Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🗺️

Tamale, Ghana

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Tamale is a very important city in Ghana. It is the capital of the Northern Region.

Map of Tamale Metropolitan District
Map of Tamale Metropolitan District

The city is the third largest in the whole country. In 2021, there were 374,744 people living there. This includes 185,051 males and 189,693 females. Many people call it the fastest-growing city in West Africa. It sits within the area of the Kingdom of Dagbon. This is the oldest kingdom in Ghana.

The National Archives UK - CO 1069-40-54
The National Archives UK - CO 1069-40-54

The city has changed a lot over many years. Long ago, the area was just small villages. It was a place where cattle traveled on trails. In 1907, the British government made it a headquarters. This happened after German officials took over Yendi. Later, a road called the 'Great North Road' was added in 1920. This road helped Tamale become a big center for business. In 1960, it officially became the capital of the Northern Region.

Tamale, Ghana
Tamale, Ghana

Many different groups of people live together in Tamale. The Dagombas are the largest group of people there. Other residents include the Gonja, Mamprusi, and Akan groups. You can also find Dagaabas and people from the Upper East Region. Most people in the city, about 90.5%, are Muslims. There are also Christians, spiritualists, and traditionalists. The city has a culture center to show off local arts. People perform special dances like the Baamaya and Tora.

Farming is a very big part of life in Tamale. Most people work in agriculture to earn a living. They also work in trading, teaching, and making things in factories.

The weather is tropical with a savanna climate. There is usually only one rainy season each year. This season brings heavy thunderstorms and lots of rain. However, droughts can sometimes make farming very hard. People also use the Tamale Teaching Hospital for health needs. It is the third largest hospital in Ghana.

Tamale Teaching Hospital 4
Tamale Teaching Hospital 4

Traveling around Tamale is quite busy and interesting. Many locals use motorbikes to get where they need to go. In 2024, 600,032 locals owned motorbikes. You might also see tricycles called 'yellow-yellow' on the streets. For long trips, people use big buses or the airport. Tamale International Airport has flights to Accra and other cities.

Tamale international airport
Tamale international airport

Students also travel here to learn. There are many schools, like the University for Development Studies. Education is a major part of the city today.

Entrance of the central administration block of the new University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale
Entrance of the central administration block of the new University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale
388 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (9)
File:The National Archives UK - CO 1069-40-54.jpg
The National Archives UK - CO 1069-40-54.jpg
File:Agriculture Factory, Tamale.jpg
Agriculture Factory, Tamale.jpg
File:Visit tamale own pictures 012 (5348920586).jpg
Visit tamale own pictures 012 (5348920586).jpg
File:Entrance of the central administration block of the new University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale.jpg
Entrance of the central administration...
File:Tamale international airport.jpg
Tamale international airport.jpg
File:Tamale, Ghana.JPG
Tamale, Ghana.JPG
File:Map of Tamale Metropolitan District.png
Map of Tamale Metropolitan District.png
File:Tamale Teaching Hospital 4.jpg
Tamale Teaching Hospital 4.jpg
File:Female Football 43.jpg
Female Football 43.jpg
More to explore

✨ What else?

Related topics you might enjoy

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.