Ghana Geography

What is the terrain and geography like in Ghana?

Overview

Ghana is situated on West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea, and its capital, Accra, is 4 degrees north of the Equator. Ghana covers 238,540 square kilometers and is about the size of Oregon. Half of the country lies less than 152 meters above sea level and the highest point is 883 meters. The 537-kilometer coastline is mostly a low, sandy shore backed by a narrow coastal plain with scrub brush, and intersected by rivers and streams, navigable only by canoe. A tropical rain forest belt, broken by heavily forested hills and many streams and rivers, extends northward from the shore near the border with Côte d’Ivoire. This area, traditionally known as Ashanti, but now divided into several administrative regions, produces most of Ghana’s cocoa, minerals, and timber. North of this belt the country varies from 91 to 396 meters above sea level and is covered by low bush, savanna, and grassy plains.

A major feature of the country’s geography is the Volta Lake, the world’s largest manmade lake (8,900 square kilometers), which extends from the Akosombo Dam (completed in 1966) in southeastern Ghana to the town of Yapei, 520 kilometers to the north. The dam generates electricity for all of Ghana as well as some exports to neighboring countries. The lake also serves as an inland waterway and is a potentially valuable resource for irrigation and fish farming.

Geography - note

Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake by surface area (8,482 sq km; 3,275 sq mi)

Ghana Use of Natural Resources

Geographic Location	Africa
Total Area	92,098 Square Miles 238,533 Square Kilometers
Land Area	87,850 Square Miles 227,533 Square Kilometers
Water Area	4,247 Square Miles 11,000 Square Kilometers
Land Boundaries	1,301 Miles 2,094 Kilometers
Irrigated Land	119 Square Miles 309 Square Kilometers
Border Countries	Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km
Coastline	335 Miles 539 Kilometers
Geographic Coordinates	8 00 N, 2 00 W
Terrain	mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Highest Point	880 Meters
Highest Point Location	Mount Afadjato 880 m
Lowest Point Location	Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Natural Resources	gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower
Time Zone	UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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