The coastal plain
Naturally densely populated due to access to the sea and the economic activities associated with this proximity, Ghana's coastline is a particularly popular area for visitors. The coastal plain of the southern regions stretches from Sekondi (in the west) to the Togolese border (in the east), with a width of around 80 km at either end of the country (compared with around 50 km at Accra). A region with no particular relief, it is rather fragmented, oscillating between grasslands, groves, swamps and lagoons. While some areas of the coastal plain are well irrigated, the vast majority is very dry, even arid.
It's worth noting that the south-western part of the region is more attractive than the Accra region: the road runs beautifully along the seashore, with its endless avenues of palm trees. The beach, everywhere in this region, lends a charming summer allure to the landscape, which remains the same all the way to Côte d'Ivoire. Another specific feature of the Ghanaian coastal plain is the presence of numerous fortresses and castles! The oldest of these date back to the 15th century, silent witnesses to the European conquest of the West African coastline and the ensuing trade in human beings.
The Great North
The northern part of the country is dominated by a plateau rising to an altitude of 500 metres. The entire area is occupied by savannahs covering some 150,000 km2: here, cotton is the main crop. There are also a few rounded hills in the north-west, stretching right up to the borders with Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire. To the west, the Precambrian Plateau extends the plateau of Ghana's far north, also reaching an altitude of 500 meters. It is covered by forests and streaked in all directions by deep gorges. The Precambrian plateau descends to the coast and joins the Kwahu plateau in the east of the country.
A little further south, in the area known as Ashanti country - which covers the intermediate zone between the north and south of the country - cocoa has been grown on a massive scale since time immemorial. The region is also famous for its countless gold mines. In the heart of Ashanti country, Lake Bosumtwi, fed by the surrounding rivers, is a welcome addition.
Omnipresent Volta
Just above the coastal plain lie 60,000 square kilometers of dense rainforest and the Volta River basin. Here, the altitude does not exceed 100 meters and the soil is mainly composed of sandstone and other soft stones. It must be said that one of the particularities of Ghana is that more than 60% of the country is covered by the Volta River basin. The Volta artificial lake is simply one of the largest in the world: with its 8,500 km2, it covers an area three times larger than the surface of Luxembourg. The lake is fed by the White Volta and the Black Volta (two rivers that originate in Burkina Faso) and gives rise to secondary rivers: Pra, Ankobra and Tano. The construction of the dam has profoundly changed the face of the country. And this, for good and for bad. It is indeed responsible for coastal erosion in the Kéta region. Between the lake and the Togolese border are the hills of Akwapem and Togo. This island of green valleys is home to the highest peaks in the country, the highest of which, Mount Afadjato, reaches 885 meters.
