Paga
Encyclopedia
Paga is a town in northern Ghana
, lying where the nation's main north-south road reaches the Burkina Faso
border, north of Bolgatanga
. There are plans to extend the Kumasi-Takoradi railway to Paga.
, Mossi and Zabarma
traders. It is in the Upper East Region
of the country and has a population of over 2000 people. Most of the inhabitants are farmers.
, and speak Kasem, which is a Gur
branch of the Niger–Congo language family. There is an oral tradition that the founder of the town, Navee, 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'.
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, lying where the nation's main north-south road reaches the Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
border, north of Bolgatanga
Bolgatanga
Bolgatanga, colloquially known as Bolga, is the capital of both the Bolgatanga Municipal District and the Upper East Region of Ghana, and has a population of about 72,000...
. There are plans to extend the Kumasi-Takoradi railway to Paga.
Overview
Paga is known for its sacred crocodile ponds where most visitors are surprised that they can touch a live crocodile. Paga is about three kilometers from Paga-Nania Slave Camp, which was a transit camp used for the trading by HausaHausa people
The Hausa are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. They are a Sahelian people chiefly located in northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger, but having significant numbers living in regions of Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Chad and Sudan...
, Mossi and Zabarma
Djerma
The Zarma people , are a people of westernmost Niger and adjacent areas of Burkina Faso, Benin, Ghana and Nigeria. The Zarma language is one of the Songhai languages, a branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family...
traders. It is in the Upper East Region
Upper East Region
The Upper East Region is the smallest of 10 administrative regions in Ghana, occupying a total land surface of 8,842 square kilometers or 2.7 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, it is the ninth most populated region with a population of 920,089 in 2000, accounting for...
of the country and has a population of over 2000 people. Most of the inhabitants are farmers.
Foundation
According to legend, Paga was founded c.1400 by a young man called Naveh, who was saved by a crocodile while on a hunting expedition. He then left his village and settled in the place which is now Paga.Language
The local people are called KasenaKassena
The Kassena people are an ethnic group of northern Ghana, part of the greater Gurunsi group. Their number is estimated to be about 30.000.-History:...
, and speak Kasem, which is a Gur
Gur languages
The Gur languages, also known as Central Gur, belong to the Niger–Congo languages. There are about 70 languages belonging to this group. They are spoken in Burkina Faso, southern Mali, northeastern Côte d'Ivoire, northern Ghana, northern Togo, northwestern Benin, and southwestern Niger.Like most...
branch of the Niger–Congo language family. There is an oral tradition that the founder of the town, Navee, 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'.