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Ghana is situated on the southern coast of the West African bulge and is bordered to the east by Togo, to the west by the Ivory Coast, to the south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and northwest by Burkina Fasso.
The coastline consists mostly of a low sandy, foreshore behind which stretches the coastal plain, except in the west where the forest comes down to the sea. The forest belt extends northward from the western coast and then eastward is broken up into heavily wooded hills and steep ridges. North of the forest is undulating savannah drained by the Black Volta and White Volta rivers, which join and flow south to the sea through a narrow gap in the hills. Apart from the Volta, only the Pra and the Ankobra rivers permanently pierce the sand dunes, most of the other rivers terminate in brackish lagoons. There are no natural harbours. Ghana has a rich natural heritage. A narrow grassy plain stretches inland from the coast, widening in the east, while the south and west are covered by dense rainforests which are being developed into nature parks, such as the national park at Kakum, for ecologically-minded tourists.
Although Ghana's national parks and game reserves are relatively small compared to other African countries, species of antelope. There are a few international chain hotels in Ghana, all located in the capital. Even in Accra, 4- and 5-star hotels are not common. There are hotels, hostels, park lodges and guest houses throughout the country, although they are mainly concentrated in the urban centres. International food is available in most large hotels and many restaurants serve a range of local traditional foods. In Accra there are also restaurants serving Middle Eastern, Chinese, French and other European cuisine.
On the coast, prawns and other seafood are popular and very tasty. While most visits to Ghana are trouble-free, violent crime can occur at any time. Travellers are advised to exercise a high level of vigilance in public areas, and when travelling by road. Localised outbreaks of civil unrest can occur at short notice due to ongoing local chieftaincy and land disputes. You should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners. You can get around by air, road or rail.
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