If you’ve lived in Accra or Kumasi, it may not come as a big shock or surprise to you when you hear names of countries like Israel, Egypt, and cities like Lagos, Abidjan being suburbs in Ghana.
There are pretty much many Ghanaians who see this phenomenon to be strange, especially for those who have spent the better part of their lives outside Accra or Kumasi.
How these names come about is one of the biggest mysteries of the world as most residents living in areas with such names have absolutely no idea how those names came to be associated with the area or suburb. In few of the places, ‘borgas’ from those countries who resided first named the place after the foreign country or city they stayed.
A trending photo on Facebook shows a taxi in Accra heading to South Africa. Yes you heard me right, South Africa. But make no mistake this taxi wasn’t going to South Africa but South Africa. Confusing right? Okay let me put it this way; the taxi was going to a suburb in Accra known as South Africa.
A few people mostly living in Accra and Kumasi have shared the strange names of their areas and suburbs. Some of the names shared were Switzerland (a suburb in Ashaiman) Pakistan (in Awoshie), Jamaica (in Akim Oda) Small London (in Awutubereku), New York, Lebanon, Mexico and many others all being suburbs in Ashaiman. Ashaiman and Gomoa seem to be ‘continents’, almost all countries are found there.
Below are just few of the ‘countries’ in Ghana as shared by residents on Facebook:
- Mexico (Takoradi)
- Colombia (Takoradi)
- Namibia (Takoradi)
- New York (Takoradi)
- Jerusalem (Takoradi)
- Kuwait (Atonsu, Kumasi)
- Monaco (Atonsu, Kumasi)
- Jericho (Ashaiman)
- Jerusalem (Ashaiman)
- New York City (Ashaiman)
- Washington (Ashaiman)
- Lebanon (Ashaiman)
- Gulf City (Ashaiman)
- South Africa (Buokrom, Meduma Kumasi)
- Lapaz (Accra)
- New Japan (Sampa)
- New York (Bremang, Kumasi)
- Pakistan (Awoshie, Accra)
- Liberia (Kasoa)
- Korea (Mamponteng)
- Small London (Awutubereku)
- Jamaica (Akim Oda)
- Cambodia (Half Assini)
- Belgium (Akwatia)
- America (Gomoa)
- Russia (Gomoa)
- Germany (Gomoa)
- China (Gomoa)
- London (Gomoa)
- Spain (Gomoa)
- Barcelona (Gomoa)
- Norway (Gomoa)
- Turkey (Gomoa)
- Malawi (Gomoa)
- Burkina (Taifa)
- Dubai (Circle, Accra)
- Israel (Accra)
What is more interesting, one may tend to think these areas are actually named after these countries because perhaps they share similar attributes with those countries but that isn’t the case. There’s nothing New York in Ashaiman.
Dubai at Kwame Nkrumah Circle came bit close to Dubai, lol. See photo below:
So the next time a friend tells you on phone that he is in Liberia, South Africa, Lebanon, New York etc, be sure to ask for further clarification as the New York he is talking about could be the Ashaiman New York.
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