Akwidaa is a small town and fishing villageinAhanta West district, Western RegionofGhana. It is one of the southernmost places in Ghana.[1][2]
Akwidaa
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View of Akwidaa and the Gulf of Guinea
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  Akwidaa Location of Akwidaa in Western Region, Ghana | |
| Coordinates: 4°45′N 2°1′W / 4.750°N 2.017°W / 4.750; -2.017 | |
| Country | Ghana |
| Region | Western Region |
| District | Ahanta West District |
| Population | |
| • Demonym | Akwidan |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | GMT |
| postal code |
WH
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The part of town near the Gulf of Guinea, known as Akiwidaa Old Town, suffers from flooding and erosion as a result of climate change. This is due to its location in a low-lying area adjacent to a wetland and river mouth. This resulted in most of the residents evacuating inland, which would become Akiwidaa New Town.[3]
Akwidaa is a Twi word meaning 'old man'. It is believe to be named after a man who transported people over the Ezile River during Dutch colonial times. The town was originally named after the river.[2]
The town have been settled for centuries by the Ahanta people.[2]
In the late 17th and early 18th Century, Akwidaa, then known as Fort Dorothea, was the smaller of the two forts which constituted a German colony, the Brandenburger Gold Coast. After being captured by the Dutch, they occupied the fort from 1687 to 1698 from whom the Brandenburgers sold it in 1718.[4][5][6] The ruins of the fort were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 along with other forts in the region.[7]
The economy is primarily based upon fishing, with many fishing boats lining the shoreline. Agriculture is also a major sector in the town.[3] It is a tourist spot in the region, being the location of many popular beaches.[1]
With the discovery of oil in the district, Akwidaa have been a point of interest for investment.[3]
