| Upper East Region, Dagbon | |
| Type: | Region |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Ghana |
| Leader Title: | Regional Minister |
| Leader Name: | Paulina Patience Abagaye[1] |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Bolgatanga |
| Area Total Km2: | 8,842 |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Area Rank: | Ranked 9th |
| Population Total: | 1,301,226 |
| Population As Of: | 2021 Census |
| Population Footnotes: | [3] |
| Population Rank: | Ranked 9th |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | GDP (PPP) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Year |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 2013 |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Per capita |
| Demographics1 Info2: | $5,150 |
| Demographics Type2: | GDP (Nominal) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Year |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 2013 |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Per capita |
| Demographics2 Info2: | $2,500 |
| Blank Info Sec2: | 0.520[4] · 8th |
| Parts Type: | Districts |
| Parts Style: | para |
| P1: | 10 |
| Iso Code: | GH-UE |
| Timezone: | GMT |
| Area Code: | 039 |
The Upper East Region is located in northern part of Ghana[5] and it is the third smallest of the 16 administrative regions in Ghana. It occupies a total land surface of 8,842 square kilometers or 2.7% of the total land area of Ghana. The regional capital is Bolgatanga, which is sometimes referred to as Bolga. Other major towns in the region include Navrongo, Paga, Sandema, Bawku, and Zebilla, Tempane, Pusiga, Garu, Pwalugu, Widana[6]
The Upper East Region is located in the north-eastern corner of Ghana and bordered by Burkina Faso to the north and Togo to the east. It lies between longitude 0° and 1° West, and latitudes 10° 30′N and 11°N. The region shares boundaries with Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, Upper West Region to the west, and the Northern Region to the south. The Upper East Region is divided into 15 districts, each headed by a district chief executive.
The region plays host to many festivals throughout the year, most of which are either to bring a good planting season or celebrate the harvest.
The center of population of the Upper East Region is located in its capital of Bolgatanga.
The population is primarily rural (79%) and scattered in dispersed settlements. The rural population was 87.1 percent in 1984 and 84.3% in 2000. There was, thus, a 2.8 percentage point reduction in the rural share of the population between 1984 and 2000 and a further 5.3 percent reduction between 2000 and 2010.[3]
With only 21 per cent of the population living in urban areas, the region is the least urbanized in Ghana. In fact, together with Upper West, they are the two regions with a less than 20 per cent urban population.
Ghanaian citizen by birth, childhood or parenthood constitute 92.5 percent of the population of the Upper East region. Naturalized Ghanaian citizen constitute 5.3 percent.
Upper East Region has a total population of 1,301,221 in the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service indicate that the Upper East Region representing 4.2 percent of Ghana’s population.
The region shows a total of 631,963 males and 669,963 representing 48.5 and 51.5 percentages respectively[8]
Three national highways – N2, N10, and N11 – and a few Regional highways such as the R113, R114, R116 and R181, serve the region.
The N10 originates from Yemoransa in the Central Region and connects through Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and terminates at Paga in the Upper East Region. The national capital of Accra is also connected to the region by the N2 which terminates in Kulungugu in the Upper East Region. Both these national routes are connected by the N11 which links the regional capital of Bolgatanga to Bimpiela, also in the region.
The political administration of the region is through the local government system. Under this administration system, the region is divided into 15 MMDA's (made up of 0 Metropolitan, 4 Municipal and 15 Ordinary Assemblies).[9] Each District, Municipal or Metropolitan Assembly, is administered by a Chief Executive, who represents the central government but deriving authority from an Assembly headed by a presiding member elected from among the members themselves. The current list is as follows:
| MMDA Name | Capital | MMDA Type | Population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bawku | Bawku | Municipal | ||
| 2 | Bawku West | Zebilla | Ordinary | ||
| 3 | Binduri | Binduri[11] | Ordinary | ||
| 4 | Bolgatanga | Bolgatanga | Municipal | ||
| 5 | Bolgatanga East | Zuarungu | Ordinary | ||
| 6 | Bongo | Bongo | Ordinary | ||
| 7 | Builsa North | Sandema | Municipal | ||
| 8 | Builsa South | Fumbisi[12] | Ordinary | ||
| 9 | Garu | Garu | Ordinary | ||
| 10 | Kassena Nankana East | Navrongo | Municipal | ||
| 11 | Kassena-Nankana West | Paga | Ordinary | ||
| 12 | Nabdam | Nangodi | Ordinary | ||
| 13 | Pusiga | Pusiga[13] | Ordinary | ||
| 14 | Talensi | Tongo | Ordinary | ||
| 15 | Tempane | Tempane | Ordinary |
See main article: Education in Ghana.
Tertiary Institutions1). Bolgatanga Technical University2). St. John Bosco's College of Education3). Gbewaa College of Education, Pusiga4). C.K.Tedam University of Technology &r Applied Sciences.
| Notable native citizens of Upper East region | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Citizen | Settlement | ||
| 1 | Joseph Kofi Adda | Navrongo | |
| 2 | Roland Agambire | Sirigu | |
| 3 | Roger A. Agana | Soe | |
| 4 | David Atanga | Namoo | |
| 5 | Theresa Lardi Awuni | Winkongo | |
| 6 | Adam Kwarasey | Navrongo | |
| 7 | Abedi Pele | Paga | |
| 8 | Mark Woyongo | Navrongo | |
| 9 | Kulungungu | ||
| 10 | Stephen Yakubu | Binduri | |
| 11 | Adabere Adabre Donald | Bolgatanga | |
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