Question

Regional Geography lays emphasis on the distinctiveness of a particular place and the characteristics or activities that make up that location. With specific examples from Ghana and knowledge acquired in the Regional Geography of Ghana course, discuss the above statement (60 Marks).

Answer 1

Answer:

Regional geography is a major branch of geography. It focuses on the interaction of different cultural and natural geofactors in a specific land or landscape, while its counterpart, systematic geography, concentrates on a specific geofactor at the global level.

Answer 2

The Regional Geo of Ghana comprise 4 regions as mentioned below

Explanation:

The Ashanti Uplands

• The Ashanti Mountains are situated just north of the Akan Lowlands, include the Southern Ashanti Uplands and the Kwahu Plateau. They stretch from the Côte d'Ivoire frontier west to the  the Volta Basin elevated edge in the east.
• The plateau constitutes one of Ghana's major physical divided. The Pru & the Afram Rivers flow to the Volta river from their north-eastern slopes, while the other rivers Birim, Pra, Tano, & Ofin flow from the opposite sides south to the sea. The plateau is also the northerly border of the forest area.
• Even though vast tracts of the forest cover have been wrecked by agriculture, there remain sufficient deciduous forests to shade the main waters of the rivers from the plateau.
• However, the area has many ranges & hills as well as many towns of historical and economic significance, among them Kumasi, the 2nd biggest city in Ghana and the former capital of the Asante Empire. There are also Konongon & Obuasi, two gold mining centers in the region. The region is the largest cocoa producer in the world and its tropical forests remain a critical timber source for the wood industry.

The Akwapim-Togo Ranges

• In the eastern part of the nation, theAkwapim-Togo Ranges comprises an usually "rugged" "complex" of "folded strata", with several prevalent heights of Volcanic rock. The ranges start to the west of Accra, continue to the north-east and cross the Togo border at last.
• In the south-east, the gorge of the river Volta is bisects the ranges.. The gorge's head is the site of the "Akosombo Dam", that imposes the river forming Volta Lake. The south end of the gorge is the mountains of Akwapim. In this section, the average height is 450 metres, and the valleys are typically deep & comparatively narrow
• The Togo portion has wider valleys and lower ridges to the north of the gorge for around 80km. Moreover, the folding is complex & height increases significantly, with a number of peaks rising above sea level more than 610 meters. The highest point of the country is Mount Afadjato, is situated in this place.
• The ranges are mostly covered by deciduous trees, due to their elevation  cooler, pleasant climate. Typical in the ranges are small-scale subsistence farming. Coffee plantations are found in the Togo part of the range, in addition to growing rice & other staples.

The Volta Basin

• The Volta Basin is situated in central Ghana and occupies about 45 percent of the overall land area of the country. It rises at 150-215 meters high above sea level in the northern section, above Lake Volta. The Konkori Scarp elevations west & the Gambaga Scarp elevations to the north vary between 300&460metres. The lake is less than 300 meters to the south and south-west. The Kwahu plateau represents the south end of the basin, even though it marks a natural extension of the Ashanti Mountains.
• The basin made up of voltaic sandstone is characterised by poor soil. The avg annual precipitation varies from 1000-1140 mm. The most widely used type is the savanna, depending on the local soil and climatic conditions, contain such trees as Shea & Red Ironwood.
• The populace of the basin, mainly of farmers, is low , particularly in central and north-west areas of the basin, where "tsetse flies" ("large biting flies inhabiting much of tropical Africa")" are frequent.  Periodic burning had occurred over large areas for perhaps more than 1000 years & has put the soil into excessive drying and erosion, making the area less appealing to cultivators
• In the mid-1960s, much of the Afram Plains were flooded in the creation of Lake Volta. While roads to link communities displaced by the lake have been established, road transport remains poor in the area. Only in the mid-80s started renewed attempts to strengthen connectivity, increase agricultural productivity and raise living standards started only in the mid-1980s.

The High Plains

• The general landscape outside the Volta Basin in northwestern & northern part of Ghana comprises  a "dissect plateau" that rises by an average of about 150 meters & 300mts and is also higher in some areas. The total rainfall varies fro 1000-1150mm per year but it is closer to 1350mm in the north-west. Soils are more arable than the soils of the Volta Basin, & the populace density is considerably higher
• The main economic activity in the highlands of the northern region is the production of grain & cattle. Ghana has seen a significant increase in grain production in northern Ghana since the mid 80s when the former president of the US, Jimmy Carter, decided to adopt Ghana as one of the chosen African nations which had local farmers to educate and financially help to increase agricultural output. . In fact, it is the largest cattle manufacturer in the country.
• Furthermore, the virtual absence of tsetse flies has led to an increase in cattle growth as a major occupation in the north