Upper West Region

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Region of Ghana

title: "Upper West Region" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["upper-west-region", "regions-of-ghana", "1983-establishments-in-ghana", "states-and-territories-established-in-1983"] description: "Region of Ghana" topic_path: "general/upper-west-region" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_West_Region" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Region of Ghana ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
nameUpper West Region
typeRegion
image_skylineOur building structures.jpg
image_mapGhana - Upper West.svg
mapsize150px
map_captionLocation of Upper West Region in Ghana
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameGhana
leader_titleRegional Minister
leader_nameCharles Lwanga Puozuing
leader_title1
seat_typeCapital
seatWa
area_total_km218476
area_footnotes
area_rankRanked 7th
population_total901,502
population_as_of2021 census
population_footnotes
population_density_km2auto
demographics_type1GDP (PPP)
demographics1_title1Year
demographics1_info12013
demographics1_title2Per capita
demographics1_info2$5,150
demographics_type2GDP (Nominal)
demographics2_title1Year
demographics2_info12013
demographics2_title2Per capita
demographics2_info2$2,500
blank_name_sec2HDI (2017)
blank_info_sec20.518
· 9th
parts_typeDistricts
parts_stylepara
p111
iso_codeGH-UW
timezoneGMT
area_code039
::

| name = Upper West Region | official_name = | type = Region | image_skyline = Our building structures.jpg | image_map = Ghana - Upper West.svg | mapsize = 150px | map_caption = Location of Upper West Region in Ghana | image_map1 = | map_caption1 = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Ghana | leader_title = Regional Minister | leader_name = Charles Lwanga Puozuing | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | seat_type = Capital | seat = Wa | area_total_km2 = 18476 | area_footnotes = | area_rank = Ranked 7th | population_total = 901,502 | population_as_of = 2021 census | population_footnotes = | population_rank = | population_density_km2 = auto | demographics_type1 = GDP (PPP) | demographics1_footnotes = | demographics1_title1 = Year | demographics1_info1 = 2013 | demographics1_title2 = Per capita | demographics1_info2 = $5,150 | demographics_type2 = GDP (Nominal) | demographics2_title1 = Year | demographics2_info1 = 2013 | demographics2_title2 = Per capita | demographics2_info2 = $2,500 | blank_name_sec2 = HDI (2017) | blank_info_sec2 = 0.518 · 9th | parts_type = Districts | parts_style = para | p1 = 11 | iso_code = GH-UW | timezone = GMT | area_code = 039 The Upper West Region is a region of Ghana located in the northwestern corner of the country. It is bordered by the Upper East Region to the east, the Northern Region to the south, and the Centre-Ouest and Sud-Ouest regions of Burkina Faso to the west and north. The Upper West regional capital and largest settlement is Wa.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Wa_Naa_Palace_15.jpg" caption="The Wa Naa Palace"] ::

The Upper West was created by the then Head of State, Jerry Rawlings in 1983 under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) military regime. The area was carved out of the former Upper Region, which is now the Upper East Region. For about thirty-five years, it remained the youngest region of Ghana until 2018 when six more regions were created by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government; hence increasing the total number of administrative regions in the country to sixteen.

Ethnic groups

The Upper West Region is inhabited predominantly by three major ethnic groups: Wala, Dagaba and Sisaala. The Wala people are found in Wa and nearby villages, the western part of the region is occupied is occupied by the Dagaba and the Sisaala people live in the eastern areas. The Wala people are predominantly Muslims while the Sisaala and Dagaba are mostly Christian or Traditionalist. The Wala people speak Waali, and the Dagaba speak Dagaare language.

Traditional Council

Wa has a Council of Chiefs known as The Waala Traditional Council. This council is made up of Several Chiefs and Government Appointees. The current Overlord of the Waala Traditional Area is Wa Naa Fuseini Pelpuo IV who also doubles up as the leader of the Council.

Geography and climate

Location and size

The Upper West Region is one of the 16 regions of Ghana. It is located at the northwestern corner of Ghana at latitude 9.8°- 11.O° North and longitude 1.6°- 3.0 West, bounded by Burkina Faso to the North. It covers a geographical area of 18,476 square kilometres, representing 12.7% of the total land area of Ghana. The northern Ghana-Burkina Faso is bordered on the east by the Upper East region and Northern regions, on the south by the Northern region, on the west by western Ghana-Burkina Faso, and the Upper West region on the north. It is the seventh largest region in Ghana in total area, and it is made up of 11 districts. By virtue of its location, the Upper West Region has the potential for international and inter-regional trade and other bilateral relations, but the overspill of criminal activities and disasters, such as bushfires, diseases and pestilence, armed robbery, etc., from the region's neighbours also pose a threat.

Tourism

The Wechiau Hippopotamus Sanctuary is located southwest of Wa, along the Black Volta River in the Wa West District. The Gwollu Wall in the Sissala District serves as the hometown of one of Ghana's past presidents - Dr. Hilla Limann.

Cuisine

The staple food of the people of the Upper West Region is sao or Tuo Zaafi in the local dialect, which is often abbreviated TZ or T-Zed in English.

Economy

The major economic activity of the Upper West Region is agriculture. Crops grown include corn, millet, peanuts, okra, shea tree, and rice. Sheep, goats, chickens, pigs and guinea fowl are raised for meat and eggs. Because the region's dry season is long, extending roughly from October to May, many people leave the region to work in the southern part of Ghana for at least part of the year.

Sports

Basketball (Unicorns Basketball Team), Football, Tennis, Volleyball

Schools

Some popular schools in the region include:

  1. St. Francis Xavier Junior Seminary
  2. St. Francis Girls of Assis
  3. St. Michael Boys - Nandom
  4. St. Ignatius of Loyola SHS
  5. Queen of Peace SHS
  6. lawra Senior High School
  7. Kanton Senior High School
  8. Wa Senior High School
  9. Wa Senior High Technical School
  10. UBIDS formerly UDS
  11. Jirapa Nursing Training College
  12. Jahan Training College
  13. Wa Technical University, etc.

Administrative divisions

The political administration of the region is through the local government system. Under this administration system, the region is divided into 11 MMDA's (made up of 0 Metropolitan, 5 Municipal and 6 Ordinary Assemblies). Each District, Municipal or Metropolitan Assembly, is administered by a Chief Executive, representing the central government but deriving authority from an Assembly headed by a presiding member elected from among the members themselves. The current list is as follows:

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Districts_of_the_Upper_West_Region_(2012).svg" caption="Districts of the Upper West Region"] ::

::data[format=table title="Districts of the Upper West Region[http://www.geohive.com/cntry/ghana.aspx Upper West Region – Districts]"]

#MMDA NameCapitalMMDA TypePopulation1234567891011
Daffiama-Bussie-IssaIssaOrdinary38,754 (2021)
JirapaJirapaMunicipal106,874.
Lambussie-KarniLambussieOrdinary51,118 (2021)
LawraLawraMunicipal58,433
Nadowli-KaleoNadowliOrdinary77,057 (2021)
NandomNandomMunicipal51,328
Sissala EastTumuMunicipal80,619 (2021)
Sissala WestGwolluOrdinary63,828 (2021)
Wa EastFunsiOrdinary91,457 (2021)
Wa MunicipalWaMunicipal200,672 (2021)
Wa WestWechiauOrdinary96,957 (2021)
::

Notable natives

Prominent and famous citizens of Upper West Region include:

Festivals of the Upper West Region

Festivals that take place in the Upper West Region include:

  • Damba Festival
  • Dumba Festival
  • Paaragbiele Festival
  • Kobine Festival
  • Kakube Festival
  • Gologo/Golib Festival
  • Fao Festival
  • Kalibi Festival
  • Samanpiid Festival
  • Feok Festival
  • Adaakoya Festival
  • Kuure Festival
  • Tengana Festival
  • Boaram Festival

References

References

  1. "Regional Ministers".
  2. "Work to start on 670-km feeder roads in Upper West - Graphic Online".
  3. "Upper West Region". GhanaDistricts.com.
  4. "Ghana Statistical Services - Population by Regions, Upper West". statsghana.gov.gh.
  5. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab".
  6. Boakye, Edna Agnes. (2021-05-21). "Sissala West MP laments exclusion of Sissala areas from EU-funded road projects".
  7. (2022-09-30). "UW: List of Members of Waala Traditional Council Since 2016".
  8. GOG(MLGRD)
  9. ghanadistricts.com
  10. "Tuo zaafi {{!}} Traditional Side Dish From Northern Region {{!}} TasteAtlas".
  11. "Upper West". citypopulation.de.
  12. [http://www.geohive.com/cntry/ghana.aspx Upper West Region – Districts]
  13. "Contractors who do shoddy work to pay more for maintenance - Roads Minister warns - MyJoyOnline.com".
  14. (2016-02-24). "Upper West Region".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

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