Editing Navrongo

{{Short description|Town in Upper East Region, Ghana}}
{{Use Ghanaian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->| official_name      = Navrongo
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'''Navrongo''' is a town and the capital of [[Kassena-Nankana Municipal District]] in the [[Upper East Region]] of northern [[Ghana]], adjacent to the [[Burkina Faso–Ghana border|border]] with [[Burkina Faso]].

Navrongo is an important [[market town]], known for its [[cathedral]] and its [[grotto]]. It houses the [[Navrongo Solar Power Station]], Ghana's first [[solar plant]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Volta River Authority {{!}} Commissioning of the Kaleo Solar Power Plant |url=https://www.vra.com/media/2022/kaleo-solar-power-plant.php |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=www.vra.com}}</ref>

Navrongo's population in 2005 was estimated to be 25,470,<ref>{{cite web
 | url= http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/2005_world_city_populations/Ghana.html
 | title= 2005 population estimates for cities in Ghana 
 | access-date= 2007-09-26 
}}</ref> and in 2012 was estimated to be 27,306.<ref name="World Gazetteer"/>

The terrain is flat and the ecology is typical of the [[Sahel]] – arid grassland with occasional shrubbery.

==History==
The town was founded around 1740 by Butu, a Nankane speaking hunter from Zecco (present day southern [[Burkina Faso]]), who initially settled in Pungu (a [[Kasena language|Kasem]] speaking community further south of Zecco).<ref name="adewoba">Adewoba.  'Aspects of Wealth and Exchange'.</ref> During the 19th century, the town became an important staging post on the [[Sahel]] caravan route. At the beginning of the 20th century the British established a base at Navrongo.<ref name="Arhim">Arhim. 'The Papers of George Ferguson'.</ref>

A Catholic mission was established in 1906 - the [[White Fathers]] ("Pères Blancs"), a [[France|French]] group made up of [[French Canadians]]. They came to Upper East region from Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) due to French anti-clerical laws (the Fathers believed they would be expelled from Upper Volta). The British allowed them to set up in Navrongo on the condition that the school that they were to establish used English only. Despite a rocky beginning (the Fathers had learnt the wrong local language and only attracted 5 students in the first 18 months), the school eventually became a success – a [[British people|British]] official in 1927 said that it was the best school (of only 5) in the north of Ghana.<ref name="Kimble">Kimble.  'A political history of Ghana'.</ref> Following Ghana's 1957 liberation from British colonial authority, Navrongo was designated as the district capital of the Kassena/Nankani district.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-06-16 |title=The history of Navrongo |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/The-history-of-Navrongo-448181 |access-date=2023-01-28 |website=GhanaWeb |language=en}}</ref>

==Climate==
Navrongo has a [[tropical savanna climate]] (''Aw'' according to the [[Köppen climate classification]]) with the temperature being hot year-round, although there is a wet season and a dry season. On 26 March 2017, Navrongo recorded a temperature of {{convert|43.8|C|F}}, which the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Ghana.<ref name=JeffMasters2017records>{{cite web |last1=Masters |first1=Jeff |url=https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/noaa-earth-had-its-third-warmest-year-record-2017 |title=NOAA: Earth Had Its Third Warmest Year on Record in 2017 |publisher=Wunderground |date=18 January 2018 |access-date=16 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430045703/https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/noaa-earth-had-its-third-warmest-year-record-2017 |archive-date=30 April 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{Weather box
|location = Navrongo (1991-2020)
|single line = Yes
|metric first = Yes
|Jan record high C = 41.2
|Feb record high C = 44.0
|Mar record high C = 43.8
|Apr record high C = 44.2
|May record high C = 44.6
|Jun record high C = 39.3
|Jul record high C = 37.2
|Aug record high C = 35.5
|Sep record high C = 36.1
|Oct record high C = 39.3
|Nov record high C = 40.6
|Dec record high C = 42.0
|year record high C = 44.6
|Jan high C = 35.7
|Feb high C = 38.2
|Mar high C = 40.1
|Apr high C = 39.1
|May high C = 36.3
|Jun high C = 33.5
|Jul high C = 31.6
|Aug high C = 30.7
|Sep high C = 31.7
|Oct high C = 34.3
|Nov high C = 37.4
|Dec high C = 36.5
|year high C = 35.4
|Jan mean C = 27.9
|Feb mean C = 30.5
|Mar mean C = 32.8
|Apr mean C = 32.8
|May mean C = 30.9
|Jun mean C = 28.7
|Jul mean C = 27.3
|Aug mean C = 26.8
|Sep mean C = 27.2
|Oct mean C = 28.6
|Nov mean C = 29.0
|Dec mean C = 28.0
|year mean C = 29.2
|Jan low C = 20.1
|Feb low C = 22.9
|Mar low C = 25.6
|Apr low C = 26.4
|May low C = 25.4
|Jun low C = 23.9
|Jul low C = 23.1
|Aug low C = 22.8
|Sep low C = 22.7
|Oct low C = 22.8
|Nov low C = 20.6
|Dec low C = 19.6
|year low C = 23.0
|Jan record low C = 12.8
|Feb record low C = 15.0
|Mar record low C = 18.3
|Apr record low C = 19.5
|May record low C = 18.9
|Jun record low C = 19.2
|Jul record low C = 19.0
|Aug record low C = 18.2
|Sep record low C = 17.7
|Oct record low C = 18.0
|Nov record low C = 15.6
|Dec record low C = 13.3
|year record low C = 12.8
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 0.2
|Feb precipitation mm = 3.2
|Mar precipitation mm = 7.8
|Apr precipitation mm = 55.9
|May precipitation mm = 107.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 127.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 192.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 268.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 156.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 63.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 2.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 0.0
|year precipitation mm = 985.0
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 0.0
| Feb precipitation days = 0.3
| Mar precipitation days = 1.0
| Apr precipitation days = 3.9
| May precipitation days = 6.5
| Jun precipitation days = 8.6
| Jul precipitation days = 11.2
| Aug precipitation days = 14.6
| Sep precipitation days = 12.0
| Oct precipitation days = 5.9
| Nov precipitation days = 0.2
| Dec precipitation days = 0.0
| year precipitation days =
|source 1 = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref name=WMOCLINO>{{cite web
| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/4.4/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Ghana/CSV/Navrongo_65401.csv
| title = Navrongo Climate Normals 1991–2020
| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = 28 September 2023}}</ref>
|source 2 = Sistema de Clasificación Bioclimática Mundial (extremes)<ref name=climate>{{cite web
| url = http://www.globalbioclimatics.org/station/gh-navro.htm
| title = Ghana–Navrongo
| publisher = Centro de Investigaciones Fitosociológicas
| access-date = June 14, 2015}}</ref>
}}

==Economy==
Navrongo has a fast-developing Economy. Coupled with the existence of [[Tono Dam|The Tono Irrigation Project]], Naara Bank, GCB Bank, ADB Bank, Hospitals, Navrongo Health Research Centre, radio stations and PIO TV station, and several other companies, there is a lot of the population who are teachers, nurses and subsistence level farmers in crops and rearing (goats, sheep, cattle, poultry). There are also several institutions including, the C.K Tedam University, St John Bosco teacher training college, Nursing training college, [[Navrongo Senior High School|Navrongo SHS]] (NAVASCO), [[Notre Dame Seminary Senior High School, Navrongo|Notre Dame SHS]], Our Lady of Lourdes Girls SHS etc.

==Navrongo Cathedral==
[[File:Navrongo Cathedral outside 01.JPG|thumb|center|Navrongo's "mud cathedral"]]
[[Navrongo Cathedral]], as it is now known, was built in 1906 and expanded in 1920. Originally called "Our Lady of Seven Sorrows", the construction was overseen by the White Fathers. The walls are of mud (therefore it is also called "Mud Cathedral"), and wooden beams form the roof. On the inside, the walls are decorated with animal forms, scenes of everyday life, and Christian themes such as the [[Last Supper]] and the Bethlehem scene in the entrance area. The site also contains a grotto and accommodation facilities.

==Etymology of name==
The word "Navrongo" is an Anglicization of the name ''navrongo'' which is in Nankane, which combines the word ''naare'' (meaning foot or leg in Nankane) with ''vorongo'' (the term given to the sound of stepping onto muddy soil) or "voro" which is the Kasem term for same.<ref name="parsons">St. John-Parsons, Donald.  'Legends of Northern Ghana'.</ref> This is why Kasena call the town "Navoro" while Nankana call it "Navorongo."

==See also==
* [[Navrongo Airport]]
* [[Telania]]
* [[Doba, Ghana]]
* [[Tono Dam]]
* [[Navrongo Senior High School|Navrongo Senior High]]
* [[Notre Dame Seminary Senior High School, Navrongo|Notre Dame]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.navrongo-hrc.org Navrongo Health Research Centre] — a [[Ghana Health Service]] research centre based in Navrongo.

{{Upper East Region, Ghana}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Populated places in the Upper East Region]]