Dangme East District
Encyclopedia
| Dangme East District | ||
| Region Regions of Ghana ||Ghana is divided into ten regions :*Ashanti Region *Brong-Ahafo Region *Central Region *Eastern Region *Greater Accra Region *Northern Region *Upper East Region... |
Greater Accra Region Greater Accra Region The Greater Accra Region is the smallest of Ghana's 10 administrative regions in terms of area, occupying a total land surface of 3,245 square kilometres or 1.4 per cent of the total land area of Ghana... |
|
| District type | Ordinary | |
| District Chief Executive | Hon. Rex Daniel Wusah | |
| Capital | Ada Foah | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 909 km² | |
| Population (2010) | 120,000 | |
| ISO 3166 ISO 3166 ISO 3166 is a standard published by the International Organization for Standardization . It defines codes for the names of countries, dependent territories, special areas of geographical interest, and their principal subdivisions . The official name of the standard is Codes for the representation... |
GH-AA-DE | |
The Dangme East District located in the Eastern part of the Greater Accra Region
Greater Accra Region
The Greater Accra Region is the smallest of Ghana's 10 administrative regions in terms of area, occupying a total land surface of 3,245 square kilometres or 1.4 per cent of the total land area of Ghana...
covers a surface of 909 km². Major towns in the district are Ada Foah
Ada Foah
Ada Foah or Ada is a town in Ghana, Greater Accra Region, at the seashore along the road from Ada Kasseh, just off the Accra-Aflao motorway...
, Big Ada
Big Ada
Big Ada is a town in Ghana, located in the Greater Accra Region and the Dangme East District. The settlement lies along the road from Ada Kasseh to Ada Foah, just off the Accra-Aflao motorway.-History:...
and Ada Kasseh. Ada Foah
Ada Foah
Ada Foah or Ada is a town in Ghana, Greater Accra Region, at the seashore along the road from Ada Kasseh, just off the Accra-Aflao motorway...
, which is also the district capital, is located at the beach and river estuary.
In 2000, the population in the district was 93,112, in 2010 it is projected to have reached 120.000. Most of the inhabitants (85.9 %) belong to the cultural group of the Dangme. So far, there is no high density of population, but it is constantly increasing.
History
According to oral history, the people of Ada, who are called Dangmeli, are believed to have migrated from Tagologo near Shai-Osodoku in the Dangme West DistrictDangme West District
The Dangme West District is a district of Ghana in the Greater Accra Region.-External links:*...
. It has been estimated that several hundred years ago they initially settled at a place called Okorwhem in the south-western part of the district. After several years of inhabitancy, part of the people decided to move downwards to Togbloku and settled there. While staying at Togbloku, the founder of the Kudzragbe clan, Torgbe Adela Atsu discovered that Big Ada was a good place to stay and the Dangmeli and Togbloku people inhabited the area.
Location and size
The Dangme East District is part of the Greater Accra RegionGreater Accra Region
The Greater Accra Region is the smallest of Ghana's 10 administrative regions in terms of area, occupying a total land surface of 3,245 square kilometres or 1.4 per cent of the total land area of Ghana...
. It is bordered on the west by the Dangme West District
Dangme West District
The Dangme West District is a district of Ghana in the Greater Accra Region.-External links:*...
, on the east and north by Keta district
Keta District
The Keta Municipal District is a district of Ghana in the Volta Region. the town of Keta is the administrative centre.-Bounds:Keta Municipal District is bounded by:* the Gulf of Guinea to the east and south,...
, South Tongu
South Tongu District
The South Tongu District is a district of Ghana in the south of the Volta Region. Its capital is Sogakope.It has the North Tongu District to its north and north-west, the Akatsi District to the northeast, Keta District to the south and the Dangme East District in the Greater Accra Region to the...
and North Tongu
North Tongu District
The North Tongu District is a district of Ghana in the Volta Region. It was first established in 1989 as the Adidome District. The name was later changed as people pushed for a more unifying name for the district.-Boundaries:...
(Volta Region
Volta Region
Volta Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It is to the east of Lake Volta. Its capital is Ho.-List of districts:The region has 18 districts consisting of 3 municipal and 15 ordinary districts:-Background:...
) and on the south by the Gulf of Guinea
Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean between Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian is in the gulf....
.
Infrastructure
The Dangme East District is conveniently located off the main connecting road between the Ghanaian capital of AccraAccra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
and the Togolese capital of Lomé
Lomé
Lomé, with an estimated population of 737,751, is the capital and largest city of Togo. Located on the Gulf of Guinea, Lomé is the country's administrative and industrial center and its chief port. The city exports coffee, cocoa, copra, and palm kernels...
. Its proximity to Accra (about 120 km distance) and the good connection with public transport make the district an obvious holiday and short-trip location. The quality of the road is good compared to similar roads around the country.
Away from the main roads, tourists without their own transportation can get around easily with car or motorcycle taxis or boats. Since there are no schedules or regular routes transport is less predictable but in general a lot faster and better adjusted to the passengers needs.
Coming from the Volta Region
Volta Region
Volta Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It is to the east of Lake Volta. Its capital is Ho.-List of districts:The region has 18 districts consisting of 3 municipal and 15 ordinary districts:-Background:...
, passengers can cross the river with the ferry that connects Anyanui and Ada Foah
Ada Foah
Ada Foah or Ada is a town in Ghana, Greater Accra Region, at the seashore along the road from Ada Kasseh, just off the Accra-Aflao motorway...
twice on market day every Wednesday.
Electricity and water supply was broadly introduced in the district in the 1990s which accelerated tourism development considerably.
Nature
The district's coconut palm fringed coastline is 45 kilometers long and provides a living to many people that are employed in fishing and fish processing. However, this coastline is constantly being erodedErosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
by the strong tidal waves that are washing away or threatening several villages that are located close to the beach. In order to solve this problem, the construction of a sea defense wall is under way since 2010.
The long, sandy beaches are certainly some of the most important tourist attractions. However, there are certain obstacles such as the lack of toilets in the villages close to the beach and the consequence of using the beach as such. Also, garbage – mostly plastic – is piling up at the beach, some of it disposed there, some washed up from the sea by the tide.
Apart from the sandy beaches, another natural attraction in the district is the Volta River
Volta River
The Volta is a river in western Africa that drains into the Gulf of Guinea. It has three main tributaries—the Black Volta, White Volta and Red Volta...
and its estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
. The Volta River forms the eastern boundary of the district before it reaches the Gulf of Guinea. The islands in the river and in the estuary are a wildlife paradise: marine turtles, birds, crocodiles and monkeys are some of the animals living there. The mangrove vegetation in the salty parts of the estuary is another attraction and an important ecosystem. It is however endangered by human activity along with rare animals that are often hunted down.
The estuary also offers the best conditions for water sports like sailing, canoeing, fishing, water skiing, wake boarding and jet skiing.
Another important water body and one of the most important salt mining areas in the country is the Songor Lagoon. Additional to visiting it and learning about salt mining it serves as a base for birdwatchers.
Climate
Temperatures are high throughout the year, ranging from 23 to 33°C, but the sea has a cooling effect. Rainfall is generally heavy during the major seasons between March and September. However, during the harmattan season the area is very dry with no rainfall at all. In general, humidity is very high due to the proximity of the sea, the Volta River and other water bodies.Demographics
Because 82 % of the population lives in rural areas the pressure on the land and on the resources is growing. Consequently, many young people are moving away from the district for the lack of job opportunities. The development of the district towards a tourism destination is expected to help reducing youth unemployment and change this migration trend. For this purpose special Youth Employment Programs have been put in place to provide youth with community jobs such as teaching assistants, health workers, environmental aids and agricultural workers.The majority of the population works in the informal sector. Apart from commercial salt mining companies that employ about 300 people at the Songor lagoon there are no bigger companies employing the local population.
Social security
There is no social security system in place that would help people with no income such as unemployed, children and senior citizens. So far, the traditional system of family support is still working in rural areas but gradually losing its basis as more and more young people move to the cities and turn away from the extended families, having only few children themselves.Health
To combat the major health issues in the country a National Health Insurance SchemeHealth in Ghana
Health in Ghana includes the prevention, care and treatment of disease and other maladies. As parts of the Ghanaian economy are not fully industrialized, issues arise that are common to growing healthcare systems, such as waterborne disease and sanitation problems...
was introduced in 2003 to ensure that all inhabitants have the possibility to contract a health insurance at a reasonable price for 14 Cedis/year (about 7 Euro) and be covered for general treatment. Only 3 years after the implementation, already 56 % of the inhabitants of the district are covered by the health insurance.
Education
Although there is a high number of schools in the district, in the recent years a lack of pre-school facilities could be noted. This has been addressed and plans are in place to solve this problem.Language
The local language in the Dangme East District is Dangme, also called Adangme. It is a Kwa language and is spoken by around 800.000 people in the Dangme East and Dangme West DistrictDangme West District
The Dangme West District is a district of Ghana in the Greater Accra Region.-External links:*...
. English is also spoken by nearly everyone since it is the official language of the country. Many people also speak some Ewe
Ewe language
Ewe is a Niger–Congo language spoken in Ghana, Togo and Benin by approximately six million people. Ewe is part of a cluster of related languages commonly called Gbe, spoken in southeastern Ghana, Togo, and parts of Benin. Other Gbe languages include Fon, Gen, Phla Phera, and Aja...
(to communicate with the neighboring people of the Volta Region) or Twi
Akan language
Akan, also known as Twi and Fante, is an Akan language that is the principal native language of Ghana, spoken over much of the southern half of that country, by about 52% of the population, and to a lesser extent across the border in eastern Côte d'Ivoire...
.
Culture
Major towns in the district are Ada FoahAda Foah
Ada Foah or Ada is a town in Ghana, Greater Accra Region, at the seashore along the road from Ada Kasseh, just off the Accra-Aflao motorway...
, Big Ada
Big Ada
Big Ada is a town in Ghana, located in the Greater Accra Region and the Dangme East District. The settlement lies along the road from Ada Kasseh to Ada Foah, just off the Accra-Aflao motorway.-History:...
and Ada Kasseh. Ada Foah, which is also the district capital, is located at the beach and river estuary.
The biggest event in the district is the annual Asafotufiam festival that draws big crowds of mostly domestic tourists to Big Ada and Ada Foah. Funerals also play a big role with their loud and colorful celebrations that take place every weekend. In general, religion and its practice – either Christian or traditional – are present in everyday life and can be witnessed by tourists. Especially the fetish shrines, priests
Fetish priest
In Ghana, Togo, and Benin and other parts of West Africa a fetish priest serves a spirit associated with an image or object that is usually kept in an enclosed place called a fetish shrine, often a simple mud hut with some kind of enclosure or fence around it. He performs rituals to consult and...
and celebrations present an interesting insight into typical Ghanaian life.
Local handicrafts such as basket weaving, pottery and rum distilling are carried out at various places in the district and sold on the markets. Salt mining was once the main economic actitivities of the indigenous till part of the Songho was sold to a private company. The art of building specially shaped coffins is a common and unique practice carried out in the district. Depending on the profession of the deceased, the coffin can be of the shape of a fish (fisherman), book (teacher) or sewing machine (tailor), to name but a few. Local food like (Ma kun ke luei - banku and tilapia) (Otim - Kenkey) and sometimesFufu
Fufu
Fufu, , is a staple snack of West and Central Africa. It is a thick paste usually made by boiling starchy root vegetables in water and pounding with a mortar and pestle until the desired consistency is reached...
can be purchased at numerous places in the district.
As in the whole country the people are well-known for their hospitality and openness towards strangers.
Tourism
- Asafotufiami Festival
- Fetish shrines and priests
- Traditional handicraft such as basket weaving, fishing, pottery, rum distillery, special coffins, tailors
- Funerals and church ceremonies
- Old trading fort at the seaside
- Presbyterian church and missionary cemetery
- Markets in Kasseh and Ada Foah
- Beaches along the coast and the river
- Volta River Estuary
- Songor lagoon
- Sea turtle watching
- Monkey and bird watching
- Monthly Beach Soccer event
- Monthly symposium on the ferry on topics such as education, tradition and health
- Annual boat race on the Volta River
External Links
- Dangme East District Assembly
- Ada Tourism official website