BRIEF HISTORY
The main economic activities are:
Farming: In the south, some of the main crops grown are sugar cane and vegetables such as shallots, okro and tomatoes. Coconut is also cultivated along the coastline. In the central part of the Volta Region, all kinds of foodstuffs are cultivated. These are maize, cassava, yam, groundnut, beans and cocoyam. Others are oil palm, cocoa, coffee, sugar cane, rice and a wide range of fruits, namely, pears and pineapples. In the north, the main crops are yam, cassava, maize, millet, beans and groundnuts.
Fishing: Along the coast, fishing is very popular. Main catches from the sea include sardines, anchovies, herrings, horse-mackerel and lobsters; while from the lagoon come tilapia, mudfish, crabs and shrimps. The Volta Lake that occupies the central and northern parts is very rich in a variety of fresh water fishes such as tilapia, clarias, mudfish and catfish.
Animal Rearing: Cattle, sheep and goats are reared all over the savannah areas running from the south to the north. This region has more cattle than most regions of Ghana. Poultry is kept in most rural areas.
Petty Commerce: This ranges from ῝tabletop shops῎ to hawking of several articles of trade. Almost every house has something to sell.
Tourism: It is estimated that about 5% of all tourists visiting Ghana visit the Volta Region. The main areas visited are Wli, Tafi, Liati Wote, Adaklu Helekpe, Villa Cisneros at Sogakope, Kpetoe Kente Village and Dr Noamesi’s Herbal Treatment Centre in Hohoe.
It is important to state that several tourists use Aflao border as a transit point. A large proportion of the tourists visiting the Volta Region are mostly from Germany, Denmark, Holland, UK and USA. Most of them are of average age of twenty-four years. They are mostly adventurists. These young tourists prefer cheaper and smaller hotels and do not eat at local eateries or ‘’chop bars’’. They prefer to mingle with the local people and take some of the local gin, ‘’akpeteshie’’.
The general impression the tourists have about the region is that it is extremely beautiful, its people hospitable and warm.
The main tourist attractions grouped into three main circuits are as follows:
BEACHES
The Keta District has some of the most beautiful sandy beaches full of coconut trees in West Africa. The beaches are relatively clean. The sea is rough and shallow up to about 1 to 2 nautical miles in some places. The best beaches can be found at:
- The Volta Estuary area from Azizanu to Atiteti
- Woe-Cape St. Paul and adjoining areas
- Keta-Dzelukope at areas such as Tegbi
- Anloga and Adjoining areas.
Lagoons
The Keta Lagoon is the most important lagoon in the Keta District. It is the largest of its kind in Ghana, measuring 40 by 8 kilometers.
Island
There are a number of islands in the keta lagoon, for example, Seva and Dudu which have a lot of birds. There is a bird sanctuary on one of them called Xevikpodzi. Thousands of birds migrate to these islands during certain times of the year, hence the declaration of the coastal wetlands of Anlo-Keta as Ramsar sites.
Mangrove Swamps
Along the banks of the numerous creeks and the lagoons as well as the shores of the Volta Estuary are extensive growths of mangrove swamps mostly of the red and white varieties.
Monumental Buildings
There is an 18th century fort, Fort Prinzenstein, built in 1784 by the Danes at Keta. This fort played a significant role in the slave trade involving Europeans in West Africa, the Caribbean and southern USA.
Shallot Farms
There are beautiful shallot farms at Anloga and its immediate environs. The farmers engage in intensive agricultural practices, using the same parcel of land all year round with locally made compost. Water used to irrigate the farm lands is got from shallow wells.
Lighthouse
There is lighthouse at Woe not far from Keta which directs ships during the night. Its architecture is very unique. It is also believed that there is a huge underwater mountain off the coast of Woe, which necessitated the building of the lighthouse.
Festivals
On the first Saturday of every November, a grand durbar of chiefs and people is held at Anloga, the traditional home of the Anlo-speaking Ewes. The durbar forms a significant part of the week-long Hogbetsotso festival which commemorates the migration of the present abode in Ghana. Two weeks after the Anlo celebrate their Hogbetsotso festival, the people of some traditional area celebrate their annual Keta-Sometutuza at Agbozume. In February, the people of the Agave traditional area celebrate their annual Dzawuwu festival at Dabala, their largest commercial centre. Avenorpedo is noted for a novel festival, Agbliza or cassava festival. The festival is celebrated in August at Avenorpedo. An essential aspect of the festival is the exhibition of the various cassava products such as agbelikaklo, yakeyake and cassava cake. It is believed the people have found over twenty uses for the cassava plant. The people of Dofor usually celebrate their annual Ayimagonu festival in November. Dofor Adidome is only a few kilometers east of Juapong. The people of Adidome also celebrate the Asafotufiam festival.
Handicrafts
The production of various handicrafts is widespread, especially hand-woven baskets and mats. Drum-making is the pre-occupation of the Avenor-Ewes who form the major ethnic group in the district.
Kente Weaving
Agbozume, a town located a few kilometers to Denu on the Accra-Lome road is noted for the locally-woven kente cloth. There is therefore a very big market where kente is the main article of trade. Almost all the towns and villages surrounding Agbozume such as Sonume, Denu, Klikor and Anlo-Afiadenyigba (located in the nearby Keta District) weave and sell their brand of kente at the popular Agbozume market. There is a very important weaving school (set up by one Mr Bobo) where students are taught how to weave. It is near St. Paul’s Secondary School, Denu. Kente is woven at the village of Akyemfo, near Adidome and a few other places. The type of kente woven is called ‘’Ewe’’ Kente.
Avi-Fauna & Ostrich Farm
Along the numerous creeks that flow into the Volta River, can be found many water fowls, including pelicans commonly found near Agave-Apedome. Elsewhere, there are several birds ranging from weavers, francolins, egrets to kites, and several water fowls such as the heron, stock, gulls and terns. Near the village of Kpotame, not far from Sogakope, can be found one big ostrich farm with several ostriches. Tours are organized to the farm from Hotel Cisneros, Sogakope.
Xavi Bird Sanctuary
The village of Xavi, south of Akatsi has a community-Based Ecotourism Project centred around several birds that inhabit the area. There is also the Lotor River where tourists go on canoe tours.
Sacred Rock
There is a big rock carved like a stool, resting on a smaller one at a place called Kpoviadzi near Akatsi which is believed to have supernatural powers.
Drumming and Dancing
This is widespread throughout the Southern Volta Circuit. The popular troupes include Atimevu, Kinka and Agbedza.
Clay Deposits & Pottery
Vast deposits of high quality clay can be found at Dove, Kpoviadzi, Tove, Torgome and Volo. These deposits form the raw material used for pot-making.
Industries
At Juapong on the Accra-Ho road, can be found one of the biggest textile companies in Africa, the Juapong Textiles Limited. This company produces gray baft that feeds the Ghana Textiles Printing Company at Tema. The gray baft is used to produce the much fancied wax print known locally as ‘’Dumas’’ as well as Java prints.
The Volta Region is an area of scenic beauty, of highly diversified cultural heritage, fascinating landscape of rolling hills and valleys and, above all, the home of a highly ingenious, hardworking and warm people.
Location
The region is located in the eastern part of Ghana, sharing its eastern boundary with the Republic of Togo, western with the Volta River and Lake, the Southern border is the Atlantic Ocean, while the north shares boundary with the Northern Region. It stretches from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in the south up to the southern fringes of the arid north. It has three marked climatic and vegetation zones:
- Mangroove swamps and adjoining arid coastal plains
- The open, moist semi-deciduous forest zone, and,
- The northern savannah