Tamale, Ghana

This article is about the town in Ghana. For the food, see tamale.
Tamale
Town

Tamale Metropolitan logo
Tamale

Location of Tamale in Northern region, Dagbon

Coordinates: 09°24′27″N 00°51′12″W / 9.40750°N 0.85333°W / 9.40750; -0.85333Coordinates: 09°24′27″N 00°51′12″W / 9.40750°N 0.85333°W / 9.40750; -0.85333
Country Ghana
Region Northern Region
District Tamale Metropolitan District
Government
 • Mayor–council Abdul Rahaman Abdul Hanan Gundaadow
Area[1]
 • Total 750 km2 (289.58 sq mi)
Elevation 151 m (495 ft)
Population (2010)
 • Total 537,986
 • Density 480.77/km2 (1,245.18/sq mi)
Time zone UTC
Area code(s) 037
Website tamale.ghanadistricts.gov.gh

Tamale (pronounced [ˈtamalɛ]) officially called Tamale Metropolitan District is the capital town of the Northern Region of Ghana. Tamale is Ghana's third city and the second largest by area size. It has a 2013 projected population of 562,919 according to the 2012 census, making it the third largest settlement in Ghana[2] and the fastest growing city in West Africa.[3][4] The town is located 600 kilometres (370 mi) north of Accra.[5] Most residents of Tamale are Muslims, as reflected by the multitude of mosques in Tamale, most notably the Central Mosque. The Sunnites and the Ahmadiyyans also have their own central mosques, north of the town centre along Bolgatanga Road.

Tamale is located in Northern region and more precisely in the Kingdom of Dagbon (Dagbon Kingdom). The local (neighbourhood) chiefs and the district chief of Tamale are subservient to the Dagomba Paramount Chief (King) in Yendi.

Due to its central location, Tamale serves as a hub for all administrative and commercial activities in Northern region, doubling as the political, economic and financial capital of Northern region. The center of Tamale hosts regional branches of financial institutions and a considerable number of international non-governmental organizations.[6]

Tamale has developed and transformed significantly in the last few years.[7] The new dimension of Tamale's development is the rush by various companies to open branches in Tamale. The hospitality industry has grown significantly with new hotels and guest houses built around Tamale.[8] Tamale grew from a conglomeration of towns where one could find an architectural blend of traditional mud houses and more modern buildings. Tamale's new and modern facilities include the newly constructed Tamale Stadium, replacing the town's former principal football pitch, Kaladan Park, with a world-class venue. Indeed, many improvements to Tamale's infrastructure occurred in the period leading up to the 2008 African Cup of Nations tournament. Further improvements were made, particularly to Tamale's road system.[8] Upon arriving in the city, one will be quick to notice that the roads of the city are occupied with motorcycles with "mapukas" being the most patronised. This, however, does not interfere with the steady smooth flow of traffic on the major roads of the city.

History

Aerial view: Tamale native town and police barracks (1929)
Highway in Tamale

Tamale is located on the crossing of three ancient trade routes, Tamale started to grow as a commercial center for Northern region centuries ago. The North-South road from Paga and Bolgatanga to Salaga saw raiders passing, whilst other merchants brought their goods into Tamale. Salt came from Daboya, to the North-West of Tamale, and followed a road that continued to Yendi. A third road linked Gushegu to the capital of the Gonja kingdom, Damongo. The present locations of the central market and the palace of the Gulkpe naa,[9] opposite Barclays Bank and near the library, mark the junctions of the ancient roads.

Around this palace, a residential neighborhood began to grow. It is now known as Dagbangdabi-phong (the name means "oldest Dagomba men area"). This was followed by Changli, Belipiela and Bolanaphong ("gods' area") further to the South. Each neighborhood got its own local chief. As the distances to the market place grew, people started to settle elsewhere around the crossing, so that the quarters of Tishigu and Abu-Abu came up. An influx of Northerners from present-day Burkina Faso led to the building of Moshi Zongo. In the same time, the remote village of Vitteng came into existence.

Garden cities brought to Tamale and at the back of Sakasaka grew Kalpohin Estates, even now a pleasant neighborhood with plenty trees, big gardens and small houses. In the 1970s, urban extensions like Zogbeli, Lamakara and Lamashegu were built, neighborhoods characterized by checkboard planning of square house plots and orthogonal streets and alleys. Since the year 2000, Tamale seems to grow more rapid, so that the whole district of Tamale is now urban agglomeration.

Climate

Tamale features a tropical wet and dry climate under Köppen's climate classification. The metropolis experiences one rainy season from April to September or October with a peak in July and August. The mean annual rainfall is 1100 mm within 95 days of rainfall in the form of tropical showers. Consequently, staple crop farming is highly restricted by the short rain season.

The dry season is usually from November to early April. It is influenced by the dry North-Easterly (Harmattan) winds while the rainy season is influenced by the moist South Westerly winds. The mean day temperatures range from 28 (December and mid-April) to 43 (March, early April) degrees Celsius while mean night temperatures range from 18 (December) to 25 (February, March) degrees Celsius. The mean annual day sunshine is approximately 7.5 hours.

Climate data for Tamale
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 35
(95)		 37
(99)		 37
(99)		 35
(95)		 34
(93)		 31
(88)		 30
(86)		 29
(84)		 30
(86)		 32
(90)		 35
(95)		 35
(95)		 33.3
(92.1)
Average low °C (°F) 20
(68)		 23
(73)		 25
(77)		 25
(77)		 24
(75)		 23
(73)		 22
(72)		 22
(72)		 22
(72)		 22
(72)		 22
(72)		 20
(68)		 22.5
(72.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 5
(0.2)		 13
(0.5)		 48
(1.9)		 89
(3.5)		 112
(4.4)		 145
(5.7)		 142
(5.6)		 198
(7.8)		 231
(9.1)		 91
(3.6)		 15
(0.6)		 3
(0.1)		 1,092
(43)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 265.6 235.7 249.6 229.0 248.0 212.0 171.5 139.0 161.0 260.9 283.0 263.5 2,718.7
Source: Climatemps.com [10]

Government

Tamale Metropolitan District Mayor–Council Government Office and Secretary

Tamale has a Mayor–Council government system in which the mayor is vested with extensive executive powers. The Mayor is appointed by the Ghana president and approved by the town council, the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, although suggestions have been made by the residents of Tamale to increase accountability of the office by having the Mayor elected. The current Mayor of Tamale is Hon. Abdul Rahaman Abdul Hanan Gundaadow The name Tamale Metropolitan Assembly serves both for the local parliament and for the local executive. Local policies are always executed in this name, so that, for example, illegal constructions often show the command "remove by TMA" (meaning that the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly or its executive has ordered to remove the building as it is contrary to current urban land use planning). As the local executive, Tamale Metropolitan Assembly is the strong arm of the Mayor, his or her civil service. If mention is made of Assembly women or men, however, the reference is to the elected representatives of the inhabitants of Tamale. They form the assembly properly speaking, and must decide about local bye-laws before they can come into force. The name "Tamale Metropolitan District" is used in the geographical sense, to refer to the area within its borders.

Education

The new University for Development Studies (UDS)

Tamale is the principal center of education in North Ghana. Currently there are a total of 742 basic schools within the metropolis. This comprises 94 kindergartens, 304 primary, 112 Junior High and 10 Senior High Schools. The rest are technical/vocational institutions, two (2) colleges of Education, a polytechnic and two universities –one public and the other private.[7]

In the Education Ridge neighborhood in the north-western part of the town and covering an area of about 3 km, 20 schools ranging from kindergartens through junior high and senior high schools, teachers' training colleges, the Tamale Polytechnic and a university are located. The numerous trees lining the streets in this part of the town give it a tropical rainforest outlook. The University for Development Studies (UDS) has two campuses located in Tamale and one in nearby Nyankpala. The headquarters of the University for Development Studies is also located in Tamale.[11]

List of senior high schools

Transportation

Bus Rapid Transit in Tamale

Tamale is served by Tamale Airport. Located approximately 11 kilometres (6 nmi; 7 mi) from downtown Tamale, the airport is mainly used by commercial airlines such as Citylink, Starbow Airlines and Antrak Air, which run regular flights between Tamale and Accra's Kotoka International Airport along with other regional capitals.[12]

Public transportation in the form of taxis is the most convenient means of getting around Tamale for visitors to the town. The popular means of travel for the locals, however, is by bike and motorbike. This phenomenon is helped by the existence of bike paths in the town, making it one of the most bike-friendly settlements in Northern region. Transportation out of town is facilitated by the Tamale's Bus Rapid Transit system, "tro-tro" private mini-bus system, and MetroMass Bus-Based Mass Transit system and STC Bus Lines, along with a host of charter bus companies, all of which provide a means of transport that connect Tamale with the many other major surrounding towns and cities.

Gallery

Sister cities

Tamale has sister city relations with:

City Country Date Reference
United States Louisville, Kentucky United States 1979 [13]
Burkina Faso Fada N'gourma Burkina Faso 2003 [14]
Niger Commune II NiameyNiger2007[15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Location & Size". Ghanadistricts.com. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
  2. ↑ "Ghana - Largest Cities". GeoNames. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  3. ↑ GhanaWeb.com ghanaweb.com
  4. ↑ "The largest cities in Ghana, ranked by population". Mongabay.com. 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  5. ↑ Tamale, Northern Region (Ghana). icli.nl.
  6. ↑ Tamale, capital of Northern region, Ghana. ghana-net.com.
  7. 1 2 Tamale Children's Home Tamale, Northern Region (Ghana). catointl.org
  8. 1 2 Tamale metropolitan
  9. ↑ The Gulkpe naa is one of the seven district chiefs in the Dagbon; in rank directly under the Paramount Chief, he overlooks the local chiefs in and around Tamale.
  10. ↑ "Tamale Weather Averages". Climatemps. 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  11. ↑ Introduction to Tamale and the Northern Region. sclou.org.
  12. ↑ Tamale Airport Listings. Ghanapedia.
  13. ↑ Sister City International Listings - Directory Search Results - Tamale, Ghana. sister-cities.org.
  14. ↑ Tamale establishes links with sister city in Burkina-Faso. ghanaweb.com. 31 December 2003.
  15. ↑ TAMALE : Sister city relations should improve trade and investments. ndn.nigeriadailynews.com. 2 July 2007.

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Tamale.
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