| Akim Oda | |
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Akim Oda
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Ghana |
| Region | Eastern Region |
| District | Birim Central Municipal District |
Akim Oda or Akyem Oda is a town in the Eastern Region of Ghana with a population of about 38,000 people. It is the capital of the Birim Central Municipal district. It lies in hilly country with rain forest vegetation in the Birim River basin.[1]
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The climate is semiequatorial and wet with significant precipitation during the rainy season from April to June and again in September to November. A dry period is experienced between December to February.
Cocoa is an important part of the economy, including plantations and casual plantings along roadsides. The crop is dried and stored in warehouses for shipment. There are several small palm oil farms to the north of the Birim river, covering about 6,000 hectares. Byproducts from the palm-oil mills are used in soap-making. Bamboo is another useful and fast-growing crop, a strong and inexpensive material used for furniture and construction. The banks of the Birim river are rich in both gold and diamonds, extracted locally through artisanal processes.[1]
The forests contain valuable trees, and there is some illegal lumbering.[2] Ghana's forest area dropped from 8.2 million hectares around 1900 to 1.6 million hectares by 2000, and continues to decline rapidly due to demand both for exports and for construction by the growing population. Managed plantations are being introduced near Akim Oda and may help to reverse the decline.[3]
Akim Oda is keen to develop tourism, with attractions that include dug-out boat tours to view the mining operations, traditional ceremonies usually including impressive drumming performances, the biggest tree in West Africa at 12 meters in circumference and 66.5 meters tall and a bustling outdoor market.[1] The exotic and tasty local food may also be an important attraction.[4]
The Akyem Oda Government Hospital has reported a high rate of teenage pregnancies. In 2008, the hospital recorded 200 new HIV/AIDS cases, of whom 177 of the victims were female.[5]