Karaga, Ghana

Karaga
District Capital
Karaga Location of Karaga in Northern region
Coordinates: 9°55′30″N 0°25′47″W
Country	Ghana
Region	Northern Region
District	Karaga District
Elevation	197 m (518 ft)
Population  (2010)
• Total	approx. 10,000
Time zone	GMT
• Summer (DST)	GMT

Karaga is a small town and is the capital of Karaga district, a district in the Northern Region of north Ghana. It has a population of approximately 15,000. Karaga is one of the Principle Towns of the Dagbon empire. Dagbon is a name used for the Dagomba tribe. This tribe is the controlling tribe over a large area including Gushiegu, Yendi, Kpatinga, and other towns stretching from Gushiegu to the Bolga road, and bordering on Nalarigu on the north. The presiding chief is one of three or four powerful chiefs having many sub-chiefs under him. Karaga has electricity, but no running water. It has two dams and numerous boreholes which provide water for its citizens. Karaga has a hospital and clinic which can provide basic services, as well as numerous pharmacies spread throughout the town. The largest organized religion in the area is Islam, but the town also has an Assembly of God church and a Korean Missionary outreach. Animism, or ancestor worship is still widely practiced, involving witch doctors and juju-men. Sacrifice and traditional festivals are still a large part of Dagomba life. A large market gathers there every six days and provides goods, services and trade for a large area surrounding the town. Karaga has cellular phone service which provides communication and also data for web-surfing. It is the location of Dizem Bella child and maternal health center, run by Nayina Karim, one of MTN Ghana's 2016 Heroes of Change