Geographic description
The Republic of Ghana lies almost in the centre of those countries whose shores front along the Gulf of Guinea on the west coast of Africa. The coastline stretches over 565 km. The country reaches some 675 km from south to north and 540 km from east to west and has a total area of 238 538 km2. Extreme longitudes are 3°07'W and 1°14'E and extreme latitudes 4°45'N and 11°11'N.
The country is generally undulating but the Akwapim, Kwahu, Mampong, Ejura and Gambaga scarps are prominent, although of no great height, seldom exceeding 600 meters. The greatest altitude, 880 meters, is in the Volta region where a series of hill ranges runs in a north-east to south-west direction. These ranges continue north-eastward into the Republic of Togo.
The Volta is the most important river and others like the Pra, Ankobra and Tano run southerly to the sea and are navigable for about 80 km. The drainage is dominated by this system, which includes a vast artificial lake of over 770 000 ha. Soils are variable and in general moderately fertile and capable of supporting good growth unless they remain bare for some years.
The climate of Ghana is tropical, with some variation due to season and elevation. In the southern part of the country there are two rainy seasons (April to July and September to November). Rainfall is highest in the south-west, ranging from 1 250 to 2 150 mm.
The south-east has also two rainy seasons but a lower annual rainfall (750 mm). In the northern part, rainfall ranges between 1 100 and 1 250 mm and occurs in a single season (April to September) followed by a long dry season. The mean annual temperature in Ghana averages between 26 and 29°C. The climate is also influenced by the "harmattan," a dry desert wind that blows south from the Sahara between December and February and produces a significant drop in humidity.