Upper East Region

Upper East Region
The Upper East Region is located in northern Ghana and is the third smallest of the 16 administrative regions in Ghana. It occupies a total land surface of 8,842 square kilometers or 2.7 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. The Upper East regional capital is Bolgatanga, sometimes referred to as Bolga. Other major towns in the region include Navrongo, Paga, Sandema, Bawku, and Zebilla.
Geography
Location and size
The Upper East Region is located in the north-eastern corner of Ghana and 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.
Tourism
Recreation areas
Tongo rocks
Bongo Rocks
Tono Dam
Historic sites
Navrongo's mud-built church
Pikworo Slave camp
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.
Samanpiid festival
Gologo Festival
Fao Festival
Feok festival builsa
Zekula festival, By Bissa people
Boaram Festival
Tengana festival, By the people of Balungu, Winkongo and Pwalugu
Ndaakoya festival, by the Frafra, Talensi and Nabdam speaking Communities.
Other tourist attractions
Upper East Regional Museum
Sirigu Pottery and Arts Center
Bolga market - a market for farmers and livestock, held twice weekly.
Bolgatanga Craft Village
Paga crocrodile pond
Demographics
Population
The center of population of the Upper East Region is located in its capital of Bolgatanga.
The population is primarily rural (79%) and scattered in dispersed settlements. The rural population was 87.1 percent in 1984 and 84.3% 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.
With only 21 per cent 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 a less than 20 per cent urban population.
Ghanaian citizen by birth, childhood or parenthood constitute 92.5 percent of the population of the Upper East region. Naturalized Ghanaian citizen constitute 5.3 percent.
Upper East Region has a total population of 1,301,221 in the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service indicate that the Upper East Region representing 4.2 percent of Ghana’s population.
The region shows a total of 631,963 males and 669,963 representing 48.5 and 51.5 percentages 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 MMDA's (made up of 0 Metropolitan, 4 Municipal and 11 Ordinary Assemblies). Each District, Municipal or Metropolitan Assembly, is administered by a Chief Executive, who represents the central government but deriving authority from an Assembly headed by a presiding member elected from among the members themselves. The current list is as follows:
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
1). Bolgatanga Technical University
2). St. John Bosco's College of Education
3). Gbewaa College of Education, Pusiga
4). C.K.Tedam University of Technology &r Applied Sciences.
Hotels and Guest Houses
The Upper East Region can boast of some the best hotel and resting places in Northern Ghana. Some of the best places to rest in the Upper East region to serve both the locals as well as foreign visitors to the region. Some of the well known hotels include the following
Akayet Hotel
Ganass Hotel
Extee Crystal Hotel
Golden Horse Hotel
Tap Hotel
Golden Horse Hotel
Notable native citizens
References
https://www.modernghana.com/author/AbongoMashoodAjene
Sources
GhanaDistricts.com
/index.asp statsghana.gov.gh
Regions of Ghana