Winneba
Simpa
Town
North Campus of University of Education, Winneba
North Campus of University of Education, Winneba
Winneba is located 56 km (35 mi) west of Accra and 140 km (90 mi) east of Cape Coast
Winneba is located 56 km (35 mi) west of Accra and 140 km (90 mi) east of Cape Coast
Winneba is located in Ghana
Winneba
Winneba
Location of Winneba in Central region, South Ghana
Coordinates: 5°21′00″N 0°37′30″W / 5.35000°N 0.62500°W / 5.35000; -0.62500
CountryGhana
RegionCentral Region
DistrictEffutu Municipal District
Population
 (2013)
 • Total55,331[1]
Time zoneGMT
 • Summer (DST)GMT

Winneba is a town and the capital of Effutu Municipal District in Central Region of South Ghana. Winneba has a population of 55,331.[1] Winneba, traditionally known as Simpa,[2] is a historic fishing port in south Ghana, lying on the south coast, 140 kilometres (90 mi) east of Cape Coast.[2][3][4] The current member of parliament is Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin.

History

From pre-colonial times through the establishment of the British colony the Gold Coast, (Effutu) Winneba served as a port town.[5] Fort Winneba was built here.

The people of Winneba (Efutu) were led by their fearless spiritual leader and warrior, Kwamena Gyarteh Ayirebi-Gyan with the support of a large youthful militia called the Asafo Groups made up of both men and women. He ensured that his people were well protected from external attacks by other migrating families, clans, diseases or want of food.[6]

Industry and culture

Winneba during Aboakyer festival

The main industries of Winneba are fishing and services. It is known for the Aboakyer deer-hunting festival in Winneba and its New Year fancy dress carnival/masquerading festival.[7] The town has a rich musical tradition and currently boasts of several renowned musical groups in the country, including the Winneba Youth Choir, the Osimpam Ompeh group, and the Akoo show Choir. Winneba Senior High School is the only major public secondary cycle educational institute available in this town.

The University of Education, Winneba has its three main campus in Winneba (South Campus, Central Campus, and North Campus).

Festivals

Masquerade festival, popularly known as fancy dress, is held every new year among the people of Winneba. Its attracts a large number of tourists from around the world. It is the second most popular festival in Winneba. The festival is held in a football park at the North campus of the University of Education, Winneba by the five main masquerade groups. They come together and compete amongst themselves to select the winner for the trophy. These groups consist of Nobles as number one, Egya as number two, Atumu as number three and Red Cross as number four and Royals as number 5.[8]

Aboakyer festival is a bushbuck hunting festival celebrated by the people of Winneba in the Central Region of Ghana. The name Aboakyer translates as 'hunting for game or animal in Fante dialect as spoken by the people of the Central region. The institution of the festival was to commemorate the migration of the Simpafo (the aboriginal name of the people of Winneba).[9]

The Aboakyer Festival is being celebrated by the people of Effutu, who were among the earliest settlers of Ghana, for an uncountable number of years. It sprang up when the Effutu people departed from Western Sudan and journeyed to the present town of Winneba in the Central Region of Ghana. They came with their god, known as Penkye Otu.[10]

Neighborhoods

Winneba has a number of neighborhoods stretching from coastal areas to non-coastal areas. It also includes rural areas which provide farm power aside from the fishing activity employed by the inhabitants of the coasts. Below are some of the well-known neighborhoods of Winneba.

Urban areas

  • Winneba Junction
  • Lowcost
  • Yepemso
  • Nkwantanan
  • Kundum
  • Abasraba
  • Girls-Ase
  • Kojo-Beedu
  • Gyatakrom
  • Central Campus
  • North Campus
  • South Campus
  • Zongo
  • Sankor
  • Water-works

Rural areas

  • Essuekyir
  • Woarabeba
  • Gyaahadze
  • Osubonpanyin
  • Ateitu
  • Atakyedo
  • Gyangyanadze
  • Kookrom

Climate

Climate data for Winneba
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 33.0
(91.4)		 32.3
(90.1)		 31.9
(89.4)		 31.1
(88.0)		 34.4
(93.9)		 29.6
(85.3)		 28.3
(82.9)		 29.0
(84.2)		 29.4
(84.9)		 30.6
(87.1)		 32.5
(90.5)		 42.0
(107.6)		 42.0
(107.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 13.3
(55.9)		 13.6
(56.5)		 11.9
(53.4)		 10.8
(51.4)		 14.5
(58.1)		 13.5
(56.3)		 15.5
(59.9)		 14.2
(57.6)		 12.7
(54.9)		 16.8
(62.2)		 15.7
(60.2)		 12.1
(53.8)		 11.9
(53.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 15
(0.6)		 7.6
(0.3)		 10
(0.4)		 38
(1.5)		 220
(8.7)		 66
(2.6)		 38
(1.5)		 7.6
(0.3)		 25
(1.0)		 58
(2.3)		 5.1
(0.2)		 23
(0.9)		 520
(20.3)
Source: Meoweather.com[11]

Sister cities

List of sister cities of Winneba, designated by Sister Cities International:

Country City County / District / Region / State Date Ref.
United States USA Birmingham, AL Alabama November 15, 2009
United States USA Charlottesville, VA Virginia August 2, 2010
United States USA Lowell, MA Massachusetts

Personalities

Notable Institutions

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "World Gazetteer online". World-gazetteer.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
  2. 1 2 "Central Region". Ghana Embassy in Japan. Retrieved 28 April 2006.
  3. ↑ Kwesi Ewusi Brown, "Social Conflicts in Contemporary Effutu Festivals", 2005, Masters Thesis for Bowling Green State University, advisor Steven Cornelius, p. 1
  4. ↑ Brown, 2005, pp. 2-3
  5. ↑ Brown (2005), p. 1
  6. ↑ "Founding of Simpa". effutustate. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
  7. ↑ Brown, 2005, p. 3
  8. ↑ "Masquerade Festival at Winneba - MyJoyOnline.com". MyJoyOnline. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
  9. ↑ "Aboakyer Festival". GhanaWeb. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
  10. ↑ "Aboakyer Festival". TheFreeDictionary. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  11. ↑ "Winneba Weather Averages". Meoweather. 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  12. ↑ "Ghanam Birmingham". birminghamsistercities.com. n.d.
  13. ↑ Tasha Kates (November 15, 2009). "Residents chime in on city clock designs". The Daily Progress.
  14. ↑ Under Resolution
  15. ↑ "Home". CCHN. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  16. ↑ "About Perez University College – Perez University College". Perry University. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  17. ↑ Agboklu, George. "One dead, two in critical condition in accident at Gomoa-Okyereko". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  18. ↑ "Land guards meet their match at Fetteh as one sustains gunshot to the neck - MyJoyOnline.com". MyJoyonline. 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  19. ↑ "Firemen rescue accident victims at Gomoa Bewadze, one dead". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2022-05-28.
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