Accra Travel Guide

Accra is the most populous city in and the capital of Ghana. It is the administrative,
communications, and economic center of the country. Over 70% of Ghana's
manufacturing capacity is located within the capital area. Accra has been Ghana's capital
since 1877, and contains public buildings reflecting its transition from a 19th century
suburb of Victoriasborg to the modern metropolis it is today.

Among the attractions of Accra are the National Museum, with a display of exhibits that
reflect the heritage of Ghana from prehistoric times to modern times, the National Theatre
with its distinct modern architecture, Independence Square, the Kwame Nkrumah
Mausoleum, the Accra International Conference Centre, the fishing port at Jamestown
and Makola Market.

The University of Ghana at Legon is just 14 km north of Accra, and its distinctive buildings
are set amongst tree-lined gardens that are visited by students and visitors alike. Accra is
also linked internationally by the Kotoka International Airport.

Accra was founded by the Ga people in the late 1600s. The word Accra is derived from the word Nkran meaning "ants" in Akan, a reference to the numerous anthills seen in the
countryside around Accra. During part of its history, Accra served as a centre for trade with the Portuguese, who built a fort in the town, followed by the Swedish, Dutch, French,
British and Danish by the end of the seventeenth century.

The site of present-day Accra developed into a sizable town around the original Ga town
as well as British, Danish and Dutch forts and their surrounding communities:
Jamestown near the British fort, Osu near the Danish Christianborg fort (now Osu Castle)
and Ussherstown near the Dutch Ussher fort. The four areas form the core of the modern
city.

In 1877, at the end of the second Anglo-Asante War, Accra replaced Cape Coast as the
capital of the British Gold Coast colony. After the completion of a railway to the mining and agricultural interior, Accra became the economic centre of Ghana. Large areas were
destroyed by earthquakes in 1862 and 1939, but the city grew around a seaport (now
relocated to Tema), and later a brewery, expanding into neighbouring towns.

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