Koforidua
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Koforidua City of Koforidua |
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| City | ||
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| Nickname(s): Kof Town | ||
 Koforidua
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| Coordinates: 6°06′N 0°16′W / 6.100°N 0.267°W | ||
| Country |
 Ghana
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| Region | Eastern Region | |
| District | New-Juaben Municipal | |
| Elevation | 238 m (781 ft) | |
| Population (2012) | ||
| • Total | 127,334 | |
| Time zone | GMT | |
| • Summer (DST) | GMT (UTC) | |
| Area code(s) | 034 | |
Koforidua, also popularly known as K-dua, is a city and capital of Eastern Region in south Ghana. Koforidua has a settlement population of 127,334 people in 2012.
Koforidua serves as a commercial centre for the Eastern region and New-Juaben Municipal District. The city is home to many businesses, with the exception of heavy duty industries, and the recent construction of the four-lane highway road linking Adawso and Koforidua to Oyoko brings commerce to the city. The highway also serves as a valid alternative route to reach Kumasi.
Oral tradition has it that Koforidua owes its name to an Akan man, Kofi Ofori, who had built his hut under a huge mahogany tree. This tree provided shelter for weary farmers who were returning from their farms after a hard day's work. Overtime it became common for the farmers to say that they were going to rest under Kofi Ofori's tree. In Akan, the south country's native language, the word for tree is "dua". An amalgamation of Kofi Ofori's name and tree, therefore, becomes "Koforidua."
Koforidua was founded in 1875 by Akan migrants from Asanteman. The completion in 1923 of the Kumasi railway saw Koforidua become an important road and rail junction. Koforidua is one of the country's oldest cocoa-producing centres. It is also noted today for its weekly Thursday bead market, which draws bead buyers and sellers from all over the Eastern region.
The New Juaben Municipality falls within the Eastern Region of South Ghana. The municipality covers an estimated area of 110 square kilometres, constituting 0.57% of the total land area of the Eastern Region. The municipality has 48 electoral areas.
Koforidua has an annual rainfall ranging from 50 – 120 inches and 20 – 32 Celsius mean annual temperatures.
The New-Juaben municipality shares boundaries with East-Akim Municipality to the northeast, Akwapim North District to the east and south, and Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar District to the west. The city of Koforidua (New Juabeng) is made up of several neighbourhoods and settlements, including Effiduase, Asokore, Oyoko, Jumapo, Suhyen, Dansuagya, Betom, and Srodae. Koforidua is two hours by road from Accra.
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