The Upper West Region of Ghana is located in the northwestern corner of Ghana, bordered to the east by the Upper East Region, to the south by the Northern Region, and to the west and north by Burkina Faso. Wa is the regional capital and largest settlement in the Upper West.
With a population of 600,000 and covering only three percent of Ghana’s total land area, the Upper West Region is one of the country’s smallest regions- yet contains some of its greatest tourist attractions, from slave trade sites and wildlife areas to captivating architecture.
The major routes of the trans-Sahara trade converged in this region and the influence of Islam is obvious in the towns. The regional capital, Wa, is dotted with mosques including the ancient Sudanese mosques at Nakore and Dondoli.
Also in Wa is the magnificent 16thcentury Waa Naa’s Palace, an example of Sudanese architecture. By contrast, local architecture is exemplified by Jirapa Naa’s Palace, the first multi-storey mud building in Ghana
A fascinating story is told by the remnants of the Slave Defence Wall in the border town of Gwollu, 70 km north of Wa. One of many relics of the 300-year-long slave trade, the wall was built by Gwollu Koro Limann to defend local people against slave traders
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