Sekondi-Takoradi

Sekondi-Takoradi (/səˈkənˈdɪ tɑːˈkəˈrɑːˈdi/ seh-kon-DEE tar-ku-wh-DEE) is a city in Ghana comprising the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi. It is the capital of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan District and the Western Region of Ghana. Sekondi-Takoradi is the region's largest city as well as an industrial and commercial center with a population of 245,382 people, according to the 2021 census. Since 2021 the mayor of the city and the metropolitan area has been Abdul-Mumin Issah. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah is the current member of parliament for Takoradi and Armah Blay Nyameke for Sekondi.

Both cities grew from Dutch and English forts built around the 17th century. After a railway and a deepwater seaport was built in Sekondi and Takoradi in 1903 and 1928, both cities became important economic sectors in Ghana. They merged in 1946.

Leading industries in the city are timber, cocoa processing, plywood, shipbuilding, its harbour and railway repair, and recently, sweet crude oil and crude oil. The most common occupation in Sekondi-Takoradi is fishing. Sekondi-Takoradi lies on the main railway lines to Kumasi.

Sekondi is a name derived from the Old Prussian word "Taccarary", which meant "second" after the settlement was chosen as the second location for a shallow water harbour. The origins of Takoradi is conflicted but in one account it is a combination of the Portuguese word "taccarada" or "Taccarary" (Old Prussian) and an Ahanta word "ntakor".

Sekondi, the older and larger of the two towns, was the site of Fort Orange, Fort Witsen, and Fort Sekondi, all built in the 17th century by the Dutch. During this time, there was a huge British and Dutch influence in the town to the point where there was two political divisions: “Dutch Sekondi” and “British Sekondi”. Both collapsed after the Dutch left in 1872. The town prospered from a railroad built in 1903 to transport mineral and timber resources from the hinterland. In 1928, Ghana's first deepwater seaport was built in Takoradi.

During World War II, RAF Takoradi was an important staging point for British aircraft destined for Egypt. Spitfire fighter planes were shipped in crates from England to Takoradi where they were assembled and then flown via Nigeria and Sudan to Libya. 26 Squadron SAAF was also based in Takoradi during the conflict, flying anti-submarine and convoy protection patrols over the Atlantic. Some South African airmen are buried in the Takoradi European Public cemetery.

Both cities amalgamated on 2 December 1946. On 20 November 1969, the city became the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sekondi–Takoradi.

The city is an important commercial center in Ghana with an industrialized economy. Its location on the coast makes it an essential hub for fishing and trading activities. The Albert Bosomtwi-Sam Fishing Harbour, located in Sekondi. It is one of the largest fishing ports in the region. Historically it was a center for the timber and cocoa industries as these resources were transported into the city for export. The Takoradi Harbour and the Takoradi Market Circle are also an important sector in the city's economy. The discovery of oil in the region in 2010 have resulted in Sekondi-Takoradi to be known as the "Oil City".