Accra, Ghana, the nation's capital and largest city. It lies on the Gulf of Guinea about 400 miles (640 km) north of the Equator and near the prime meridian (0ยบ longitude). As in many other African capitals, the modern section in Accra, with up-to-date stores, homes, offices, and government buildings, contrasts sharply with older sections.
Consumer goods and light industrial products, such as soap, shoes, furniture, beer, bricks, and metal containers, are manufactured. Accra is the industrial and commercial center of Ghana.
Accra's port lacks docking facilities and uses surfboats and lighters for loading and unloading ships. Most of the shipping, however, is carried on through the nearby port at Tema, which was opened in 1962. Accra has a busy international airport and is connected by roads with other parts of the country and with adjoining countries in western Africa. There is railway service inland as far north as Kumasi.
As the nation's cultural center, Accra is the site of a national museum containing exhibits of native art and culture. A number of technical schools are here. The University of Ghana is nearby.
Accra developed early in the 17th century around forts built by Dutch, British, and Danish traders. In 1876, after Britain achieved supremacy in the area, Accra was made capital of the Gold Coast. The city rose as a trading center after 1923, when a railway was completed linking Accra and its agricultural and mining hinterland. It was made the capital of the newly independent country of Ghana in 1957.
Population: 867,459.
