Takoradi Harbour
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Takoradi Harbour | |
|---|---|
 An aerial view of Takoradi Harbour | |
 Interactive map of Takoradi Harbour | |
| Location | |
| Country |  Republic of Ghana |
| Location | Takoradi, Ghana |
| Coordinates | 04°54′00″N 01°44′00″W / 4.90000°N 1.73333°W |
| UN/LOCODE | GHTKD[1] |
| Details | |
| Opened | 1928[2] |
| Statistics | |
| Website www | |
The Takoradi Harbour is a harbour located in the Western region of Ghana. It is located in the industrial district of Sekondi-Takoradi and is the oldest harbour in Ghana. The Takoradi harbour, along with the Tema Harbour, are the only harbours in the country. Takoradi is a member port of the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH).[3]
The idea for the construction of the port was first advocated in 1895 by consulting engineers of the British government. The engineers proposed that the harbour when constructed could serve both as a terminal port for the Tarkwa railway project and a naval port to serve the British empire in war times.[4] The site for the harbour was proposed at the Amanful village which sat in the bay of the harbour today.[4] Following surveys and planning,[5] the construction of the port begun in 1921 by then governor of the Gold Coast, Sir Gordon Guggisberg and was completed in 1928.[2]
Trade
.jpg)
_2.jpg)
The Takoradi harbour is 230 kilometres (140 mi) from Accra, the capital of Ghana. The port receives and exports high volumes of cargo.[6] The management of the harbour is the responsibility of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.[6] The harbour serves as the main export port for Ghana.[7] It handles 65% of total export with about 600 vessels visiting it.[7] The main exports from the harbour are:[7][8]
The harbour also serves the international trade purposes of land locked countries in the Sahel region of Africa. Some of the countries are Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. The harbour transits large volumes of cargo for these countries.[8]
The harbour handles 37% Ghana's seabourn traffic and 62% of national exports. It receives 20% all the imports that the country receives.[8]
