Why it's the capital
Under British rule the Gold Coast was governed from Cape Coast, but in 1877 the capital moved to Accra, partly because its climate was drier. Accra kept that role when the country became independent as Ghana in 1957.
Accra
Capital of GhanaOn Ghana's southern coast, Accra faces the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. The deep-water port of Tema is a short way further east along the same shore.
Fun facts
- The name Accra comes from the Akan word Nkran, meaning "ants", after the many anthills in the countryside around it.
- The city grew out of three settlements built around European forts: the British Fort James, the Dutch Ussher Fort and the Danish Christiansborg.
- Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, on a former British polo ground, marks the spot where Nkrumah declared Ghana's independence, and his mausoleum stands there.
Finding it on the globe
Follow the 0° longitude line (the Prime Meridian) south to the coast of West Africa. It reaches Ghana's shore at Tema, and Accra is just to the west of it.
Sources: Wikipedia: Accra, Wikipedia: Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Wikipedia: Tema