What is the capital of Ghana?

The capital of Ghana is Accra. The city sits on Ghana's southern coast along the Gulf of Guinea and functions as the country's political, administrative and economic centre.

Accra grew from several coastal settlements associated with European trading forts, including British Fort James, Dutch Fort Crêvecoeur and Danish Christiansborg. These communities developed into areas such as Jamestown, Usshertown and Christiansborg. Accra became the capital of the British Gold Coast in 1877 and retained that role when Ghana became independent in 1957.

The city's built environment reflects this layered history. Colonial-era forts and older neighbourhoods stand alongside modern offices, apartment buildings and commercial districts. Accra is also the centre of the wider Greater Accra metropolitan area, which is much larger than the formal Accra Metropolitan District.

Readers sometimes confuse Accra with Kumasi, Ghana's historic Ashanti and inland cultural centre, or with Cape Coast, an earlier colonial capital. Those cities are important, but Accra is the national capital. Its coastal position has also made it a major gateway for trade, government and international travel.