Sekondi-Takoradi is a city in

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

comprising the

twin cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...

of Sekondi and Takoradi. It is the capital of Sekondi – Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly and the Western Region of

. Sekondi-Takoradi is the region's largest city and an

industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...

and commercial centre, with a population of 445,205 people (2012). The chief industries in Sekondi-Takoradi are timber, cocoa processing, plywood,

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...

, its

harbour A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...

and railway repair, and recently,

sweet crude oil Sweet crude oil is a type of petroleum. The New York Mercantile Exchange designates petroleum with less than 0.5% sulfur as ''sweet''. Petroleum containing higher levels of sulfur is called sour crude oil. Sweet crude oil contains small amounts o ...

and

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude ...

. The fundamental job in Sekondi-Takoradi is

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

. Sekondi-Takoradi lies on the main

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

lines to

Kumasi Kumasi (historically spelled Comassie or Coomassie, usually spelled Kumase in Twi) is a city in the Ashanti Region, and is among the largest metropolitan areas in Ghana. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region near Lake Bosomtwe, and is the ...

and

Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...

History

Sekondi, an older and larger Ahanta town, was the site of Dutch

Fort Orange Fort Orange ( nl, Fort Oranje) was the first permanent Dutch settlement in New Netherland; the present-day city of Albany, New York developed at this site. It was built in 1624 as a replacement for Fort Nassau, which had been built on nearb ...

(1642) and English

Fort Sekondi Fort Sekondi, also Fort George, was an England, English fort on the Gold Coast (region), Gold Coast (now Ghana), built in 1682 at Sekondi (earlier Zakonde and Secondee), next to the Netherlands, Dutch Fort Orange (Ghana), Fort Orange, which had bee ...

(1682). It prospered from a railroad built in 1903 to hinterland

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. ( ...

and timber resources. Takoradi, also an Ahanta town, was the site of Dutch

Fort Witsen Fort Witsen, also Fort Tacaray, was a fort on the Dutch Gold Coast, established in 1665 near Takoradi. This fort was destroyed after a few years, and in 1684 the site was abandoned. A map from 1791 shows, however, that the Dutch had renewed their ...

(1665) and has an important deepwater

seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

, Ghana's first, built in 1928."Takoradi Port"
Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

RAF Takoradi Takoradi Airport is an airport in Sekondi-Takoradi, a city and capital of Western Region southern Ghana. It is the fourth busiest airport in Ghana, with 92,949 passengers in 2021. History Second World War : Takoradi air route During World ...

was an important staging point for British aircraft destined for Egypt. Spitfire fighter planes were shipped in crates from England to Takoradi where they were assembled then flown via Nigeria and Sudan to the war in Libya. 26 Squadron SAAF was also based in Takoradi during World War II, flying anti-submarine and convoy protection patrols over the Atlantic. A number of South African airmen are buried in the Takoradi European Public cemetery. The cities combined in 1946. On 20 November 1969, the city became the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sekondi–Takoradi. The city is currently named (although not officially) as the Oil City of Ghana due to the massive discovery of oil in the Western region and has attracted massive migration from people all around the world. For example, of the 248,680 people in the Sekondi-Takoradi metro area in 2010, some 148,000, or well above half, were indigenous Ahanta people, 30,000 came from the central region of Ghana, 60,000 are from other regions of Ghana and 10,000 are foreign nationals.

Demographics

Sekondi-Takoradi's population is overwhelmingly Christian. 35% of the region are Pentecostal/Charismatic, 26% are Protestant and 14% are Catholic with the remaining 12% comprising numerous minor denominations. 9% of the population are Muslim, 3.5% identify as non religious and 0.2% practice

traditional African religions The traditional beliefs and practices of African people are highly diverse beliefs that include various ethnic religions.Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009) Molefi Kete Asante Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptura ...

The major ethnic group found in Sekondi are the

Ahanta people The Ahanta/Ayinda are Akan People who live to the north and east of the Nzema. The Ahanta land has been historically known as one of the richest areas on the coast of what is now Ghana. The Ahanta land spans from Beposo to Ankobra in what is no ...

Economy

Takoradi houses the Harbour and has timber, energy and technology industries. Over the years it has attracted a good number of investors, including

miner A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face; cutting, blasting, ...

s, as the city is close to the mining towns in the western part of Ghana. Ghana's recent discovery of oil gave the Sekondi-Takoradi township to be known as the Oil City.

Transportation

There are public transport connections from Takoradi to major cities such as

;

; Mim;

Cape Coast Cape Coast is a city, fishing port, and the capital of Cape Coast Metropolitan District and Central Region of Ghana. It is one of the country's most historic cities, a World Heritage Site, home to the Cape Coast Castle, with the Gulf of Guinea ...

;

Sunyani Sunyani is a city and the capital town of the Bono Region and the Sunyani Municipal District, Sunyani Municipal of Ghana. Sunyani had a population of 74,24at the 2010 population and housing census. The city consists mainly of the Bonos by tribe ...

;

Tamale A tamale, in Spanish tamal, is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, a dough made from nixtamalized corn, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tamale ...

;

Tema Tema is a city on the Bight of Benin and Atlantic coast of Ghana. It is located east of the capital city; Accra, in the region of Greater Accra, and is the capital of the Tema Metropolitan District. As of 2013, Tema is the eleventh most populo ...

; Ho; Wa;

Bolgatanga Bolgatanga ( Frafra: '), colloquially known as ''Bolga'', is a town and the capital of the Bolgatanga Municipal District and Upper East Region of Ghana, adjacent to the border with Burkina Faso. Bolgatanga has over 2012 settlement and a popula ...

;

Elubo Elubo is a town in the Jomoro district, a district in the Western Region of Ghana. Location and geography Location Elubo is a town in the western region of Ghana almost on the border with Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d' ...

;

Aflao Aflao is a town in Ketu South District in the Volta Region on Ghana's border with Togo. Aflao is the twenty-eighth most populous settlement in Ghana, in terms of population, with a population of 96,550 people. In the 18th century, Aflao serve ...

; and

Techiman Techiman is a city and is the capital of Techiman Municipal and Bono East Region of Ghana. Techiman is a leading market town in South Ghana. Techiman is one of the two major cities and settlements of Bono East region. Techiman is home to West ...

Tourist attractions

Sekondi-Takoradi has plenty of beaches, however they are not a major tourist attraction. Many of the beaches are found to the west of Takoradi, with small resorts such as Fanta's Folly, The Hideout, and Green Turtle Lodge with larger ones such as Busua Beach, Lou Moon Lodge and Axim Beach Resort and also amazing places to eat such as Scoops Bar, Paragon Bar and Grill. It also has an annual street carnival, which is popular with tourists. There is also the village of Nzulezu (village on water) which is a popular tourist site, in the Western Region.

Education

Sekondi-Takoradi city has several secondary schools, colleges, and special schools, ranging from single-sex to coeducational institutions. Among the tertiary institutions are: Takoradi Technical University (a public institution), Nurses and Midwifery Training College, Holy Child Teachers Training College (now a College of Education).
The Sekondi-Takoradi city currently has several secondary schools and Special schools, ranging from single-sex to coeducational institutions. These include: * St. John's School, Sekondi, St. John's School (The Saints) St Johns Sschool Sekondi

Ghana Senior High Technical School The Ghana Secondary Technical School is a science and technology-oriented high school located in Takoradi on the west coast of Ghana. It is the third oldest high school in Ghana - the oldest 'non-missionary' high school. The School was founded ...

(GSTS) * Baidoo Bonsoe Senior High Technical School (BBSTS) * St Mary's Boys Senior High School * Takoradi Secondary School (Tadisco) * Methodist senior high school ( The Young legend) * Sekondi College (Sekco) * Ahantaman Senior High School * Fijai Secondary School * Adiembra Secondary School *

Bompeh senior high technical school Bompeh Senior High Technical School is a senior high school located in Sekondi-Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana. History The school used to be one of the Axim Road Middle Schools. It was selected, expanded and developed into a junior hi ...

Archbishop Porter Girls Secondary School The Archbishop Porter Girls' Senior High School (abbreviated as APGSHS) is a Catholic senior secondary school for girls, located in Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana. The female second cycle institution operates within the Ghana Public Educa ...

and many others. Takoradi Technical Institute houses a

fab lab A fab lab (''fabrication laboratory'') is a small-scale workshop offering (personal) digital fabrication. A fab lab is typically equipped with an array of flexible computer-controlled tools that cover several different length scales and vari ...

, equipped by the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

(MIT), which is the first of its kind in Africa. Takoradi has a well-equipped technical training centre (Takoradi Technical Institute, TTI, 1,400 students in two shifts) assisted by the German government through GTZ/GOPA. Apart from TTI, Takoradi has a polytechnic and other renowned secondary schools including

Ghana Secondary Technical School The Ghana Secondary Technical School is a science and technology-oriented high school located in Takoradi on the west coast of Ghana. It is the third oldest high school in Ghana - the oldest 'non-missionary' high school. The School was founded ...

, St. Mary Secondary School, Bompeh Secondary School, Takoradi Secondary School and many others. Sekondi-Takoradi has many

internet café An Internet café, also known as a cybercafé, is a café (or a convenience store or a fully dedicated Internet access business) that provides the use of computers with high bandwidth Internet access on the payment of a fee. Usage is generall ...

s and computer training centres to encourage familiarity with computers and acquire computer skills. The Western Regional Library was established in Sekondi in 1955.

Stadiums and sports

Stadiums

Essipong Stadium The Sekondi Sports Stadium (also known as Essipong Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. It is used mostly for football matches and serves as the home stadium of Sekondi Hasaacas FC. Sekondi-Takoradi Stadium hosted some ...

* Gyandu Park

Sports

Professional sports teams based in Sekondi-Takoradi include: * FC Takoradi * Sekondi Hasaacas *

Sekondi Wise Fighters Sekondi Eleven Wise Football Club is a Ghanaian professional association football club, based in Sekondi Sekondi-Takoradi is a city in Ghana comprising the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi. It is the capital of Sekondi – Takoradi Metropo ...

Institutions

* Empire FM

Climate

Sekondi-Takoradi has a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

: ''Aw'').

Sister cities

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...

, Italy (2021) *

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, United States (2001) *

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

, United States (1975)

Gallery

References

''Afrosages.com'', Tourist Destinations Of Western Ghana, January 13, 2020
Wildcat Beauty, Cosmetics & More, Market Circle (behind Bank of Africa(, Takoradi, Ghan

External links

Mytakoradi.com

Ghana-pedia webpage – Takoradi
* {{Coord, 04, 55, N, 01, 46, W, display=title Sekondi-Takoradi, Populated places in the Western Region (Ghana) Regional capitals in Ghana