- Sunyani
Infobox Settlement
official_name = Sunyani
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imagesize = 300px
image_caption =The Sunyani Cocoa House
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pushpin_label_position =bottom
pushpin_map_caption =Location in Ghana
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name =
subdivision_type1 = Region
subdivision_name1 =Brong Ahafo Region
subdivision_type2 = District
subdivision_name2 =Sunyani District
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unit_pref =Imperial
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population_as_of =2005
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population_total =80,245
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population_blank1_title =Ethnicities
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population_blank2_title =Religions
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latd=7|latm=20 |lats=|latNS=N
longd=2|longm=20|longs= |longEW=W
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footnotes = Sunyani is a city in the West African republic ofGhana , and is the capital of the both theSunyani District andBrong-Ahafo Region.According to the 2005 population estimates 80,245 people reside in the city of Sunyani, with a growth rate, in the city, of 3.4% per annum. [http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/2005_world_city_populations/Ghana.html]
History of Sunyani
Surrounded by the forested Southern Ashanti Uplands, the city of Sunyani arose as an outpost camp for
elephant hunters during the 19th century. The name Sunyani derives from the Asante word for elephant 'Osono.' In 1924, TheBritish colonial government designated Sunyani as a district headquarters. Following the construction of a road connecting Sunyani and the city ofKumasi , Sunyani became an important hub for the distribution ofcocoa ,kola nuts , and staple foods such asmaize and yams.Education and Commerce in Sunyani
Today Sunyani is home to both the regional government and high court, the region's post-secondary institutions are also based in the city; including two polytechnic schools, the College of Renewable National Resources and the
Catholic University. Several of the country's best primary and secondary and technical schools can be found within Sunyani and its suburbs, including: St. Mary's; Holy Spirit; Wesley's; Divine; St. James and Don Bosco Voc. Technical Institute. Attracting students from throughout the region and beyond, is the highly ranked Sunyani Secondary School (Susec). JH Mensah, a Senior Government Minster, without portfolio, is the MP for Sunyani East.Although considerably smaller than nearby Kumasi, Sunyani is growing rapidly and has effectually engulfed the suburb towns of
Fiapre andAbesim , amongst others. Sunyani is a clean and well maintained city with a thriving economy. The economy is predominantlyagrarian with approximately 48% of the population engaged inagriculture production. About 24 percent of the population is employed in the service sector, followed by commerce and industry which employ 15% and 13% of the populace, respectively.The city’s growth is boosted by the city’s high-quality water supply. Water sources include pipe borne water, bore holes, hand-dug wells, rain water and water from streams, rivers and springs. However, in severe harmattan (dry) conditions, water can become more difficult to access. Sunyani is provided with
electricity by the Volta River Authority.The City of Sunyani is outfitted with modern communication facilities which include fixed
telephone andfax lines, pay phones, mobile phones,internet ande-mail services. Additionally; postal services are available in the form of post office, as well as expedited mail services provided by EMS (Express mail service),DHL andFedEx .The city has a number of financial institutions including a branch of the
Bank of Ghana , Ghana Commercial Bank,Barclays Bank , Society Security Bank, Agricultural Development Bank and the National Investment Bank. There are also sixrura l banks, a number ofcredit union s and insurance institutions complementing the financial service provision of the city.The city also has three
hospital s, one of which, Sunyani General Hospital, is a state-of-the-art development, which opened in 2003. Eight clinics and three maternity homes also operate in Sunyani.The Sunyani Prison is home to approximately 719 inmates. [http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=94393]
Tourism
The Sunyani
airport opened on 13th July 1974. However due to runway length limitations the airport is unsuitable for use by medium range aircraft, and generally only connects passengers to theKumasi ,Accra andTakoradi airports. Sunyani is a seven hour drive from Accra linked by a first-ratehighway . Despite the lack of dedicated tourism facilities, tourists are beginning to venture to Sunyani in greater numbers, attracted by the areas of natural beauty surrounding the city. Such visitors can take advantage of the city’s three3-star hotel s and ratedhostel s. A number of guest houses and restaurants can also be found in the City.Among the city’s attractions is the Cocoa House, a high rise that dominates the Sunyani
skyline . The building houses the headquarters of several regional companies, fourradio stations and numerousboutiques . Other buildings of interest in Sunyani include the Roman Catholic Cathedral, and Sacred Heart Church and the Cocobod house. In addition, theKintampo waterfalls and the Boabeng monkey sanctuary inFiema , are a short distance outside the city.Trivia
Sunyani was voted the cleanest city in Ghana for the year 2007 by the Ghana Tourist Board. [http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=146557&comment=3868269#com]
References
* [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/GH/0/Sunyani.html FallingRain Map - elevation = 303m]
* [http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=146557&comment=3868269#com Cleanest city in Ghana]
* [http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/2005_world_city_populations/Ghana.html Sunyani population data]
* [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9070384 Encyclopedia Britannica blub]
* [http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/world66/travel_report.php?destination=sunyani Ghana Web: Sunyani Profile]
* [http://www.statoids.com/ygh.html Districts of Ghana] from statoids.com
* [http://www.ghana.tggaa.de/ Notre Dame Senior Secondary School]
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