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4.3.8 Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Definitions, measures and patterns of development.

Activity 2

Main question

What regional differences are seen in the patterns of development in Ghana?

Questions

Compare the 2 photographs on Resource A and B which show two cities in Ghana. (Resource A is taken in Accra in the south; Resource B shows Tamale in the north).

Draw a scatter graph to represent the data on Resource D.

Suggest reasons for the distribution pattern shown on the Population Density Map by Region (Resource C).

‘The regional inequality seen in Ghana has been primarily caused by human factors.’ Examine this statement.

Resource A

A photograph of Accra, Ghana – this picture was taken in September 2017 outside the international airport.

Source - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accra#/media/File:Accra-Airport-City.jpg
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
Resource B

A photograph of Tamale, Northern Ghana – the picture was taken in July 2015 of the road outside the Main Hospital

Source - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tamale_Teaching_Hospital_7.jpg
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

A Map showing Population Density by Region in Ghana

Source - http://www.geo-ref.net/en/gha.htm
©Geo-ref.net

Resource C

Data from the Ghana Living Standard Survey 6 – Poverty Profile in Ghana, 2005 – 2013, published in August 2014.

State	Percentage of people who ‘live in poverty’ 2005/6	Percentage of people who ‘live in poverty’ 2012/13
Western	22.9	20.9
Central	23.4	18.8
Greater Accra	13.5	5.6
Volta	37.3	33.8
Eastern	17.8	21.7
Ashanti	24.0	14.8
Brong Ahfo	34.0	27.9
Northern	55.7	50.4
Upper East	72.9	44.4
Upper West	89.1	70.7

Living ‘in poverty’ is defined as living on less than $1 (U.S. dollar) a day.

Resource D

An article written in June 2008 that discusses a range of economic, political, historical, cultural and physical factors which have led to regional differences in Ghana. The article concentrates on explaining why there is a contrast in the level of development seen in the north and south of the country.

https://www.pambazuka.org/governance/ghana-why-north-matters