BACKGROUND OF VOLTA REGION
All You Need To Know!
The region is one of the 12 Regions of the Republic of Ghana. Geographically, Volta Region lies on the eastern side of Ghana. Volta Region shares common boundaries with four (4) major regions of Ghana, namely, Greater Accra, Eastern, BrongAhafo, and Northern regions.
The Volta Region is divided into 18 administrative districts: Adaklu Anyigbe, South Dayi (Kpeve), North Dayi (Kpando, South Tongu (Sogakope), North Tongu (Adidome), South Ketu, North Ketu, South Nkwanta, North Nkwanta, Ho Municipal, Hohoe Municipal, Jasikan, Kadjebi, Krachi East, Krachi West, Biakoye and Keta.
The Volta Region is located at 3o 45’ latitude N and 8o 45’ longitude N; it covers a total land area of 20572 km2 and stretches from the coast of Gulf Guinea running through all the vegetation zones found in the country.
VEGETATION
Approximately 500 km stretch from south to north in this region, and its vegetation can be categorized as follows:
The coastal strand Mangrove Swamps
The woodland Savannah
Savannah grassland
The Mangrove Swamps
The Deciduous forest
RELIEF AND DRAINAGE
Mountain Afadzato is the highest point in the region at 855 meters above sea level, with a low-lying altitude at the coast.
More than half of the region falls within the Volta River Basin with the Volta Lake draining a substantial portion of the region. The region has the world’s largest man-made lake, river Dayi, Oti, Daka several seasonal streams like Aka, Agali, Kplikpa, etc.
THE SOILS
The major soils are savannah ochrosols, sandy coastal soils, tropical grey earth and regolistic groundwater laterites, topohydric and luthochronic earth. The soil type’s ranges from heavy clay to sandy loams. Heavy clay loams, sandy loams, and alluvial soils.
THE CLIMATE
The region has a tropical climate, characterized by moderate temperature, 12 oC—32 o C for most of the years.
The rainfall pattern is bi-modal that is it has two rainfall regimes in the year, the first from March to July and the second from mid-August to October. Rainfall figures, which vary greatly throughout the region, are highest in the central highland areas and in the forest zone; they are lowest in the Sahel-savannah zone in the north of the region. The annual rainfall ranges from 513.9 mm and 1099.88 mm.
The major kinds of land use in the region are:
Forest reserve/water sheds: 732.30 sq.km
Volta Lake and water bodies: 3360.00 sq.km
Lagoon Areas: 330.00 sq.km
Cultivated Area
- Tree Crops 1250.00 sq.km
- Arable Crops 1870.00 sq.km
- Commercial Farms Partially Mechanized 350.00 sq.km
- Irrigation 15.00 sq.km
- Potential Cultivated Areas
Potential Irrigable Area: 250.00 sq.km
Hush Fallow/Unreserved Forest etc. 1,260.5 sq.km
Agriculture plays a vital role in the socio-economic development of the Region since Gold Coast and then to present Ghana. The Region’s economy is mainly rural and dominated by agriculture and employs about 74% of the economically active population. The main sub-sectors include Crops, Livestock, Fisheries, Agroforestry, and Non-Traditional Commodities.
The average holding is about 0.46 Ha. The Region cultivates industrial and food crops such as Cereals, Legumes, Vegetables, Oil trees, roots, Tubers, Pulses, and plantation crops. Nonetheless, the Region is endowed with rich vegetation that supports the rearing of livestock of many species. The farming practices that dominate are monocropping, mixed cropping, and mixed farming.
Source: Ministry of Food and Agric, Ghana
