Ten fun facts about Accra
Fact 1
The greater Accra metropolitan area is the third largest in Ghana by population.
Fact 2
The National Theatre, opened in 1992 in Accra, was built and given as a gift by the Chinese.
Fact 3
At least 30% of the households in the city did not have access to toilet facilities in their home in 2010. They were required to use public toilet facilities.
Fact 4In 2013, MasterCard's African Cities Growth Index Ranked Accra as Africa's top city, regarding its economic potential over the next five years.
Fact 5The name Accra, believed to derive from 'Akan' meaning ants, references the manner in which the natives of Accra kept coming back like army ants during a war with the Ashantis.
Fact 6In 1877, Accra replaced Cape Coast as the capital of the British Gold Coast and has been the capital of Ghana ever since.
Fact 7A 2010 report states that the city of Accra has a well-educated resident adult population, with over 21% having university level education and 45% having finished their secondary school education.
Fact 8One of the world's digital dumping grounds, located in Accra, is known as a modern day 'Sodom and Gomorrah'. Approximately 50,000 low-income residents now live there.
Fact 9The city experiences the harmattan season, from the end of November to the middle of March, where hot, dry and dusty winds blow.
Fact 10U.N. Habitat estimated that 2 million new households will be required by 2020.
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