Accra

For the metropolitan district, which serves as the administrative boundaries of the City of Accra, see Accra Metropolitan District. For the genus of moth, see Accra (genus). For the suburb of Jerusalem that goes by almost the same name, see Acra (fortress). For the city in Israel, see Acre, Israel. For the capital of Turkey, see Ankara.

Accra
Capital city and metropolis
Accra central skyline
Schoolchildren celebrating Ghana's Independence Day at Black Star Square
National Theatre
University of Ghana Great Hall
King Tackie Tawia I statue
Jamestown Lighthouse
The Octagon
West Ridge
Labadi Beach
General Post Office
Flag of Accra
Flag
Accra is located in Ghana
Accra
Accra
Accra is located in Africa
Accra
Accra
Coordinates: 5°33′N 0°12′W / 5.550°N 0.200°W / 5.550; -0.200
Country Ghana
RegionGreater Accra Region
Districts
13 districts
Settled15th century
Government
 • MayorElizabeth K. T. Sackey
Area
[1]
 • Accra Metropolitan
20.4 km2 (7.9 sq mi)
 • Urban
199.4 km2 (77.0 sq mi)
 • Metro
3,245 km2 (1,253 sq mi)
Elevation
61 m (200 ft)
Population
 (2021 census)[1]
 • Accra Metropolitan
284,124
 • Density14,000/km2 (36,000/sq mi)
 • Urban
1,782,150
 • Urban density8,900/km2 (23,000/sq mi)
 • Metro
5,455,692
 • Metro density1,700/km2 (4,400/sq mi)
DemonymAccran
Time zoneUTC+00:00 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST)(Not Observed)
Postcode districts
GA, GL, GZ
Area code030
Websiteama.gov.gh

Accra (/əˈkrɑː/; Ga: Ga or Gaga; Twi: Nkran; Ewe: Gɛ; Dagbani: Ankara) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean.[2][3] As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, 20.4 km2 (7.9 sq mi), had a population of 284,124 inhabitants, and the larger Greater Accra Region, 3,245 km2 (1,253 sq mi), had a population of 5,455,692 inhabitants.[1] In common usage, the name "Accra" often refers to the territory of the Accra Metropolitan District as it existed before 2008, when it covered 199.4 km2 (77.0 sq mi).[4] This territory has since been split into 13 local government districts: 12 independent municipal districts (total area: 179.0 km2) and the reduced Accra Metropolitan District (20.4 km2), which is the only district within the capital to be granted city status.[5] This territory of 199.4 km2 contained 1,782,150 inhabitants at the 2021 census,[6] and serves as the capital of Ghana, while the district under the jurisdiction of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly proper (20.4 km2) is distinguished from the rest of the capital as the "City of Accra".[7]

Formed from the merger of distinct settlements around British Fort James, Dutch Fort Crêvecoeur (Ussher Fort), and Danish Fort Christiansborg as Jamestown, Usshertown, and Christiansborg respectively, Accra served as the capital of the British Gold Coast between 1877 and 1957 and has since transitioned into a modern metropolis. The capital's architecture reflects this history, ranging from 19th-century colonial architecture to modern skyscrapers and apartment blocks.[8]

Accra is the Greater Accra Region's economic and administrative hub, and serves as the anchor of the larger Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA),[9] which is inhabited by about 4 million people, making it the thirteenth-largest metropolitan area in Africa. In 2020, the Globalization and World Cities Research Network think tank designated Accra as a "Gamma −" level global city, indicating a growing level of international influence and connectedness.[10]

  1. ^ a b c "Ghana 2021 Population and Housing Census – General Report Volume 3A – Population of Regions and Districts" (PDF). Ghana Statistical Service. p. 80 (95). Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Walking You Through Accra's Beautiful Attractions". Peace FM Online. 31 January 2022. Archived from the original on 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  3. ^ Amponsah, Owusu; Takyi, Stephen Appiah (31 January 2023). "Accra is congested, but relocating Ghana's capital is not the only option". The Conversation. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  4. ^ Sum of the land areas of Accra Metropolitan District, Ablekuma Central Municipal District, Ablekuma North Municipal District, Ablekuma West Municipal District, Ayawaso Central Municipal District, Ayawaso East Municipal District, Ayawaso North Municipal District, Ayawaso West Municipal District, Korle Klottey Municipal District, Krowor Municipal District, La Dadekotopon Municipal District, Ledzokuku Municipal District, and Okaikoi North Municipal District, as per the 2021 census, page 80: [1].
  5. ^ The country's first president, Kwame Nkrumah, declared the Accra Town Council, as it was referred to at the time, a city.
  6. ^ Sum of the populations of Accra Metropolitan District, Ablekuma Central Municipal District, Ablekuma North Municipal District, Ablekuma West Municipal District, Ayawaso Central Municipal District, Ayawaso East Municipal District, Ayawaso North Municipal District, Ayawaso West Municipal District, Korle Klottey Municipal District, Krowor Municipal District, La Dadekotopon Municipal District, Ledzokuku Municipal District, and Okaikoi North Municipal District, as per the 2021 census, page 80: [2].
  7. ^ "Our Background – AMA". Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Accra — Ghana Articles". Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  9. ^ "Environmental and Structural Inequalities in Greater Accra". The Journal of the International Institute. 16 (1). Fall 2008. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  10. ^ "The World According to GaWC 2020". GaWC – Research Network. Globalization and World Cities. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.