Upper East Region

Upper East Region, Dagbon
Region
Région du Haut Ghana oriental

Location of Upper East Region in Ghana
Country Ghana
Capital Bolgatanga
Districts 10
Government
 • Regional Minister Rockson Ayine Bukari[1]
Area[2]
 • Total 8,842 km2 (3,414 sq mi)
Area rank Ranked 9th
Population (2010 Census)[3]
 • Total 1,046,545
 • Rank Ranked 9th
 • Density 120/km2 (310/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)
 • Year 2013
 • Per capita $5,150
GDP (Nominal)
 • Year 2013
 • Per capita $2,500
Time zone GMT
Area code(s) 039
ISO 3166 code GH-UE

The Upper East Region is located in north Ghana and is the second smallest of 10 administrative regions in Ghana, occupying a total land surface of 8,842 square kilometers or 2.7 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. The Upper East regional capital is Bolgatanga, sometimes referred to as Bolga. Other major towns in the region include Navrongo, Paga, Bawku and Zebilla.

Geography

Location and size

The Upper East region is located in the north-eastern corner of Ghana, precisely located in the Kingdom of Dagbon, and bordered by Burkina Faso to the north and Togo to the east. It lies between longitude 0° and 1° West, and latitudes 10° 30′N and 11°N. The region shares boundaries with Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, Upper West Region to the west, and the Northern Region to the south. The Upper East region is divided into 15 districts, each headed by a district chief executive.

Tourism

Parks

  • Paga crocodile pond
  • Gbelle game reserve
  • Sombo Bat Sanctuary
  • Jafiiri Sacred Royal Python Sanctuary

Recreation areas

  • Tongo rocks

Bongo Rocks

Historic sites

  • Naa Gbewaa’s shrine
  • Navrongo’s mud-built church
  • Nalerugu[4]

Festivals

The region plays host to many festivals throughout the year, most of which are either to bring a good planting season or celebrate the harvest.

  • Gologo Festival
  • Fao Festival
  • Paragbiele Festival
  • Willa Festival
  • Zumbenti Festival
  • Samanpiid Festival (Kusaasi)
  • Kobina Festival
  • Kakube Festival
  • feok festival builsa
  • Zekula festival, By Bissa people
  • Boaram Festival[5]

Other tourist attractions

Demographics

Population

The center of population of the Upper East Region is located in its capital of Bolgatanga.

The population is primarily rural (79%) and scattered in dispersed settlements. The rural population was 87.1 percent in 1984 and 84.3% in 2000. There was, thus, a 2.8 percentage point reduction in the rural share of the population between 1984 and 2000 and a further 5.3 percent reduction between 2000 and 2010.[3]

With only 21 per cent of the population living in urban areas, the region is the least urbanized in Ghana. In fact, together with Upper West, they are the two regions with a less than 20 per cent urban population.

Ghanaian citizen by birth, childhood or parenthood constitute 92.5 percent of the population of the Upper East region. Naturalized Ghanaian citizen constitute 5.3 percent.

Transportation

Three national highways – N2, N10, and N11 – and a few Regional highways such as the R113, R114, R116 and R181, serve the region.

The N10 originates from Yemoransa in the Central Region and connects through Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and terminates at Paga in the Upper East Region. The national capital of Accra is also connected to the region by the N2 which terminates in Kulungugu in the Upper East Region. Both these national routes are connected by the N11 which links the regional capital of Bolgatanga to Bimpiela, also in the region.

Districts

Districts of the Upper East Region

The Upper East Region of Ghana contains 15 districts made up of 2 municipal and 13 ordinary districts as follows:[6]

Districts in Upper East Region[7]
# District Capital Population
1 Bawku Municipal Bawku
2 Bawku West Zebilla
3 Binduri Binduri[8]
4 Bolgatanga Municipal Bolgatanga
5 Bongo Bongo
6 Builsa North Sandema
7 Builsa South Fumbisi[9]
8 Garu-Tempane Garu
9 Kassena-Nankana Navrongo
10 Kassena Nankana West Paga
11 Nabdam Nangodi, Ghana
12 Pusiga District Pusiga[10]
13 Talensi Tongo
14 Bolgatanga East District Zuarungu, Ghana
15 Tempane District Tempane, Ghana

Notable native citizens

Notable native citizens of Upper East region, Dagbon
# Citizen Settlement
1 Adam Kwarasey Navrongo
2 Roland Agambire Sirigu
3 Joseph Kofi Adda Navrongo
4 Mark Woyongo Navrongo
5 Abedi Pele Paga
6 Hawa Yakubu Kulungungu
7 Psalm 1, the Christ Junkie Navrongo
8 David Atanga Namoo
9 Paul Asikisimi Sandema

References

  1. ↑ http://ghana.gov.gh/index.php/governance/regional-ministers
  2. ↑ "Upper East Region". Ghanadistricts.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2010-10-15.
  3. 1 2 "Upper East Region – Population" (PDF). statsghana.gov.gh. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
  4. ↑ "Upper East Region Tourist Sites | Ghana Information". Ghana Information. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "Festivals in the Upper East Region - Ghana Embassy Berlin". Ghanaemberlin.de. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Upper East". GhanaDistricts.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  7. ↑ Upper East Region – Districts
  8. ↑ http://www.ghanadistricts.com/districts/?news&r=8&_=222
  9. ↑ http://www.ghanadistricts.com/districts/?news&r=8&_=223
  10. ↑ http://www.ghanadistricts.com/districts/?news&r=8&_=221

Sources

  • "Districts of Ghana". Statoids.
  • GhanaDistricts.com
  • /index.asp statsghana.gov.gh
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