The former 70,384 sq. km Northern Region – ‘the mother of all regions’- is the largest area of Ghana, famous for its scenic beauty.
Made up of 26 districts, the region is bordered on the north by the Upper East and Upper West Regions, on the east by Togo, on the south by the Black Volta River and the west by Ivory Coast.
In contrast with more crowded areas such as Accra, the Northern Region has low population density, with fewer than 2 million inhabitants, due partly to emigration.
The tropical climate allows farmers to grow and sell crops throughout the year and over 75 per cent of the working population is involved in agriculture.
The wet season lasts from May to October, with an average annual rainfall of 750 to 1,050 mm, while the dry season, with temperatures of up to 38 degrees, occurs between November and April.
The Northern Region is much drier than southern Ghana because of its proximity to the Sahel and the Sahara. The savanna is a scene of splendour with its grasslands and baobab and acacia trees interspersed with rare species of flora. This is a place of wonderful vistas that include the Gambaga escarpment and the Nakpanduri cliffs.
A ‘must-see’ for visitors is the Sacred Grove, a traditional nature reserve that has been created around shrines. Most notable is the Jaagbo Shrine, 30 km from Tamale, with 25 acres of preserved vegetation, medicinal herbs, and rare plants. The grove contains the ‘mystery tree’ with the hoof marks of a horse. Another landmark is the mythical stone at Larabanga. A road under construction had to be diverted because the stone could not be moved.
The archaeological sites at Yikpa Bonso, with relics of the Koma people, are worth a visit.