Accra is the capital and biggest city of Ghana. It is on the country’s southern coast, near the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. Accra has an area of 225.67 km2 (87.13 sq mi), and by 2020, it is expected to have a city population of 4.2 million.

It is divided into 12 local government districts: 11 municipal districts and the Accra Metropolitan District, which is the only district in the capital to have city status.

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“Accra” usually refers to the Accra Metropolitan Area, which is the capital of Ghana. The “City of Accra,” on the other hand, is the part of the capital that is run by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.

But in everyday speech, “Accra” and “City of Accra” are used the same way.

When the Portuguese first moved to the coast of what is now Ghana in 1482, the area where Accra is now was home to several villages of the Ga tribe. These villages were ruled by Ayaso (Ayawaso), which was about 15 miles (24 km) to the north. Between 1650 and 1680, Europeans built three fortified trading posts along the coast in the area. These were Fort James (built by the English), Fort Crevecoeur (built by the Dutch), and Christiansborg Castle (built by the Danes).

While these European posts were being built, a tribal war destroyed Ayaso. Its people, along with those of the other major Ga towns on the Accra plains, moved to the coast in hopes of trading with the Europeans and making money.

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Because of this, three coastal towns grew up: Osu (Christiansborg), Dutch Accra (later called Ussher Town), and James Town. These towns became the core of what would become Accra.

The name Accra comes from the Akan word nkran, which has been changed. It’s about the many black ants that live nearby. It became a name for the people who lived in this part of the Accra plains.

Accra became a prosperous place to do business. The Danes and the Dutch left the area in 1850 and 1872, respectively. In 1877, the British Gold Coast colony made Accra its capital. In 1898, the town got a council to help make it better. By the 1930s, Accra was planned out in a way that made sense.

Accra is the center of government, business, and education in Ghana. The biggest banks and trading companies, insurance companies, the electricity corporation, the general post office, the large open markets where most of the food comes from, and the Accra Central Library all have their headquarters in the city.

In addition to the forts, other important buildings include the Korle Bu General Hospital, which is also home to the Ghana Medical School; the Holy Spirit (Roman Catholic), Holy Trinity (Anglican), and Methodist cathedrals; the national archives; and the national museum.

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The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences also have offices in the city. The University of Ghana, which opened in 1948, is in Legon, which is in the north.

There is also a soccer (football) stadium and a race track in the city. In Black Star Square, the Independence Arch is used for parades that mark important events.

The roads in Accra are well-paved, and the city’s bus service is good. The city is a transportation hub and is connected by rail to Kumasi in the interior and to the port city of Tema, which has taken over Accra’s port function, 17 miles (27 km) to the east. The Kotoka International Airport is in the city of Accra. Food processing, lumber, and textiles are the main things the city makes. The population was 1,658,937 in 2000 and 2,070,463 in 2010.

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