Komenda / Edina / Eguafo / Abirem District
| Komenda / Edina / Eguafo / Abirem District | |
|---|---|
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| country |
 Ghana
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| region | Central region |
| Capital | Elmina |
| District shape | common |
| District Chief Executive | George Frank Asmah |
| surface | 396 km² |
| population | 112,437 (2002) |
| Population density | 284 Ew. / km² |
| ISO 3166-2 | GH-CP-KE |
Komenda / Edina / Eguafo / Abirem is one of 13 districts in the Central Region of Ghana . The district is on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea , west of the city of Cape Coast . The name of the district refers to the four traditional "states" Komenda, Edina, Eguafo and Abrem in its area. These traditional areas each have a traditional head (an Omanhene ) at their head , who still today exercises certain functions in his “state”. The most important city is the historic Elmina.
The district was created in 1988 by separating from the former Cape Coast Municipal Council.
population
The vast majority of the population belongs to the Akan peoples , the main spoken here are the Fanti and Twi, which are dominant in the entire Central Region .
There are 158 settlements in the district, two of which are urban in character according to Ghanaian criteria. H. have more than 5000 inhabitants: Elmina with 21,103 and Komenda with 12,278. Also of importance are Agona Abrem with 4990 and Kissi with 4874 inhabitants. Almost 40% of the district's population already live in these four places.
history
The entire district came into contact with the Europeans early on. The Portuguese built their first fortress in sub-Saharan Africa in Elmina in 1482, Fort São Jorge da Mina , and the Dutch and British built further fortresses in Elmina and Kommenda. This centuries-old European influence is still evident today in the widespread Dutch, British or Portuguese surnames on this stretch of coast.
The history of the district is then divided into the history of the three fan states Komenda, Eguafo and Abrem, which as part of the Fanti confederation were in conflict with Elmina and his ally, the Ashanti people of the interior, for centuries . What they have in common is the connection between their history and the slave trade , in which they acted as middlemen. For the history of Elmina see there the section History , for the fan states see Fanti Confederation .
economy
Agriculture, fishing, tourism, trade and the processing of agricultural products and fish are the main industries in the district.
The agricultural sector is still characterized by traditional methods, small cultivated areas and subsistence farming. A good 50,000 people are employed here, and 86% of the area of the district is arable land. Sugar cane is planted in some low-lying areas , and efforts are being made to recultivate the coconut plantations that were destroyed by a tree disease in the 1980s . Livestock farming is widespread (cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, poultry), but not on a commercial scale.
The traditionally important fishery is suffering from a lack of cooling facilities (only in Elmina there are two cold stores). Fish is therefore either smoked for preservation or processed into fish powder.
In the city of Elmina, the majority of employees officially work in the public sector. In fact, the majority here are employed in the informal sector that is not covered. Although the golden days of the Elmina trading center are over, trade with the immediate vicinity, but also with traders from the neighboring districts, still plays a major role for the city, especially with fish and salt.
Infrastructure
The district is crossed by the well-developed coastal road, which has several branches to Elmina. While the road connection from Elmina to Takoradi is paved and in good condition, the connections to Kumasi and the nearby Cape Coast are in poor condition.
There are only a few telephone and internet connections, as well as fax facilities in Elmina. Mobile phones are the main means of communication, network reception is largely given.
Several radio stations can be received in Elmina, television reception is limited to Ghana Television (GTV) and a South African station via satellite.
Climate and environment
In the district there is less rainfall than in the interior of the country or in the areas adjoining to the west. The coast is characterized by mangrove forests , swampy sections and lagoons , further away from the coast the tree savanna begins . The natural tree population here consists of wawa, mahogany , Odum tree , Kyekyen, Edinam, Otie, Danta and Onyina Koben, some of which are also used economically.
The forest is threatened overall by logging for firewood and charcoal production (for domestic needs, but also for fish smoking) as well as by the expansion of agriculturally used areas.
This development also has negative effects on the groundwater. Both the quantity and quality of ground and surface water are threatened by human activities such as the use of agrochemicals. The salt extraction via salt pans leads to the destruction of the mangrove population.
Important localities
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See also
Web links
- Statoids
- Maps of individual districts in the region on various topics ( Memento from November 19, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
