Tamale with a population of 360,579 (2007), is the capital of the Northern Region

Northern Region (Ghana)

The Northern Region is the largest area of Ghana. As of 2009, it is divided into 20 districts. The region's capital is Tamale. Climatically, religiously, linguistically, and culturally, the region differs greatly from the politically and economically dominating regions of central and southern...

 of Ghana

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...

 and the Tamale Metropolitan District

Districts of Ghana

||The Districts of Ghana are second-level administrative subdivisions of Ghana, below the level of region.The districts of Ghana were re-organized in 1988/1989 in an attempt to decentralize the government and to combat the rampant corruption amongst officials...

 with which it is coterminous Area. The city is located 600 km north of Accra

Accra

Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...

. It is mostly populated by Dagomba

Dagomba

The Dagomba are an ethnic group of Northern Ghana. They inhabit the sparse savanna region below the sahelian belt, known as the Sudan. They speak the Dagbani language which belongs to the More-Dagbani sub-group of Gur languages...

 people who speak Dagbani

Dagbani language

Dagbani is a Gur language spoken in Ghana. Its native speakers are primarily of the Dagomba people, but Dagbani is also widely known as a first language in northern Ghana.-Vowels:Dagbani has eleven phonemic vowels: six short and five long vowels:...

 and are followers of Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

, as reflected by the multitude of mosques in the city, most notably the central mosque.

Located in the northern part of the country, the city is like a conglomeration of villages where one can find an architectural blend of traditional mud houses and modern buildings.