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Ghana - Geography and environment
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Photo: Toby Adamson/Oxfam |
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The Republic of Ghana was formerly known as 'the Gold
Coast' and is on the Gulf of Guinea on the western coast of tropical
Africa. It is bordered by Burkina Faso to the north, Côte d’Ivoire
(Ivory Coast) to the west, and Togo to the east. Ghana is just above
the equator and is on the Greenwich 0° meridian line, which means
that Ghanaians share the same time zone as the UK.
Lake Volta, which dominates Ghana’s south-eastern territory,
is the world’s largest artificial lake. It was created when
the Akosombo hydro-electric dam was built in 1964. The north of
the country differs greatly in climate from the south. Southern
Ghana is much wetter, has high temperatures all year round, and
has a very short dry season; lush forests and all kind of crops
grow throughout the year. The climate gets harsher the further north
one goes, and drought is a big problem. People rely on raising hardy
breeds of animals which feed on the savannah grasses, and growing
"drought resistant" crops that can survive on little water
such as sorghum and millet.
Environment
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Photo: Toby Adamson/Oxfam |
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The southern region of Ghana is covered with dense rainforest,
partially cleared to plant cocoa, coffee, banana, and oil palm trees.
Wide savannah grasslands extend to the north. The soil is rich in
gold, diamonds, manganese, and bauxite. The main environmental problems
are fertile land turning to desert in the north-west, and widespread
deforestation in the south.
Introduction
|| History
|| Geography
& Environment
People &
Society || Factfile
|| Oxfam in Ghana
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