Geography

Located in West Africa, along the Gulf of Guinea is the country we call home Ghana. According to World Facts Index, Ghana has a total area of 238,533 square kilometers, “Ghana is about the size of Britain. Its southernmost coast at Cape Three Points is 4 30’ north of the equator. (Geography of Ghana – Geographical Regions, Rivers and Lakes, Climate). 

World Facts Index characterizes Ghana has having generally low physical relief. “The highest elevation in Ghana, Mount Afadjato in the Akwapim-Togo Ranges, rises only 880 meters above sea level” (Geography of Ghana – Geographical Regions, Rivers and Lakes, Climate). Ghana is also characterized as having five distinct geographical regions, the five being the low plains in the southern part of the country, the Ashanti Uplands, the Akwapim-Togo Ranges, Volta Basin and the high plains. 

A Fun Fact of Ghana is home to Lake Volta, which is the largest artificially-created lake in the world. According to Happy Days Travel Blog, “it is the largest in terms of surface area and the fourth largest by volume” (Andrea, 2019). Lake Volta covers a massive 3275 square miles, forming when Akosombo Dam was built in the 1960s. 

Another Fun Fact, According to Rainforest-Rescue.org “The Atiwa rainforest in southeastern Ghana is one of West Africa’s greatest natural treasures” (Rainforest Rescue). It also states the benefits of the Atiwa rainforest such as its wide variety of ecosystems. However, our Atiwa rainforest is being lost at an alarming rate, World Economic Forum reports “Ghana’s primary rainforest loss in 2018, compared to 2017, the highest in the world.” (Asiedu, 2019).

Lake Volta, Ghana | Volta region, Africa, West africa

Figure 3. Lake Volta, Ghana

 

Page Author : Justin Soto