Ghana Map

Modern Ghana comprises the former British colony of the Gold Coast and the former mandated territory of British Togoland. Bordered by the Côte d'Ivoire on the west, Burkina Faso on the north, and Togo on the east, the country is on West Africa's Gulf of Guinea only a few degrees north of the Equator.

The capital of Ghana is Accra, situated in the south of the country at the Gulf of Guinea. Other important cities are (from north to south) Bolgatanga, Tamale, Kumasi, Ho, Asamankese, Nsawam, Tema, Tarkwa, Cape Coast and Takoradi.

Ghana map

The manmade Volta Lake extends from the Akosombo Dam in southeastern Ghana to the town of Yapei, 520 kilometers (325 miles) to the north. The lake generates electricity, provides inland transportation, and is a potentially valuable resource for irrigation and fish farming.

Climate

The climate in Ghana is tropical. The eastern coastal belt is warm and comparatively dry. The southwest corner is mostly hot and humid. The north is hot but dry. There are two distinct rainy seasons in the south (May-June and August-September). In the north, the rainy seasons tend to merge. The Harmattan, a dry, northeasterly wind, blows in January and February. The annual rainfall in the coastal zone averages 85 centimeters (34 inches).