Zongo settlements are areas in
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...
n towns populated mostly by migrants from the northern savannah regions and the West African
Sahel
The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...
, especially from
northern Nigeria
Northern Nigeria was an autonomous division within Nigeria, distinctly different from the southern part of the country, with independent customs, foreign relations and security structures. In 1962 it acquired the territory of the United Kingd ...
.
Common features of the zongo communities are their use of
Hausa language
Hausa (; /; Ajami: ) is a Chadic language spoken by the Hausa people in the northern half of Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin and Togo, and the southern half of Niger, Chad and Sudan, with significant minorities in Ivory Coast.
Hausa is a member ...
as
lingua franca
A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, vehicular language, or link language, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups ...
and their shared religion:
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
. The designation of these wards of migrants as ''zongos'' derives from the Hausa word ''zango'' which literally means "a camping place for trading caravans". As the name reveals, zongos were originally founded as ports of trade in the long-distance trading networks that connected the West African subregion.
Ghana
Collectively referred to as ''zongos'', zongo communities are found in all 16
regions of Ghana
The Regions of Ghana constitute the first level of subnational government administration within the Republic of Ghana. As of 2020, there are currently sixteen regions, which are further divided for administrative purposes into 260 local metro ...
with much denser populations in Greater Accra and the Ashanti Region.
The earliest bustling zongo communities in Ghana started in Salaga, and by the first quarter of the 19th century similar communities were already established in
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 ...
,
Yeji and
Ejisu. The largest and one of the oldest zongos close to the coastal belt started in 1810 at
Ushertown (Zangon Mallam or present-day Zongo-Lane) before they were resettled at
Sabon Zango
Sabon Zango or Sabon Zongo is a Zongo residential town in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The name " Sabon Zango" has its etymology from the Hausa Language which literally means the "new settlement". The town was founded by some of the earlie ...
followed by
Nima (1836).
In the present day, zongo communities in Ghana are a microcosm of people from the lower and middle classes from both northern and southern Ghana as well as immigrants from neighboring countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo.
The
Hausa from northern Nigeria and Southern Niger were the pioneer settlers of the zongos. The early settlers constructed makeshift houses with the intention to work hard, raise some capital and return to their locality. As it has usually been with immigration, many adopted their new found place as their permanent home.
See also
*
Ghanaian Zongo people
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 Ghana–Ivory Coast border, the west, Burkina ...
*
Sabon Zango
Sabon Zango or Sabon Zongo is a Zongo residential town in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The name " Sabon Zango" has its etymology from the Hausa Language which literally means the "new settlement". The town was founded by some of the earlie ...
*
Northerner (Ghana)
A Northerner is an unestablished informal term used by the general public in Ghana to refer to Ghanaians who hail from the three northernmost Regions of Ghana namely; the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions. Examples are Dagombas, Gurunsi ...
Benin
Zongo Communities are common in Benin with large settlements found in
Parakou,
Ganou
Ganou is a village in the commune of Parakou in the Borgou Department of central-eastern Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country ...
and the port city of
Cotonou
Cotonou (; fon, Kútɔ̀nú) is a city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area.
The urban area continues to expand, notably toward the west. The ci ...
.
References
{{Reflist
Settlements in Ghana
Populated places in Ghana
Communities in Ghana