Atwima Nwabiagya District

The Atwima Nwabiagya District is one of 138 districts in Ghana. It is located in the center of the country in the Ashanti region and there one of 21 regional districts. The district Atwima Nwabiagya was founded in 2004 as one of 19 new districts after the former district Atwima was shared with a size of 2411 km ² and a population of 234 759 in the districts Atwima Mponua and Atwima Nwabiagya.

The Atwima Nwabiagya District borders the districts Amansie West, Atwima Mponua, Ahafo Ano South, Offinsi, Afigia Sekyere, Kwabre, Kumasi Metropolitan and Bosomtwe / Atwima / Kwanhuma. Chief Executive is Ofori Donkor with the seat in the district capital Nkawie.

• 4.1 services

Geography

The Atwima Nwabiagya District has an annual precipitation 1700-1850 mm. The main precipitation falls in the two rainy seasons from March to July and September to November. The average temperature ranges between 27 ° C ( August) and 31 ° C (March). On average, there is one in the district humidity 87-91 percent.

Average Atwima Nwabiagya is on 77 meters above sea level. The highest points located in the municipalities Barekese and Tabere. The rivers Offin and Owabi are the two largest drainage systems. The rivers Kobi and Dwahyen flow through the district. In Owabi and Barekese be the Owabi or Offin for fresh water supply of Kumasi, the second largest city in Ghana and the capital of the Ashanti Region, dammed.

In years with higher precipitation occur in many places the rivers and streams overflowed their banks, there will be severe flooding. In years of low rainfall, the smaller rivers dry completely, especially in the dry season from February to March, from.

Population

In the district mainly live members of the Akan peoples ( 77.4 percent). The Mossi represent about 9.1 percent to the Ewe include 2.9 percent of the population. Further 10.6 percent are made up of a variety of other ethnicities. The most common language spoken in the district is Twi.

In 2000, a census showed a population level of 129 375 for the district. He has experienced a population growth of 3 percent, so that, according to projections made in 2006, about 153 039 people lived in the district. There are slightly more men than women ( 101:100 ).

The population density is 439 people per square kilometer according to the districts of Kumasi Metropolitan and Kwabre the highest in the Ashanti Region. Overall, 26.6 percent of the population ( ie about 34 449 people ) live in the area around Abuakwa, which is the most populous municipality in the district. The area around the church Afari other hand, has the lowest population with only 8,929 people (6.9 percent).

Approximately 64 percent of the population lives in an urban environment, 36 percent live in rural areas. Large parts of the population migrate as early as in the nearby regional capital Kumasi. The average household size in the district amounts to 5.7 people, which is above the regional average of 5.3.

Overall, 43.2 percent of the population are under 15 years old. Only the age group 0-4 years is 15.5 percent of the district population, the age group 5-9 is 15.8 percent. Only 6.2 percent of the population are over 64 years old. In the working age between 15 and 64 are therefore 50.6 percent of the population.

The population is attributed to 75.7 percent Christianity, Islam 13.2 percent, 1.3 percent, traditional religions, 0.9 percent other religious communities and about 9.0 percent are attributable to any religion. The population lives in a total of 126 settlements, of which only 5 identify a population of about 5000 inhabitants.

Economy

The most important industry in Atwima Nwabiagya District is agriculture. In this area, 50.76 percent of the population work in the working age. In industrial establishments 17.41 percent of the population are employed in the trade and sale about 14.43 percent. The services sector provides a source of income for 17.40 percent.

The average household with 5.7 people in the district lives of about 400 U.S. dollars per year. Also for the prevailing living conditions in the district, this average income can be described as very low.

Agriculture

An important element of the economy in Atwima Nwabiagya District is agriculture. The farms usually work in subsistence farming. A few farms are commercially oriented.

Crops are mainly maize, cassava, yam, ginger, palm oil, rice, citrus, cocoa, plantains, and a variety of other vegetables. The district is a major producer of citrus in Ghana. Only 12,000 ha of agricultural land are used here because of the particularly suitable climatic conditions for the cultivation of citrus fruits. In addition to the local and regional market and Burkina Faso and other neighboring countries will be supplied. Rice was cultivated on an area of ​​2,515 ha, corn on 10,955 ha, 21,086 ha of cassava, plantains on 14,519 ha and 1,838 ha Yam on in 2004.

The district is also known for its large poultry farms such as Darko Farms, Asare Farms and Mfum Farms. Also, goats, sheep, pigs and cattle are kept.

The farm size is rather small. The farmers have to cover the problem highly fragmented acreage and therefore long distances, which have a low productivity. Also equipping the farmers with work equipment is traditional. Artificial fertilizer were first used in the last years. Farmers have been to Kumasi to purchase, for example, suitable seed or fertilizer.

Every year, a large portion of the crops is lost due to completely missing or not appropriate disposal sites. The improvement of storage methods between 2002 and 2005 has led to a reduction in crop loss of 45 per cent loss in 2002 to 30 percent in 2005. In order to avoid a partial total failure of the harvest, many farmers sell the products at very low hardly profitable prices.

Throughout Atwima Nwabiagya District 39 agricultural interest groups were established to date. These organizations should help farmers to obtain higher prices. In general, the farmers sell their surplus to middlemen who previously dictated the prices.

Fisheries and fish farms

In Mfensi large parts of the population are employed in fishing. Only 20 fish farms have been established throughout the district. This " fish farms " take of the total land area of the district is only about 12 ha.

Industry

Industrial farms are found in the textile industry, furniture manufacturing and Holsindustrie, metal processing and in the field of food processing (mills ). Alone in the settlement area Akropong 29.4 percent of all opened in the district industrial enterprises were established. In the community there are Abuakwa 23.8 percent, 19.3 percent and in Nkawie Toase Barekese 15.6 percent. In the textile industry, 30 percent of businesses in this sector operate. 9.5 per cent of businesses in the district to process palm oil, 7.4 percent processed leather and manufacture leather goods, 3.3 percent of all businesses operating in the production of ceramics.

Sales and trading

12 percent of the labor force working in the trade and sale of goods and commodities. Essentially, the commercial establishments very small companies, often only retail company with no employees. Especially along the roads in the district of trading and selling goods is operated. Three major markets are held in the district. The market is held daily in Abuakwa, the markets in Nkawie and Barekese weekly. Smaller markets are held in Atwima Koforidua, Akropong, Asuafua, Achiase, Maakro, Sepaase, Besease, Fufuo and Agogo.

Services

The service sector in the district is about 52 percent of businesses from hairdressers. The traditional Chop bars and other Kleinstbestiebe offer food. Among all firms in the service sector can be found in this area, 16.8 percent of all service providers.

14.8 percent of the companies are active in the service sector as barbers or barbers, 7.1 percent in trade, 4.2 percent are bicycle and car repair businesses, 1.4 percent of the farms are in the hospitality industry operates.

Water supply and infrastructure

About 50 percent of people living in rural areas people depend for their drinking water supply to natural water bodies like rivers. In Barekese and Owabi is good access to tap water. The problem is in the dry season, in part, the supply by rivers and smaller wells, as these can dry out. Especially the water extraction from the natural waters often has health consequences for the population, which may thus suffer from schistosomiasis, for example. Of these, particularly the settlement areas Afari and Barekese are affected. About 80 percent of the district can be powered by mobile water tanks during the dry season.

Approximately 11.43 percent of the population has access to a total of 15 public toilets. More 9.55 percent of the population in the district can access on their own sanitary facilities.

In district three banks operate. The Ghana Commercial Bank Ltd. has branches in Nkawie that Atwima Mponua Rural Bank has branches in Toase, Abuakwa and Akropong and Nwabigya Rural Bank has in Berekese and Abuakwa branches.

Education

In Atwima Nwabiagya District 60 kindergartens, 90 primary schools, 57 junior secondary schools and four Senior Secondary Schools are operated. Another four educational institutions in Nerebehi, Sepaase, Maakro and Toase offer training on handicrafts, in the tailor or computer courses.

In primary schools are to a settlement area in all schools among the students something more boys than girls. In the Junior Secondary Schools are all pupils about 53.3 percent boys and 46.8 percent girls. A primary education receive average 74 percent of all children of school age. In the Senior Secondary Schools are by all students 66.15 percent boys and 33.85 percent girls. In the past, the number of girls has increased significantly with higher education debt.

At all elementary schools 580 teachers are employed. 18.64 percent of all teachers have no job -related training. In the primary schools of 580 teachers 26.37 percent without vocational oriented education. At the junior secondary schools 551 teachers are employed, of which only 15.60 percent not able to provide job -oriented training.

Constituencies

The district Atwima Nwabiagya forms a constituency of the same name. Owusu -Bio Benito won here for the New Patriotic Party in the parliamentary elections in 2004, the seat in the Ghanaian parliament.

Important towns

• Barekese
• Atwima Koforidua
• Asuofua
• Asenamaso
• Nkawie - Kuma
• Toase

• Akropong
• Nerebehi
• Adankwame
• Sepase
• Fufuo

• Asaman
• Manhyia
• Atwima - Agogo
• Maakro
• Achiase