Geography of Ghana

Opened on the Gulf of Guinea, the Ghana is in the center of the Western coast of the Africa. Its southernmost point, Wraps Three Points, is located at 4° 30 ' of northern latitude. From there, the country extends towards north until the 11th parallel, on approximately 670 km for 560 km at its broadest point.

Relief

The relief of Ghana consists mainly of low plains. Half of the country is in lower part of 152 meters altitude. The 537 km of coast are bordered of sand and are strewn with many rivers whose majority are navigable only in Pirog. A belt of Tropical forest, crossed by hills and rivers, is stretched towards north, along the border of the Ivory Coast. This area, named Ashanti, produces most of the Cacao, of the Bois and the Minerai S of the country. In the north of this belt, the forest leaves the place with the bushes, the Savane and the grassy plains.

Climate

The climate of Ghana is hot and wet with very few temperature variations (between 26 and 29° C over the year). The climatic independent factors are the meetings of the masses of dry continental air with the masses in charge of moisture coming from the ocean.

During the summer, the masses of hot air and wet inflate and go up towards north, thorough by the Zone of intertropical convergence. The winds of south-west settle and precipitations are frequent. In winter, the masses of dry air replace the humid air and the Harmattan rises.

The climatic conditions are far from being uniform from one point to another of the country. The Plateau of Khwahu, which marks the northern limit of the forest zone, constitutes an important climatic barrier. In north, one counts two distinct seasons: one dry and relatively fresh season from November to March, during which breath the harmattan, and a wet season which reaches a peak in August - September. In the south and south-west of the plate of Kwahu, one counts four distinct seasons. April at June is marked by strong precipitations. After a short lull in August, one second wet season begins in September until November, then the harmattan settles for the dry season which follows.

Strongest precipitations take place in the area of Axim in the south-west of the country. More in north, Kumasi receives an average of: 1400 mm of rain while Tamale, in savanna, receives approximately: 1000 mm of rain per year. The area going of Takoradi towards the plains of Accra, including Low-Volta, touches as for it only 750 with: 1000 mm of annual precipitations.

Lakes and river

Ghana is crossed by many rivers to which come to be added coastal lagoons, immense the Lac Volta (more artificial big lake of the world) and the Lac Bosumtwi, in the south of Kumasi, which does not run out towards the sea. The rivers are definitely denser in the south and south-west, wetter. In the north, where the access to water is more difficult, it is frequent that rivers dry up during the dry season.

Principal the Watershed share of the south-west of the chain Akwapim-Togo, moves to the North-East through the plate of Kwahu then is directed in the west towards the coast of the Ivory Coast. The majority of the rivers located at the north of this line belong to the Bassin pouring of Volta. Of a length of: 1600 km and draining a surface of: 388000 km, of which: 158000 km in Ghana, Volta and its affluents drain more of two thirds of the country.

In the south of the dividing line, the rivers are smaller and interdependent. The principal ones are the Pra, the Tano, the Ankobra, the Birim and the Densu. Except for the rivers which are thrown in lakes or which dry up at the dry season, all the principal rivers of the country lead in the Golfe of Guinea, directly or like affluent of a river.

Environment

The dryness which prevails in north has important negative effects on agriculture. Fauna is threatened by the Braconnage and the destruction of its habitat.

International treaties on the environment:

left with: Convention on biological diversity, climate changes, turning into a desert, species in danger, change environmental, Convention of the United Nations on the right of the sea, prohibition of the nuclear tests, protection of the layer of ozone, maritime pollution, tropical wood 83, tropical wood 94, wetlands;
signed, but not ratified: safeguarding of the sea life.

See too

References

Library off Congress Country Studies: Ghana

Random links: