Upper East Region


The Upper East Region is located in the northern part of Ghana, and it is the third smallest of the 16 administrative regions in Ghana. Despite its relatively small size, the region holds an outsized significance in the nation's cultural heritage and historical narrative. It occupies a total land surface of 8,842 square kilometers, hence constituting a modest 2.7% of Ghana's total land area. The regional capital is Bolgatanga, which is sometimes referred to as Bolga. It is a major center for the production and sale of beautifully woven baskets, leather goods, and straw handicrafts. Bolga serves as the administrative and commercial heartbeat of the region. Other major towns in the region include Navrongo, Paga, Sandema, Bawku, Zebilla, Tempane, Pusiga, Garu, Pwalugu, and Widana.

Geography

Location and size

The Upper East Region is located in the north-eastern corner of Ghana and is bordered by Burkina Faso to the north and Togo to the east. It lies between longitude 0° and 1° West and latitudes 10° 30′N and 11°N. The region shares boundaries with Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, Upper West Region to the west, and the Northern Region to the south. The Upper East Region is divided into 15 districts, each headed by a district chief executive.
The region's landscape is predominantly characterized by gentle slopes mixed with rock outcrops and uplands and the dramatic escarpments of the Gambaga Scarp 2. This geography is part of the broader Sudanian Savanna ecosystem, featuring sparse drought-resistant trees such as baobabs, acacias, and shea trees. The climate of Upper East is hot and semi-arid, with a single, highly unpredictable rainy season from May to October. The long, intense dry season makes the region one of the most vulnerable to climate variability in Ghana.

Tourism

Recreation areas

  • Tongo Hills
  • Bongo Rocks
  • Tono Dam

    Historic sites

  • Navrongo's mud-built church
  • Pikworo Slave camp
  • Naa Gbewa Shrine in PUSIGA

    Festivals

The region plays host to many festivals throughout the year, most of which are either to bring a good planting season or celebrate the harvest.

Population

The center of population of the Upper East Region is located in its capital of Bolgatanga, which serves as the primary hub for commerce, administration, and services, naturally attracting a concentration of people from the surrounding areas.
The population is overwhelmingly rural. With 79% of its population living in rural areas, it holds the distinction of being the least urbanized region in Ghana. The rural population was 87.1 percent in 1984 and 84.3 percent in 2000. There was, thus, a 2.8 percentage point reduction in the rural share of the population between 1984 and 2000 and a further 5.3 percent reduction between 2000 and 2010. High-risk districts in the northern belt have been identified as having significant health insurance coverage gaps driven by localized socioeconomic determinants.
With only 21 percent of the population living in urban areas, the region is the least urbanized in Ghana. In fact, together with Upper West, they are the two regions with less than 20 percent urban population.
Ghanaian citizens by birth, childhood, or parenthood constitute 92.5 percent of the population of the Upper East region. Naturalized Ghanaian citizens constitute 5.3 percent.
The Upper East Region has a total population of 1,301,221, according to the 2021 Population and Housing Census conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service, indicating that the Upper East Region represents 4.2 percent of Ghana’s population.
The region has a total of 631,963 males and 669,963 females, representing 48.5 and 51.5 percent of the population, respectively.

Transportation

Three national highways—N2, N10, and N11—and a few regional highways, such as the R113, R114, R116, and R181, serve the region.
The N10 originates from Yemoransa in the Central Region and connects through Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and terminates at Paga in the Upper East Region. The national capital of Accra is also connected to the region by the N2, which terminates in Kulungugu in the Upper East Region. Both these national routes are connected by the N11, which links the regional capital of Bolgatanga to Bimpiela, also in the region.

Administrative divisions

The political administration of the region is through the local government system. Under this administration system, the region is divided into 15 MMDAs. Each District, Municipal, or Metropolitan Assembly is administered by a Chief Executive, who represents the central government but derives authority from an Assembly headed by a presiding member elected from among the members themselves. The current list is as follows:
Image:Districts of the Upper East Region.svg|thumb|right|500px|Old Map of the Districts of the Upper East Region
#MMDA NameCapitalMMDA TypePopulation
1BawkuBawkuMunicipal
2Bawku WestZebillaOrdinary
3BinduriBinduriOrdinary
4BolgatangaBolgatangaMunicipal
5Bolgatanga EastZuarunguOrdinary
6BongoBongoOrdinary
7Builsa NorthSandemaMunicipal
8Builsa SouthFumbisiOrdinary
9GaruGaruOrdinary
10Kassena Nankana EastNavrongoMunicipal
11Kassena-Nankana WestPagaOrdinary
12NabdamNangodiOrdinary
13PusigaPusigaOrdinary
14TalensiTongoOrdinary
15TempaneTempaneOrdinary

Education

Senior high schools

  • Bolga Girls Senior High School
  • Awe Senior High/Tech School
  • Bawku Senior High/Tech School
  • Bolgatanga Senior High School
  • Bongo Senior High School
  • Chiana Senior High School
  • Fumbisi Senior High School
  • Gowrie Senior High Tech School
  • Gambigo Day Community SHS
  • Garu Day Community SHS
  • Kongo Senior High School
  • Kusanaba Senior High School
  • Navrongo Senior High School
  • Nabango Senior High
  • Notre Dame Sem/ Senior High School
  • Mirigu Community Day SHS
  • O. L. L. Girls Senior High School
  • Paga Senior High School
  • Queen Of Peace Senior High School
  • Sandema Senior High/Tech School
  • Sandema Senior High School
  • Sirigu Senior High School
  • St John's Integrated Senior High/Tech
  • Tempane Senior High School
  • Zamse Senior High/Tech School
  • Zebilla Senior High/Tech School
  • Zorkor Senior High School
  • St John's Integrated SHTS
  • Zuarungu Senior High School
  • Bawku Senior High School
  • Bawku Technical School

    Tertiary Institutions

  • Bolgatanga Technical University
  • St. John Bosco's College of Education
  • Gbewaa College of Education, Pusiga
  • Regentropfen University College, Bongo
  • Bolgatanga Nursing and Midwifery Training Colleges
  • Bawku Nurses' Training College

    Sports

  • Bolgatanga Manchester City F.C.
  • Bolga F.C

    Notable native citizens