Tamale
| |
|---|---|
Counter-Clockwise from top: entrance to Tamale Teaching Hospital, view of Tamale Central Mosque, Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium
| |
  Tamale Location of Tamale in Northern region, Dagbon Show map of Ghana Tamale Tamale (Africa) Show map of Africa | |
| Coordinates: 09°24′27″N 00°51′12″W / 9.40750°N 0.85333°W / 9.40750; -0.85333 | |
| Country |  Ghana |
| Region | Northern Region |
| District | Tamale Metropolitan District |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Council |
| • Mayor | Sule Salifu |
| Area | |
| • Total | 750 km2 (289.58 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 151 m (495 ft) |
| Population
(2010)
| |
| • Total | 950,124 |
| • Density | 480.77/km2 (1,245.18/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC |
| Postal codes |
NT0000 - NT2701
|
| Area code | 037 |
| Website | tamalemetro.gov.gh |
Tamale (Dagbani: [ˈtamali]) is the capital city of the Northern RegionofGhana.[2] It is Ghana's third largest city, with a population of 950,000.[3] The city has been ranked as the fastest-growing city in West Africa.[2][4] Tamale is located in the Kingdom of Dagbon, Ghana's oldest Kingdom.[5]
Tamale boasts a thriving artistic and literary scene, evident in its numerous art studios, poets, and musicians. Numerous art studios are scattered throughout the urban landscape.[6] Annual festivals are celebrated all around the city, such as fire festivals and also Eid ul-Fitr and Eid Adha.[7]
The area of Tamale used to consist of small villages, which were under the kingdom of Dagbon. it was a popular destination of cattle trails in the region. In 1907, the British decided to establish administrative headquarters in the area with help from the Dakpema after German officials have taken over Yendi. With the addition of a road in 1920, nicknamed the 'Great North Road', Tamale turned into an important center of business in the Northern Territories.[8][9]
Throughout the 20th century, the population of Tamale was growing rapidly of people looking for abundant water supply and electricity. This have resulted in massive amounts of land used for infrastructure, threatening residents ability to farm. During this time, a series of disputes between the Gulkpe Na[a] and the Dakpema for power in Tamale occurred. This is in part due to the British incorporated indirect rule in the town, resulting in the imbalance of power between the chiefs. Although local councils were introduced and indirect rule was discontinued, tension between the chiefs continues even to this day.[9]
Historically ruled by a rural agriculture system, Tamale's economy in recent times have diversified into many different sectors. Most of Tamale's population is employed in agriculture, although the common droughts in the region have threaten this sector. Other popular sectors including trading, teaching, and manufacturing. Even though the economy is considered diverse, Tamale suffers from a high unemployment rate and high rates of poverty. There is also a small amount of NGOs operating in the city.[10][11][7]
The city is made up of many different ethnic groups with the majority being the Dagombas. Other groups who lived in the area include the Gonjas, Mamprusis, Akan, Dagaabas and other groups from the Upper East Region. 90.5% of the population are Muslims, followed by Christians, spiritualists and traditionalists.[12][7]
Tamale has a mayor–council form of government. The mayor is appointed by the president of Ghana and approved by the town council, the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly. Although, suggestions have been made by residents to increase accountability of the office by having the mayor elected. The current mayor of Tamale is Hon. Sule Salifu.[13]
Tamale is the educational hub of Northern Ghana.[9] Education Ridge, a suburb in Tamale, is known for being the location of multiple schools crammed into a small area of 3 km2 (1.2 sq mi).[14]
This is a list of senior high schools, colleges, and universities in Tamale:[15]
| Institution | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Senior High Schools | ||
| St. Charles Senior High | Public | Active |
| Tamale Senior High School | Public | Active |
| Ghana Senior High School | Public | Active |
| Tamale Islamic Science Senior High School | Public | Active |
| Tamale Girls Senior High School | Public | Active |
| Northern School of Business | Public | Active |
| Kalpohin Senior High School | Public | Active |
| Viting Senior High School | Public | Active |
| Abubakar Sidiq Senior High School | Private | Active |
| Colleges and Universites | ||
| Bagabaga College of Education | Public | Active |
| Tamale College of Education | Public | Active |
| University for Development Studies | Public | Active |
| Tamale Technical University | Public | Active |
Tamale is served by Tamale International Airport. Located about 11 km (6 nmi; 7 mi) from downtown Tamale, the airport is mainly used by commercial airlines such as Africa World Airlines and Passion Air which are the only operational companies as of 2024. They run regular flights between Tamale and Accra's Kotoka International Airport, along with other regional capitals.[16]
There are public transports from Tamale to major cities such as Kumasi, Accra, Mim, Ahafo, Cape Coast, Sunyani, Takoradi, Tema, Ho, Wa, Bolgatanga, Elubo, Aflao, and Techiman. They are operated by Tamale's bus rapid transit system, tro-tro, MetroMass, STC Bus Lines, and other privately owned bus companies.[7]
Taxis in the past used to be one of the most popular means of getting around Tamale for visitors to the town until the arrival of the tricycles, popularly called 'Mahama-Cambuu' or 'yellow-yellow'. It rise to popularity due to being cheaper than the taxi despite being more dangerous.[17] The popular means of travel for locals however is by motorbike.[7]
Tamale has a tropical wet and dry climate. The metropolis experiences it's rainy season from April to September or October. The mean annual rainfall is about 1,100 mm (43 in) within 95 days of rainfall in the form of tropical showers. Consequently, staple crop farming is highly restricted by the short rainy season.[18]
| Climate data for Tamale | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 40.0 (104.0) |
41.5 (106.7) |
42.7 (108.9) |
42.8 (109.0) |
40.2 (104.4) |
37.8 (100.0) |
35.6 (96.1) |
35.4 (95.7) |
34.8 (94.6) |
38.2 (100.8) |
39.2 (102.6) |
38.6 (101.5) |
42.8 (109.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 35.4 (95.7) |
36.9 (98.4) |
37.1 (98.8) |
35.4 (95.7) |
33.6 (92.5) |
31.1 (88.0) |
29.8 (85.6) |
29.2 (84.6) |
29.9 (85.8) |
32.2 (90.0) |
34.8 (94.6) |
34.9 (94.8) |
33.4 (92.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.9 (82.2) |
30.1 (86.2) |
30.9 (87.6) |
29.8 (85.6) |
28.6 (83.5) |
26.8 (80.2) |
26.0 (78.8) |
25.8 (78.4) |
25.9 (78.6) |
27.3 (81.1) |
28.2 (82.8) |
27.5 (81.5) |
27.9 (82.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.4 (68.7) |
22.8 (73.0) |
24.6 (76.3) |
24.6 (76.3) |
23.6 (74.5) |
22.5 (72.5) |
22.1 (71.8) |
21.9 (71.4) |
21.8 (71.2) |
21.9 (71.4) |
21.6 (70.9) |
20.3 (68.5) |
22.3 (72.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 15.0 (59.0) |
16.1 (61.0) |
18.9 (66.0) |
19.4 (66.9) |
18.9 (66.0) |
18.9 (66.0) |
18.3 (64.9) |
18.9 (66.0) |
18.9 (66.0) |
18.9 (66.0) |
16.1 (61.0) |
13.9 (57.0) |
13.9 (57.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 4 (0.2) |
12 (0.5) |
48 (1.9) |
88 (3.5) |
112 (4.4) |
146 (5.7) |
142 (5.6) |
198 (7.8) |
231 (9.1) |
92 (3.6) |
14 (0.6) |
3 (0.1) |
1,090 (42.9) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.3 mm) | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 97 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 27 | 32 | 45 | 61 | 70 | 77 | 80 | 79 | 80 | 74 | 59 | 40 | 60 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 266.6 | 237.3 | 251.1 | 231.0 | 248.0 | 204.0 | 161.2 | 139.5 | 156.0 | 260.4 | 282.0 | 272.8 | 2,709.9 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 8.6 | 8.4 | 8.1 | 7.7 | 8.0 | 6.8 | 5.2 | 4.5 | 5.2 | 8.4 | 9.4 | 8.8 | 7.4 |
| Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst[19] | |||||||||||||
The city is home to the Tamale Teaching Hospital, which helps to handle health related issues for the whole region. It is the 3rd largest hospital in the country. It also offers undergraduate and graduate programs in medicine, nursing, and nutrition.[20]
Tamale is home to Real Tamale United along with other smaller clubs. They played in Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium (formerly Tamale Sports Stadium), which was the location of some of the matches played during the 2008 African Cup of Nations.[7][21] Due to the state of the stadium, FIFA and CAF have prevented international matches to be played in the facility.[22]
Tamale is twined with:
| Country | City | County / district / region / state | Date | Ref | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
United States |  |
Louisville |  |
Kentucky | 1979 | [23] |
 |
Burkina Faso | Fada N'gourma | Est Region (Fada N'Gourma) | 2003 | [24] | ||
 |
Niger |  |
Commune II Niamey | |
Niamey | 2007 | [25] |
| International |
|
|---|---|
| National |
|
