citypopulation.de/Ghana.html. Retrieved 2010-07-22. 
  4. ↑ "Accra Metropolitan". GhanaWeb. http://www.ghanadistricts.com/districts/?news&r=1&_=3. Retrieved 2010-07-22. 
  5. ↑ http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=jii;view=text;rgn=main;idno=4750978.0016.105 "Environmental and Structural Inequalities in Greater Accra". The Journal of the International Institute. http://www. http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=jii;view=text;rgn=main;idno=4750978.0016.105. Retrieved 2010-07-22. 
  6. ↑ "Accra". GhanaWeb. http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/geography/accra.php. Retrieved 2010-07-22. 
  7. ↑ "History of Accra". The African Executive. http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=994. Retrieved 2010-07-22. 
  8. ↑ 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. 
  9. ↑ "A repository of all districts in the republic of Ghana". Ghana Districts. http://ghanadistricts.com/districts/?r=1&_=3&sa=3055. Retrieved 2010-08-05. 
  10. ↑ http://www.ghanadistricts.com/news/?read=29346
  11. ↑ http://news.myjoyonline.com/news/201001/40331.asp
  12. ↑ "A repository of all districts in the republic of Ghana". Ghana Districts. http://ghanadistricts.com/districts/?r=1&_=3&rlv=climate. Retrieved 2010-08-05. 
  13. ↑ "Average Conditions Accra, Ghana". BBC Weather. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT000240. Retrieved September 9, 2009. 
  14. ↑ "A repository of all districts in the republic of Ghana". Ghana Districts. http://ghanadistricts.com/districts/?r=1&_=3&sa=3004. Retrieved 2010-08-05. 
  15. ↑ "A repository of all districts in the republic of Ghana". Ghana Districts. http://ghanadistricts.com/districts/?r=1&_=3&sa=3037. Retrieved 2010-08-05. 
  16. ↑ Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Boundary and Administrative Area. Retrieved July 1, 2009.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "A repository of all districts in the republic of Ghana". Ghana Districts. http://ghanadistricts.com/districts/?r=1&_=3&sa=5724. Retrieved 2010-08-05. 
  18. ↑ "Lincoln Community School". School Website. http://www.lincoln.edu.gh. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  19. ↑ "Achimota School Website". Achimota School. http://www.achimota.edu.gh/. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  20. ↑ "Kotoka International Airport". World Aero Data. 2009. http://worldaerodata.com/wad.cgi?id=GH02526&sch=DGAA. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  21. ↑ "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. 
  22. ↑ "Transportation | Ghana, Accra, Transport, Car, Trotros". Beautiful Ghana. 2006-05-01. http://beautifulghana.com/content/view/41/82/lang,en/. Retrieved 2010-08-05. 
  23. ↑ "US$95m VOTED TO SOLVE ACCRA, KUMASI TRANSPORT PROBLEMS | General News | ModernGhana.com News". Modernghana.com. http://www.modernghana.com/news/143322/1/us95m-voted-to-solve-accra-kumasi-transport-proble.html. Retrieved 2010-08-05. 
  24. ↑ "Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club". Official website. Accra Hearts of Oak. http://www.accraheartsofoak.com/site/index.php. Retrieved 31 October 2009. 
  25. ↑ "The 26th African Cup of Nations 2008". SportScheduler. 
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 "SCI: Sister City Directory". Sister-cities.org. http://www.sister-cities.org/directory/IntllistingsResults.cfm. Retrieved 2010-08-05. 
  27. ↑ "Sister City Agreement with Accra, Ghana". Jga.oca.dc.gov. http://jga.oca.dc.gov/DC/OS/Programs/View+DC's+Sister+Cities/Sister+City+Agreement+with+Accra,+Ghana. Retrieved 2010-08-05. 

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