Editing Geography of Ghana (section)

==Geographical regions==
[[File:Koppen-Geiger Map GHA present.svg|thumb|A [[Köppen climate classification]] map of Ghana.]]
[[Image:Ghana Topography.png|thumb|Ghana's topography.]]
Ghana is characterized in general by low physical [[Terrain|relief]]. The [[Precambrian]] rock system that underlies most of the nation has been worn down by erosion almost to a plain.<ref name=":0" /> The highest elevation in Ghana, [[Mount Afadja]] in the [[Akwapim-Togo]] Ranges, rises {{convert|880|m}} above sea level.<ref name=":0" />

There are four distinct geographical regions.<ref name=":0" /> Low plains stretch across the southern part of Ghana. To their north lie three regions—the Ashanti Uplands, the Akwapim-Togo Ranges, and the Volta Basin.<ref name=":0" /> The fourth region, the high plains, occupies the northern and northwestern sector of Ghana.<ref name=":0" /> Like most West African countries, Ghana has no natural harbours.<ref name=":0" /> Because strong surf pounds the shoreline, two artificial harbours were built at [[Takoradi]] and [[Tema]] (the latter completed in 1961) to accommodate Ghana's shipping needs.<ref name=":0" />

===Low plains===
[[Image:Volta Region Ghana.jpg|thumb|300px|The Akwapim-Togo Ranges.]]
The low plains comprise the four subregions of the coastal savanna, the [[Volta Delta]], the [[Accra Plains]], and the Akan lowlands or peneplains.<ref name=":0" /> A narrow strip of grassy and scrubby coast runs from a point near [[Takoradi]] in the west to the [[Togo]] border in the east.<ref name=":0" /> This coastal savanna, only about {{convert|8|km}} in width at its western end, stretches eastward through the Accra Plains, where it widens to more than {{convert|80|km}}, and terminates at the southeastern corner of the country at the lower end of the Akwapim-Togo Ranges.<ref name=":0" />

Almost flat and featureless, the Accra Plains descend gradually to the gulf from a height of about {{convert|150|m}}.<ref name=":0" /> The topography east of the city of Accra is marked by a succession of ridges and spoonshaped valleys.<ref name=":0" /> The hills and slopes in this area are the favoured lands for cultivation.<ref name=":0" /> [[Shifting cultivation]] is the usual agricultural practice because of the swampy nature of the very lowlying areas during the rainy seasons and the periodic blocking of the rivers at the coast by sandbars that form lagoons.<ref name=":0" /> A plan to irrigate the Accra Plains was announced in 1984.<ref name=":0" /> Should this plan come to reality, much of the area could be opened to large-scale cultivation.<ref name=":0" />

To the west of Accra, the low plains contain wider valleys and rounded low hills, with occasional rocky headlands.<ref name=":0" /> In general, however, the land is flat and covered with grass and scrub.<ref name=":0" /> Dense groves of [[coconut palms]] front the coastline.<ref name=":0" /> Several commercial centres, including Winneba, Saltpond, and Cape Coast are located here. Winneba has a small livestock industry and palm tree cultivation is expanding in the area away from the coast, with the predominant occupation of the coastal inhabitants being fishing via dug-out canoe.<ref name=":0" />

The Volta Delta, which forms a distinct subregion of the low plains, extends into the [[Gulf of Guinea]] in the extreme southeast.<ref name=":0" /> The delta's rock formation—consisting of thick layers of [[sandstone]], some [[limestone]], and [[silt]] deposits—is flat, featureless, and relatively young.<ref name=":0" /> As the delta grew outward over the centuries, sandbars developed across the mouths of the Volta and smaller rivers that empty into the gulf in the same area, forming numerous lagoons, some quite large, making road construction difficult.<ref name=":0" />

To avoid the lowest-lying areas the road between Accra and Keta makes a detour inland just before reaching Ada, and approaches Keta from the east along the narrow spit on which the town stands.<ref name=":0" /> Road links with Keta continue to be a problem.<ref name=":0" /> By 1989 it was estimated that more than 3,000 houses in the town had been swallowed by flooding from the lagoon.<ref name=":0" /> About 1,500 other houses were destroyed by erosion caused by the powerful waves of the sea.<ref name=":0" />

This flat, silt-composed delta region with its abundance of water supports [[shallot]], [[maize|corn]], and [[cassava]] cultivation in the region.<ref name=":0" /> The sandy soil of the delta gave rise to the [[copra]] industry.<ref name=":0" /> [[Salt]]-making, from the plentiful supply in the dried beds of the lagoons, provides additional employment.<ref name=":0" /> The main occupation of the delta people is fishing, an industry that supplies dried and salted fish to other parts of the country.<ref name=":0" />

The largest part of the low plains is the Akan Lowlands.<ref name=":0" /> Some experts prefer to classify this region as a subdivision of the [[Ashanti Uplands]] because of the many characteristics they share.<ref name=":0" /> Unlike the uplands, the height of the Akan Lowlands is generally between sea level and {{convert|150|m}}.<ref name=":0" /> Some ranges and hills rise to about {{convert|300|m}}, but few exceed {{convert|600|m}}.<ref name=":0" /> The lowlands that lie to the south of the Ashanti Uplands receive the many rivers that make their way to the sea.<ref name=":0" />

The Akan Lowlands contain the basins of the [[Densu River]], the [[Pra River (Ghana)|Pra River]], the [[Ankobra River]], and the [[Tano River]], all of which play important roles in the economy of Ghana.<ref name=":0" /> The Densu River Basin, location of the important urban centres of [[Koforidua]] and [[Nsawam]] in the eastern lowlands, has an undulating topography.<ref name=":0" /> Many of the hills here have craggy summits, which give a striking appearance to the landscape.<ref name=":0" /> The upper section of the Pra River Basin, to the west of the Densu, is relatively flat.<ref name=":0" /> The topography of its lower reaches resembles that of the Densu Basin and is a rich cocoa and food-producing region.<ref name=":0" /> The valley of the Birim River, one of the main tributaries of the Pra, is Ghana's most important diamond-producing area.<ref name=":0" />

The Ankobra River Basin and the middle and lower basins of the Tano River to the west of the lowlands form the largest subdivision of the Akan Lowlands.<ref name=":0" /> Here annual rainfall between {{convert|1,500|and|2,150|mm}} helps assure a dense forest cover.<ref name=":0" /> In addition to timber, the area is rich in minerals.<ref name=":0" /> The Tarkwa goldfield, the diamond operations of the [[Bonsa Valley]], and high-grade manganese deposits are all found in this area.<ref name=":0" /> The middle and lower Tano basins have been intensely explored for oil and natural gas since the mid-1980s.<ref name=":0" /> The lower basins of the Pra, Birim, Densu, and Ankobra rivers are also sites for palm tree cultivation.<ref name=":0" />

Comprising the Southern Ashanti Uplands and the Kwahu Plateau, the Ashanti Uplands lie just north of the Akan Lowlands and stretch from the Ivory Coast border in the west to the elevated edge of the Volta Basin in the east.<ref name=":0" /> Stretching in a northwest-to-southeast direction, the Kwahu Plateau extends {{convert|193|km}} between Koforidua in the east and Wenchi in the northwest.<ref name=":0" /> The average elevation of the plateau is about {{convert|450|m}}, rising to a maximum of {{convert|762|m}}.<ref name=":0" /> The relatively cool temperatures of the plateau were attractive to Europeans, particularly missionaries, who founded many well-known schools and colleges in this region.<ref name=":0" />

The plateau forms one of the important physical divides in Ghana.<ref name=":0" /> From its northeastern slopes, the Afram and Pru Rivers flow into the Volta River, while from the opposite side, the Pra, Birim, Ofin, Tano, and other rivers flow south toward the sea.<ref name=":0" /> The plateau also marks the northernmost limit of the forest zone.<ref name=":0" /> Although large areas of the forest cover have been destroyed through farming, enough deciduous forest remains to shade the head waters of the rivers that flow from the plateau.<ref name=":0" />

The Southern Ashanti Uplands, extending from the foot of the Kwahu Plateau in the north to the lowlands in the south, slope gently from an elevation of about {{convert|300|m}} in the north to about {{convert|150|m}} in the south.<ref name=":0" /> The region contains several hills and ranges as well as several towns of historical and economic importance, including [[Kumasi]], Ghana's second largest city and former capital of the Asante.<ref name=":0" /> [[Obuasi]] and [[Konongo, Ghana|Konongo]], two of the country's gold-mining centres, are also located here.<ref name=":0" /> The region is Ghana's chief producer of cocoa, and its tropical forests continue to be a vital source of timber for the lumber industry.<ref name=":0" />

===Volta Basin===

Taking the central part of Ghana, the Volta Basin covers about 45 percent of the nation's total land surface.<ref name=":0" /> Its northern section, which lies above the upper part of [[Lake Volta]], rises to a height of {{convert|150|to|215|m}} above sea level.<ref name=":0" /> Elevations of the Konkori Scarp to the west and the Gambaga Scarp to the north reach from {{convert|300|to|460|m}}.<ref name=":0" /> To the south and the southwest, the basin is less than {{convert|300|m}}.<ref name=":0" /> The Kwahu Plateau marks the southern end of the basin, and forms a natural part of the Ashanti Uplands.

The basin is characterized by poor soil, generally of Voltaian [[sandstone]].<ref name=":0" /> Annual rainfall averages between {{convert|1,000|and|1,140|mm}}.<ref name=":0" /> The most widespread vegetation type is [[savanna]], the woodlands of which, depending on local soil and climatic conditions, may contain such trees as red ironwood and shea.<ref name=":0" />

The basin's population, principally farmers, is low in density, especially in the central and northwestern areas of the basin, where tsetse flies are common.<ref name=":0" /> Archeological finds indicate that the region was once more heavily populated.<ref name=":0" /> Periodic burning occurred over extensive areas for perhaps more than a millennium, exposing the soil to excessive drying and erosion, rendering the area less attractive to cultivators.<ref name=":0" />

In contrast with the rest of the region are the [[Afram Plains]], located in the southeastern corner of the basin.<ref name=":0" /> Here the terrain is low, averaging {{convert|60|to|150|m}} in elevation, and annual rainfall is between {{convert|1,140|mm}} and about {{convert|1,400|mm}}.<ref name=":0" /> Near the Afram River, much of the surrounding countryside is flooded or swampy during the rainy seasons.<ref name=":0" /> With the creation of Lake Volta ({{convert|8500|km2}} in area) in the mid-1960s, much of the Afram Plains was submerged.<ref name=":0" /> Despite the construction of roads to connect communities displaced by the lake, road transportation in the region remains poor.<ref name=":0" /> Renewed efforts to improve communications, to enhance agricultural production, and to improve standards of living began in earnest in the mid-1980s.<ref name=":0" />

{{wide image|Volta lake from the Saint Barbara Church.JPG|900px|align-cap=center|[[Panorama]] and [[landscape]] view of Lake Volta in [[Volta Basin]] and [[Eastern Region, Ghana|Eastern Region]] of Ghana. [[Lake Volta]] by artificial surface area is the largest [[reservoir]] and [[lake]] in the world. Lake Volta [[Drainage|drains]] into the [[Gulf of Guinea]] on the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. [[Volta River]] has three main tributaries—the [[Black Volta]], [[White Volta]] and [[Red Volta]].}}

===High plains===

The general terrain in the northern and northwestern part of Ghana outside the Volta Basin consists of a dissected plateau, which averages between {{convert|150|and|300|m}} in elevation and, in some places, is even higher.<ref name=":0" /> Rainfall averages between {{convert|1,000|and|1,150|mm}} annually, although in the northwest it is closer to {{convert|1,350|mm}}.<ref name=":0" /> Soils in the high plains are more arable than those in the Volta Basin, and the population density is considerably higher.<ref name=":0" /> Grain and cattle production are the major economic activities in the high plains of the northern region.<ref name=":0" />

Since the mid-1980s, when former United States President Jimmy Carter's Global 2000 program adopted Ghana as one of a select number of African countries whose local farmers were to be educated and financially supported to improve agricultural production, there has been a dramatic increase in grain production in northern Ghana.<ref name=":0" /> The virtual absence of tsetse flies in the region has led to increased livestock raising as a major occupation in the north.<ref name=":0" /> The region is Ghana's largest producer of cattle.<ref name=":0" />