Paga | |
|---|---|
District Capital | |
  Paga Location of Paga inUpper East region | |
| Coordinates:10°59′32″N01°06′48″W / 10.99222°N 1.11333°W /10.99222; -1.11333 | |
| Country | Ghana |
| Region | Upper East Region |
| District | Kassena Nankana West District |
| Elevation | 690 ft (210 m) |
| Population (2013)[citation needed] | |
• Total | 102 |
| Time zone | GMT |
| • Summer (DST) | GMT |
Paga is a town inUpper East Region of Ghana, lying north ofBolgatanga. Paga is the capital ofKassena Nankana West District, a district in theUpper East Region in the northern part ofGhana.[1] The town is located on theborder ofBurkina Faso and is 166 km south ofOuagadougou via the N5 highway, the main road linking Ghana and Burkina Faso. The majority of the people of Paga are of theKassena tribe.
Paga is known for its sacred crocodile ponds,[2] where most visitors are surprised that they can touch a livecrocodile.[3] Paga is a small town in theUpper East Region, and has a population of about 10,000.[citation needed] However, the entire population of Paga – including its outskirts – is over 100,000.[citation needed] Most of the inhabitants arefarmers of theKassena ethnic group, whose settlements and familial ties stretch over the colonial borders of Ghana into what is nowBurkina Faso. The idea of different nationalities mean little to these people, who see their shared ancestry and ethnicity before what is the recent concept of nationality or religion. Many Kassenas in this small town Paga aremultilingual, speaking their nativeKasem andEnglish among other languages.
Paga crocodile pond.[4]
According to legend, Paga was founded c. 1400 by a young man named Naveh, who was saved by a crocodile while on a hunting expedition.[citation needed] He then left his village and settled in the place which is now Paga. The founder of the town, Naveh, when searching for a desirable place to settle, exclaimed 'Ayipaga' which means 'My eye is fixed on this land'. The place came to be called by that name, which in due course was shortened to 'Paga'.[1]
Media from Commons
Travel information from Wikivoyage
Data from Wikidata| Municipal (4) |
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| Ordinary (11) | ||