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83-836: Cedi House is a 14-storey building in Accra , Ghana that houses the Bank of Ghana and the Ghana Stock Exchange . Cedi House is located at Victoria Borg on the main Independence Avenue in Ridge Accra. The  Bank of Ghana (BoG) Office Building Annex  which is simply referred to as the CEDI House. Started in 1970 and completed in 1973, the building houses the Banking and Supervision  Departments as well as

166-459: A monophyletic group, based on data from three molecular genes and one mitochondrial gene. Brady concluded that these groups are, therefore, a single lineage that evolved in the mid-Cretaceous period in Gondwana , so these subfamilies are now generally united into a single subfamily Dorylinae , though this is still not universally recognized. However, the unification of these lineages means that

249-415: A colony loses its queen, the worker ants will usually fuse with another colony that has a queen, within a few days. Sometimes, the workers will backtrack along the paths of prior emigrations to search for a queen that has been lost or merge with a sister colony. By merging with a related colony, the workers would increase their overall inclusive fitness . The workers that merge into a new colony may cause

332-520: A growing level of international influence and connectedness. The word Accra is derived from the Akan word Nkran meaning "ants", a reference to the numerous anthills seen in the countryside around Accra. The name specifically refers to soldier ants , and was applied to both the town and people by the Twi speakers. The name of Accra in the local Ga language is Ga or Gaga , the same name as that of

415-688: A large Parliament complex, Nkrumah decided to build landmarks such as Independence Square, the State House, and the Organisation of African Unity building, and to refurbish Christianborg Castle. Nkrumah decided to leave the Atlantic coastal region undeveloped so as to not detract attention from the Community Centre or Independence Square, lending both spaces symbolic significance. The Nkrumah plan did not emphasize order nearly as much as

498-475: A march on Christiansborg Castle , Accra, on 28 February 1948. Their plan was to hand a petition to the colonial governor demanding they receive their pay and benefits. Before reaching the castle, the veterans were fired upon, after being ordered by the colonial police chief to disperse. Three of the leaders of the demonstration were killed, including Sergeant Nii Adjetey , who now has a memorial in Accra, leading to

581-457: A month, resulting in synchronized brood cycles and colonies composed of millions of individuals all related to a single queen. The term "army ant syndrome" refers to behavioral and reproductive traits such as obligate collective foraging, nomadism and highly specialized queens that allow these organisms to become the most ferocious social hunters. Most ant species will send individual scouts to find food sources and later recruit others from

664-409: A nest like most other ants. Instead, they build a living nest with their bodies, known as a bivouac . Bivouacs tend to be found in tree trunks or in burrows dug by the ants. The members of the bivouac hold onto each other's legs and so build a sort of ball, which may look unstructured to a layman's eyes, but is actually a well-organized structure. The older female workers are located on the exterior; in

747-422: A sexual brood to nest for a period of 41–56 days, as compared to non-reproductive colonies that remain in the nest an average of 17 days before returning to a nomadic phase. This suggests that if workers produced male offspring, they might be hatched out of sync with the queen's sexual brood and not likely to be successfully reared to adulthood. Army ants can get lost from the pheromone track while foraging, making

830-505: A sexual brood. As soon as they are born, they will fly off in search of a queen to mate with. In some instances where males seek to mate with a queen from an existing colony, the receiving workers will forcibly remove the wings in order to accommodate the large males into the colony for mating. Because of their size, males are sometimes called "sausage flies" or "sausage ants." Colonies of real army ants always have only one queen, while some other ant species can have several queens. The queen

913-435: A single common ancestor, which lived approximately 100 million years ago at the time of the separation of the continents of Africa and South America , while other army ant lineages (Leptanillinae, plus members of Ponerinae, Amblyoponinae, and Myrmicinae) are still considered to represent independent evolutionary events. Army ant taxonomy remains in flux, and genetic analysis will likely continue to provide more information about

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996-665: A weaker second rainy season occurs in October. Rain usually falls in short intensive storms and causes local flooding in which drainage channels are obstructed. Very little variation in temperature occurs throughout the year. The mean monthly temperature ranges from 25.9 °C (78.6 °F) in August (the coolest) to 29.6 °C (85.3 °F) in March (the hottest), with an annual average of 27.6 °C (81.7 °F). The "cooler" months, which are summer months tend to be more humid than

1079-715: Is considered to be the archetype of the species. Most Old World army ants are divided between the tribes Aenictini and Dorylini . Aenictini contains more than 50 species of army ants in the single genus, Aenictus . However, the Dorylini contain the genus Dorylus , the most aggressive group of driver ants; 70 species are known. Originally, some of the Old World and New World lineages of army ants were thought to have evolved independently, in an example of convergent evolution . In 2003, though, genetic analysis of various species suggests that several of these groups evolved from

1162-434: Is dichthadiigyne (a blind ant with large gaster ) but may sometimes possess vestigial eyes. The queens of army ants are unique in that they do not have wings, have an enlarged gaster size and an extended cylindrical abdomen. They are significantly larger than worker army ants and possess 10–12 segments on their antennae. Queens will mate with multiple males and because of their enlarged gaster, can produce 3 to 4 million eggs

1245-531: Is one of the tallest buildings in the country and its proximity to the Central Business District of Accra makes it a prime office location for top companies. Accra Accra ( / ə ˈ k r ɑː / ; Ga : Ga or Gaga ; Twi : Nkran ; Ewe: Gɛ; Dagbani : Ankara ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana , located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea , which is part of

1328-587: Is the Greater Accra Region 's economic and administrative hub, and serves as the anchor of the larger Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), which is inhabited by about 4 million people, making it the thirteenth-largest metropolitan area in Africa . In 2020, the Globalization and World Cities Research Network think tank designated Accra as a "Gamma −" level global city , indicating

1411-548: The 1948 Accra riots . In the Fry/Treavallion plan, a reorganization of the CBD was called for, as well as the development of the coastal region of the city. To reorganize the CBD, the planners decided to superimpose a tight street grid north of Fort Ussher. To the east of this newly organized CBD, the planners hoped to preserve a broad, open space for a restaurant, country club, and polo and cricket fields. Additionally,

1494-651: The Accra Metropolitan District , is led by a Metropolitan Chief Executive who is appointed by the President of the Republic of Ghana . The Mayor of Accra is Mohammed Adjei Sowah , who was appointed by President Nana Akufo-Addo and approved unanimously by the AMA on 23 March 2017. The Ablekuma South sub-metropolitan district covers an area of 6 km (2.3 sq mi) and is bordered by

1577-669: The Atlantic Ocean . As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District , 20.4 km (7.9 sq mi), had a population of 284,124 inhabitants, and the larger Greater Accra Region , 3,245 km (1,253 sq mi), had a population of 5,455,692 inhabitants. In common usage, the name "Accra" often refers to the territory of the Accra Metropolitan District as it existed before 2008, when it covered 199.4 km (77.0 sq mi). This territory has since been split into 13 local government districts : 12 independent municipal districts (total area: 179.0 km ) and

1660-675: The Bank of Ghana are also located in Accra. The city is also a transportation hub, home to the Kotoka International Airport , and railway links to Tema , Sekondi-Takoradi and Kumasi . Accra has become a location for national and international business conferences, such as the BarCamp Ghana series, organised by GhanaThink Foundation. Owing to its location in the Dahomey Gap , where the Gulf of Guinea and

1743-486: The British Gold Coast ended before the Fry/Treavallion plan was enacted. When Kwame Nkrumah became Ghana's first post-independence Prime Minister in 1957, he created his own plan for Accra's development. Instead of creating spaces to serve the elite, Nkrumah sought to create spaces to inspire pride and nationalism in his people and people throughout Africa. Rather than creating ornamental fountains and

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1826-555: The Ga people and a cognate with Nkran . The word is sometimes rendered with the nasalised vowels as Gã or Gãgã . Historian Carl Christian Reindorf confirmed this etymology, proposing a link between the martial qualities and migratory behaviour of the local ants and those of the Ga people. The link between the ethnonym and ants was explicitly reflected in the recognition of anthills as sacred places. Often ringed by sacred fences ( aklabatsa ),

1909-591: The "City of Accra". Formed from the merger of distinct settlements around British Fort James , Dutch Fort Crêvecoeur (Ussher Fort) , and Danish Fort Christiansborg as Jamestown , Usshertown , and Christiansborg respectively, Accra served as the capital of the British Gold Coast between 1877 and 1957 and has since transitioned into a modern metropolis. The capital's architecture reflects this history, ranging from 19th-century colonial architecture to modern skyscrapers and apartment blocks. Accra

1992-698: The Ablekuma Central and Ablekuma North Municipal Assemblies, and the Ashiedu Keteke sub-metropolitan district. It includes 5 electoral areas: Korle Gonno, Korlebu, Chorkor, Mamprobi, and New Mamprobi. Communities within the Okaikoi South sub-metropolitan district include Darkuman, New Fadama, Kaneshie, Bubiashie, and Avenor. The sub-metro has 8 electoral areas namely Awudome, Goten, Kaatsean, Mukose, Bubuashie, Bubui, Avenor and Kaneshie. The Ashiedu Keteke sub-metropolitan district covers

2075-613: The Accra Metropolitan District, 199.4 km (77.0 sq mi), as it existed before 2008, is now divided into 13 separate local government districts, all governed as municipal assemblies with their own town hall and a municipal executive appointed by the president of the republic. Each municipal assembly is responsible for most local services, such as local planning and refuse collection. The reduced Accra Metropolitan District (also referred to as City of Accra), 20.4 km (7.9 sq mi), once comprised

2158-550: The African Dorylus . These undesired prey are simply left behind and consumed by scavengers or by the flies that accompany the ant swarm. Only a few species hunt primarily on the surface of the earth; they seek their prey mainly in leaf litter and in low vegetation. About five species hunt in higher trees, where they can attack birds and their eggs, although they focus on hunting other social insects along with their eggs and larvae. Colonies of army ants are large compared to

2241-555: The Atlantic Ocean coast runs parallel to the prevailing moist monsoonal winds, Accra features a very marginal tropical wet and dry climate ( Köppen climate classification : Aw ) that borders on a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification : BSh ). The average annual rainfall is about 730 mm, which falls primarily during Ghana's two rainy seasons. The chief rainy season begins in April and ends in mid-July, whilst

2324-970: The British James Fort , Osu near the Danish fort of Christiansborg (now Osu Castle ), and Ussherstown near the Dutch Ussher fort . Tourist attractions include the National Museum of Ghana , the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences , the National Archives of Ghana and Ghana's central library, the National Theatre , the Accra Centre for National Culture, and Jamestown Lighthouse . The Parliament , Supreme Court of Ghana , Black Star Square and

2407-455: The British planners intended to build large numbers of public squares, fountains, and ornamental pools and statues throughout the city, as well as a vast Parliament Complex in the city centre. Lastly, the Fry/Treavallion plan included plans to make the coastal region an extension of the exclusive European neighbourhood of Victoriaborg, and to create a recreational preserve for the elite. However,

2490-665: The Central Business District (CBD) and as such the hub of major commercial activities within the Metropolis. Major markets include Makola, Agbogbloshie, and Kwasiodwaso. There are 8 electoral areas namely Ngleshie, Mudor, Kinka, Nmlitsagonno, Amamomo, Korle Wonkon, and Korle Dudor. Ledzekuku Municipal District The Ledzekuku Municipal District, with its administrative capital at Teshie , covers an estimated area of 31.3 km (12.1 sq mi). Krowor Municipal District The Krowor Municipal District

2573-592: The Central Securities Depository of the BoG. It was designed by Ghanaian architect Professor John Owusu Addo, who is the brain behind many other iconic buildings in Ghana, including the unity hall of KNUST . It also is home to the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) and a host of other prestigious companies and banks . Consisting of fourteen floors with two additional underground floors, the CEDI House

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2656-506: The Fry/Treavallion plan did; whereas the British plan strove to lessen crowding in the commercial district and help relieve the overcrowding of neighbourhoods bordering the CBD, the Nkrumah plan allowed for continued compression of commercial establishments into the CBD, as well as increased migration into Jamestown. The modern city is centered on the original British, Danish, and Dutch forts and their surrounding communities: Jamestown near

2739-563: The Lartehs refer to them as Nkran (ants). Nkran was later corrupted by the Danes to Akra, then to present-day Accra. Nkran in the Ga language is Gaga , thus they also started calling themselves Ga. Due to the sheer numbers of the Ga immigrants, the indigenous Lartehs relocated to the Akuapem ridge. Initially, Accra was not the most prominent trading centre; the trade hubs of the time were

2822-474: The Swedes) and their other forts to the British. The Netherlands was the last to sell out, in 1871. In 1873, after decades of tension between the British and Ashantis , the British captured Kumasi , destroying portions of the city. The British then captured Accra in 1874, and in 1877, at the end of the second Anglo-Asante War , Accra replaced Cape Coast as the capital of the British Gold Coast . This decision

2905-445: The ants follow each other in a circular motion, potentially causing them to die of exhaustion . The whole colony of army ants can consume up to 500,000 prey animals each day, so can have a significant influence on the population , diversity, and behaviour of their prey. The prey selection differs with the species. Underground species prey primarily on ground-dwelling arthropods and their larvae , earthworms , and occasionally also

2988-659: The best opportunities to see many of these species. Depending on the size of the ant swarm and the amount of prey the ants stir up, birds can number from a few to dozens of individuals. Birds that frequent army-ant swarms include the white-whiskered puffbird , rufous motmot , rufous-vented ground cuckoo , grey-cowled wood rail , plain-brown woodcreeper , northern barred woodcreeper , cocoa woodcreeper , black-striped woodcreeper , fasciated antshrike , black-crowned antshrike , spotted antbird , bicolored antbird , ocellated antbird , chestnut-backed antbird , black-faced antthrush , and gray-headed tanager . Army ants do not build

3071-407: The city began to expand to accommodate the new residents. Victoriaborg was formed in the late 19th century as an exclusively European residential neighbourhood, located to the east of the city limits of the time. The boundaries of Accra were further stretched in 1908, after a bubonic plague epidemic. This expansion entailed the creation of a native-only neighbourhood, intended to accommodate members of

3154-404: The city to maintain its infrastructure or improve public works. This did not change until the governorship of Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg during which period the three separate settlements (Osu, La and Jamestown) merged to become modern Accra. Guggisberg's administration laid out the present grid networked neighbourhoods of Tudu, Adabraka and Asylum Down. Among the achievements of Guggisberg

3237-643: The city, and an insulation effect can give rise to a local increase in air temperature of several degrees. This occurs most notably in the Accra Newtown sports complex areas. The administration of Accra occurs at two levels. Strategic initiatives, such as the urban transportation project, are coordinated between district authorities, while local administration is carried out by local government authorities, which are responsible for most local services, such as local planning, local roads and refuse collection within their area of jurisdiction. The former territory of

3320-407: The coast. The maximum wind speed record in Accra is 107.4 km/h (58 knots). Strong winds associated with thunderstorm activity often cause damage to property by removing roofing material. Several areas of Accra experience microclimatic effects. Low-profile drainage basins with a north–south orientation are not as well ventilated as those oriented east–west. Air is often trapped in pockets over

3403-439: The coastal areas. Drainage infrastructure is particularly at risk, which has profound implications for people's livelihoods, especially in informal settlements. Inadequate planning regulation and law enforcement, as well as perceived corruption in government processes, lack of communication across government departments and lack of concern or government co-ordination with respect to building codes are major impediments to progressing

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3486-405: The colonies of other Formicidae. Colonies can have over 15 million workers and can transport 3000 prey (items) per hour during the raid period. When army ants forage, the trails that are formed can be over 20 m (66 ft) wide and over 100 m (330 ft) long. They stay on the path through the use of a concentration gradient of pheromones. The concentration of pheromone is highest in

3569-448: The colony to help; however, army ants dispatch a cooperative, leaderless group of foragers to detect and overwhelm the prey at once. Army ants do not have a permanent nest but instead form many bivouacs as they travel. The constant traveling is due to the need to hunt large amounts of prey to feed its enormous colony population . Their queens are wingless and have abdomens that expand significantly during egg production. This allows for

3652-402: The colony to increase in size by 50%. Workers in army ant species have a unique role in selecting both the queen and the male mate. When the queens emerge, the workers in the colony will form two 'systems' or arms in opposite directions. These queens that are hatched will move down either of the arms and only two queens will succeed, one for each branch. Any remaining new queens will be left in

3735-619: The development of Accra's drainage infrastructure, according to the Climate & Development Knowledge Network . As Accra is close to the equator , the daylight hours are practically uniform during the year. Relative humidity is generally high, varying from 65% in the midafternoon to 95% at night. The predominant wind direction in Accra is from the WSW to NNE sectors. Wind speeds normally range between 8 and 16 km/h. High wind gusts occur with thunderstorms , which generally pass in squalls along

3818-487: The entirety of Accra until the Ledzokuku, Krowor, La Dadekotopon, Ablekuma North, Ablekuma Central, Ablekuma West, Ayawaso East, Ayawaso North, Ayawaso Central, Ayawaso West, Okaikwei North, and Korley Kottey districts were carved out as separate municipal districts between 2008 and 2019. Accra Metropolitan District (City of Accra) The Accra Metropolitan District is one of the 13 local government districts that contains

3901-583: The forest floor, under tree bark, and other such locations, thereby allowing predators to catch them more easily. For example, in the tropical rainforests of Panama, swarms of army ants attract many species of birds to this feast of scrambling insects, spiders, scorpions, worms, and other animals. Some of these birds are named "antbirds" due to this tendency. While focused on feeding on these invertebrates, birds at army-ant swarms typically allow very close approach by people – within 1–2 metres (3.3–6.6 ft) in many cases – often providing

3984-410: The greatest reproductive potential among insects, with an egg-laying capacity of several million per month. Army ant queens never have to leave the protection of the colony, where they mate with foreign incoming males which disperse on nuptial flights . The exact mating behaviour of the army ant queen is still unknown, but observations seem to imply that queens may be fertilized by multiple males. Due to

4067-464: The historic centre and the primary central business district (CBD) of Accra. To promote efficiency in the administrative machinery and also meet the ever-pressing demands for amenities and essential services, the district is divided into the Ashiedu Keteke, Okaikoi South, and Ablekuma South sub-metropolitan districts. The Accra Metropolitan Assembly, which governs the City of Accra within the boundaries of

4150-541: The insects that are flushed out by the ants, a behavior known as kleptoparasitism . A wide variety of arthropods including staphylinid beetles, histerid beetles, spiders, silverfish, isopods, and mites also follow colonies. While some guests follow the colony emigrations on foot, many others are phoretically transported, for example by attaching themselves on army ant workers such as the histerid beetle Nymphister kronaueri . The Neotropical army ant Eciton burchellii has an estimated 350 to 500 animal associates,

4233-833: The interior are the younger female workers. At the smallest disturbance, soldiers gather on the top surface of the bivouac, ready to defend the nest with powerful mandibles and (in the case of the Ecitoninae ) stingers. Inside the nest, there are numerous passages that have 'chambers' of food, larvae, eggs, and most importantly, the queen. Many species of army ants are widely considered to be keystone species due to their important ecological role as arthropod predators and due to their large number of vertebrate and invertebrate associates that rely on army ant colonies for nutrition or protection. During their hunt, many surface-raiding army ants are accompanied by various birds, such as antbirds , thrushes , ovenbirds and wrens , which devour

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4316-400: The larvae are now fed exclusively to the queen. The abdomen ( gaster ) of the queen swells significantly, and she lays her eggs. At the end of the stationary phase, both the pupae emerge from their cocoons ( eclosion ) and the next generation of eggs hatch so the colony has a new group of workers and larvae. After this, the ants resume the nomadic phase. Army ants will split into groups when

4399-430: The loss of worker reproduction in the presence of a queen. First, if the worker reproduces, it lowers the general performance of the colony because it is not working. Second, workers increase their inclusive fitness by policing other workers because they themselves are more related to the queen's offspring than other worker's offspring. Lastly, the large male larvae become too large to be transported, forcing colonies with

4482-469: The middle and are abandoned. Two new bivouacs will be formed and break off into different directions. The workers will surround the two to-be queens to ensure they survive. These workers that surround the queens are affected by the CHC ( pheromone ) profile emitted by the new queen. When males hatch from their brood , they will fly off to find a mate. For males to access the queen and mate, they must run through

4565-416: The middle of the trail, splitting the trail into two distinct regions: an area with high concentration and two areas with low concentrations of pheromones. The outbound ants will occupy the outer two lanes and the returning ants will occupy the central lane. The returning worker ants have also been found to emit more pheromones than those leaving the nest, causing the difference in concentration of pheromone in

4648-510: The most of any one species known to science. It has been speculated that the nocturnal foraging of some army ant species is done to reduce kleptoparasitism by birds, since the bird kleptoparasites of army ants are diurnal. Historically, "army ant" in the broad sense referred to various members of five different ant subfamilies. In two of these cases, the Ponerinae and Myrmicinae , only a few species and genera exhibit legionary behavior; in

4731-608: The name Akan , one of a few words in which [g] corresponds to [k] in Akan. Ga also gave its name to the Ga districts surrounding Accra. The spelling Accra was given to Nkran by Europeans . An earlier spelling used by the Danes was Akra. The main Ga group known as the Tumgwa Were led by Ayi Kushie arrived by sea. When the Guan ( Lartehs ) on the coast saw them on their canoes at sea, they looked like ants. Hence,

4814-462: The native population as a means of relieving congestion problems in the overcrowded city centre. Adabraka was thus established to the north of the city. One of the most influential decisions in the history of the city was that of building the Accra-Kumasi railway in 1908. This was to connect Accra, the country's foremost port at that time, with Ghana's main cocoa -producing regions. In 1923,

4897-551: The other three lineages, Ecitoninae , Dorylinae , and Leptanillinae , all of the constituent species were considered to be legionary. More recently, ant classifications now recognize an additional New World subfamily, Leptanilloidinae , which also consists of obligate legionary species, so is another group now included among the army ants. A 2003 study of thirty species (by Sean Brady of Cornell University ) indicates that army ants of subfamilies Ecitoninae (South America), Dorylinae (Africa) and Aenictinae (Asia) together formed

4980-526: The ports at Ada and Prampram , along with the inland centres of Dodowa and Akuse . The Dutch built the nearby outposts of Ussher Fort while the British and the Swedes built James Fort and Christiansborg castles, respectively. By the 17th century, Portugal, France and Denmark, had constructed forts in the city. Britain gradually acquired the interests of all other countries beginning in 1851, when Denmark sold Christiansborg (which they had acquired from

5063-541: The production of 3–4 million eggs every month and often results in synchronized brood cycles, thus each colony will be formed of millions of individuals that descend from a single queen. These three traits are found in all army ant species and are the defining traits of army ants. Army ants have two phases of activity – a nomadic (wandering) phase and a stationary (statary) phase – that constantly cycle, and can be found throughout all army ant species. The nomadic phase begins around 10 days after

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5146-404: The queen lays her eggs. This phase will last approximately 15 days to let the larvae develop. The ants move during the day, capturing insects , spiders , and small vertebrates to feed their brood. At dusk, they will form their nests or bivouac, which they change almost daily. At the end of the nomadic phase, the larvae will spin pupal cases and no longer require food. The colony can then live in

5229-423: The queen's large reproductive potential, a colony of army ants can be descended from a single queen. When the queen ant dies, there is no replacement and army ants cannot rear emergency queens. Most of the time, if the queen dies, the colony will likely die too. Queen loss can occur due to accidents during emigrations, predator attack, old age or illness. However, there are possibilities to avoid colony death. When

5312-517: The railway was completed, and by 1924, cocoa was Ghana's largest export. The colonial era heavily influenced the shape that Accra took during this period. For example, the segregation of European and African neighbourhoods was mandated by law until 1923, and all new buildings were required to be built out of stone or concrete. Despite these regulations, European settlers in the Gold Coast were very hesitant to invest any large amount of money into

5395-482: The reduced Accra Metropolitan District (20.4 km ), which is the only district within the capital to be granted city status. This territory of 199.4 km contained 1,782,150 inhabitants at the 2021 census, and serves as the capital of Ghana, while the district under the jurisdiction of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly proper (20.4 km ) is distinguished from the rest of the capital as

5478-452: The relatedness of the various taxa. The workers of army ants are usually blind or can have compound eyes that are reduced to a single lens. There are species of army ants where the worker caste may show polymorphism based on physical differences and job allocations; however, there are also species that show no polymorphism at all. The worker caste is usually composed of sterile female worker ants. The soldiers of army ants are larger than

5561-467: The rest of the workers and find a new nest. Another possibility is that the workers will reject the old queen and new queens will each head a newly-divided colony. The workers will affiliate with individual queens based on the pheromone cues that are unique to each queen. When new bivouacs are formed, communication between the original colony and the new bivouacs will cease. Being the largest ants on Earth, army ants, such as African Dorylus queens have

5644-450: The same basic behavioural and ecological syndrome. This syndrome is often referred to as "legionary behaviour", and may be an example of convergent evolution . Most New World army ants belong to the genera Cheliomyrmex , Neivamyrmex , Nomamyrmex , Labidus , and Eciton . The largest genus is Neivamyrmex , which contains more than 120 species; the most predominant species is Eciton burchellii ; its common name "army ant"

5727-420: The same bivouac site for around 20 days, foraging only on approximately two-thirds of these days. This pattern of diurnal activity does not apply to all army ants: there are also species that forage at night ( nocturnal ) or at both day and night ( cathemeral ). The stationary phase, which lasts about two to three weeks, begins when the larvae pupate. From this point on, the prey that were previously fed to

5810-409: The size of the colony has reached a size threshold, which happens approximately every three years. Wingless virgin queens will hatch among a male sexual brood that hatches at a later date. When the colony fissions, there are two ways new queens are decided. A possible outcome is a new queen will stay at the original nest with a portion of the workers and the male brood while the old queen will leave with

5893-512: The tall red mounds dotting Accra's hinterland were seen as microcosms of human community and as nodal points between the known world and the world of the dead. The Gas used the reference to the invasive species of dark-red swarming ants to connote the military prowess of the Gas and their ancient conquest of Guang speakers residing in the Accra Plains. The name Ga is actually a cognate of

5976-419: The trails. The pheromones will allow foraging to be much more efficient by allowing the army ants to avoid their own former paths and those of their conspecifics. Scaffolds structure has been observed when workers carried heavy prey food to inclined surface. Walking ants are prevented from falling by other ants. While foraging, army ants cause many invertebrates to flee from their hiding places under leaves of

6059-403: The warmer months, which are winter and spring months. As a result, during the warmer months and particularly during the windy harmattan season, the city experiences a breezy "dry heat" that feels less warm than the "cooler" but more humid rainy season. As a coastal city, Accra is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise, with population growth putting increasing pressure on

6142-531: The workers in the colony. Males that are favoured are superficially similar in size and shape to the queen. The males also produce large quantities of pheromones to pacify the worker ants. In a colony , the queen is the primary individual responsible for reproduction in the colony. Analysis of genotypes have confirmed that workers are, on average, more closely related to the offspring of the queen than to that of other workers, and that workers rarely, if ever, reproduce. Three factors have been suggested to rationalize

6225-529: The workers, and they have much larger mandibles than the worker class of ants, with older soldiers possessing larger heads and stronger mandibles than the younger ones. They protect the colony, and help carry the heaviest loads of prey to the colony bivouac. Males are large in size and have a large cylindrical abdomen, highly modified mandibles and uncommon genitalia not seen in other ants. They have 13 segments on their antennae, are alated (have wings) and therefore can resemble wasps . Males are born as part of

6308-484: The years following World War II , the neighbourhoods of Ridge and Cantonments were planned as low-density developments for Europeans, while many rural migrants settled in neighbourhoods which had not yet been incorporated into Accra's municipal boundary, such as Nima and surrounding areas. Thus, the development of these neighbourhoods was unregulated by the government, creating a crowded and jumbled shanty-town landscape. Another area of Accra that took shape at this time

6391-528: The young of vertebrates, turtle eggs, or oily seeds. A majority of the species, the "colony robbers", specialize in the offspring of other ants and wasps . Only a few species seem to have the very broad spectrum of prey seen in the raiding species. Even these species do not eat every kind of animal. Although small vertebrates that get caught in the raid will be killed, the jaws of the American Eciton are not suited to this type of prey, in contrast to

6474-410: Was carved out of the Accra Metropolitan District in 2018 with an administrative capital at Darkuman Kokompe . Army ant Another shared feature is that, unlike most ant species, army ants do not construct permanent nests; an army ant colony moves almost incessantly over the time it exists. All species are members of the true ant family, Formicidae , but several groups have independently evolved

6557-769: Was carved out of the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal District in 2018. Its administrative capital is Nungua . La Dadekotopon Municipal District The La Dadekotopon Municipal District, with its administrative capital at La, was carved out of the Accra Metropolitan District in 2012. The Kotoka International Airport, Airport City, Accra Mall, and the US Embassy are located within the district, which covers an area of 32 km (12 sq mi). Other communities within this district include Cantonments, Labone, and Burma Camp. Ablekuma North Municipal District The Ablekuma North Municipal District

6640-574: Was made because Accra had a drier climate relative to Cape Coast. Until this time, the settlement of Accra was confined between Ussher Fort to the east and the Korle Lagoon to the west. As the newly established Gold Coast's administrative functions were moved to Accra (1877), an influx of British colonial administrators and European settlers grew around the Christiansborg (modern Osu , Ministries, Ridge, Labone, and Cantonments) began, and

6723-448: Was never followed through, it illustrated the British vision of how Accra should develop. In 1948, Ghana remained a colony of Great Britain following World War II. The chief of Osu Alata, Nii Kobina Bonney III, had set up a boycott of European goods across the country due to the rise of prices for essential commodities. At the same time, veterans of the war were fighting for their benefits and promised pay. Unarmed ex-servicemen organized

6806-521: Was the building of a bridge across the Korle Lagoon in 1923, which increased settlement at Korle Bu, Korle Gonno and Chokor, to the west of the lagoon. Guggisberg also oversaw the building of a major hospital (Korle-Bu) and secondary school (Achimota). Such improvements led to an increase in Accra's population due to the migration of rural dwellers into the city, and the immigration of increasing numbers of British businessmen and administrators. In

6889-480: Was the central business district (CBD). More administrative buildings were built on High Street, forming a massive judicial/administrative complex. Additionally, the expansion of the economy led to many more commercial buildings being built in the CBD. In 1944, Accra's city planner Maxwell Fry devised a town plan, which was revised in 1958 by B.D.W. Treavallion and Alan Flood. Although the Fry/Trevallion plan

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