Accra , city (1984 pop. 867,459), capital of Ghana, a port on the Gulf of Guinea. It is Ghana's largest city and its administrative, communications, and economic center. The chief manufactures are processed food, beverages, timber and plywood, textiles, clothing, chemicals, and printed materials. A transportation hub, Accra is linked by road and rail with Kumasi , in the interior, and with Tema , a major seaport. The site of present-day Accra was originally comprised of several small villages of a Ga kingdom. It developed into a sizable town around British and Dutch forts built in the 17th cent. In 1877, Accra replaced Cape Coast as the capital of the British Gold Coast colony. After the completion (1923) of a railroad to the mining and agricultural hinterland, Accra rapidly became the economic center of Ghana. Riots in the city (1948), against high retail prices and European control, led to the rise of Kwame Nkrumah as a popular leader and marked an important early step in Ghana's road to independence (1957). It is the site of the national museum, the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Univ. of Ghana, and Ghana's central library. Also of note is Christianborg Castle, built by the Danes in the 17th cent. On Accra's outskirts are Achimota School (1927), the country's leading secondary school, and, in Legon, the Univ. of Ghana (1948). |
||||
Accra, the Cultural Melting Pot |
||||
Accra, the seat of the Ga State, is today a melting pot of several Ghanaians and other "foreign cultures." It is home to virtually anyone who identifies himself or herself with the city. That, in itself, is the bottom-line of traditional Ga heritage. The population of the Gas is relatively small. But today the whole city is filled with people from all walks of life. The city of Accra has been Ghana's capital since 1877, and contains fine public buildings reflecting its transition from a 19th century suburb of Victoriaburg 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. The beaches of the Atlantic coast are popular with visitors and Ghanaians alike. La Pleasure and Kokrobite Beach, just 25km west Accra, are particularly popular at weekends. <> Among the highlights of Accra are the National Museum, with its splendid display of exhibits that reflect the heritage of Ghana from prehistoric times to modern times; the National Theatre with its distinctive modern architecture, the Centre for National Cultural Centre, Independence Square, the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum; the fishing port at James Town and Makola Market.
|
||||
Climate |
||||
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. |
||||
Strange Names of Areas in & Around Accra |
||||
|
||||
Ghana Visa |
||||
| Most visitors are not required to obtain a visa for stays of up to 90 days. |
||||
Ghana Map |
Top Destinations
Financial Protection
The air holiday packages and Flights shown
are ATOL protected,
|
 We Accept all Debit and Credit Cards from UK Copyright © 2011 Cheap Flights to Ghana All rights Reserved. |
|