Volta Region is in the south eastern part of the country and it occupies a land surface of about 10,239km2. It is bounded on the north by the Oti Region of Ghana, south by the Gulf of Guinea, on the west by the Volta Lake and on the east by the Republic of Togo.
Across the length of the region, there is a clear variation in topography and vegetation with flat grasslands in the south, semi-deciduous forest in the middle zone and semi- savannah woodland to the north. The northern and middle belts are drained by the River Dayi which flow into the Volta Lake. The rivers Alabo and Tordzi drain the southern belt. The northern zone has riverine communities where boat transport is vital. The middle and southern sectors of the region have a similar climate with a rainy and dry season. The rainy season runs from April to November with peaks in June and October. The dry season is from December to March. The northern belt also has two seasons; wet and dry. The wet season is from May to October with a peak in August whilst the dry season is from November to April.
The road network in the region is generally poor with the worst being in the northern zone, thus requiring robust and sturdy vehicles for travel in those areas. River transport is used to reach the island communities created as a result of the construction of the Volta dam in some of the Districts such as Kpando and South Dayi. During the rainy season, accessibility is even more difficult and sometimes impossible. This affects service delivery in these areas. Although, telecommunication has improved, the situation is still poor in some parts of the region.
The Region has 18 administrative districts with Ho as the regional capital. The districts are South Tongu, Keta, Anloga, Ketu South, Ketu North, Akatsi South, Akatsi North, North Tongu, South Tongu, Central Tongu, Ho, Kpando, Hohoe, Afadjato South, Ho West, Agortime-Ziope, North Dayi and South Dayi. There are 2752 communities in the region, most of which are small settlements.
The main economic activity of the people in the region is agriculture which makes up 70% of all forms of employment. This consists of farming, fishing and animal rearing. The major crops are cassava, maize, yam, shallots and cocoa. The scale of farming is usually at subsistence level. Fishing is predominant along the coast and is also done on the Volta Lake. Cattle-rearing is common mostly in the savannah belts of the south and north. About 20% of the population is engaged in formal employment mainly by government (ministries, departments and agencies). The remaining 10% is made up of textile, manufacturing of low volume gun-smithing and small-scale artisans. The literacy rate of the region is about 49%.
The region has a total population of 1,955,371 with estimated growth rate of 2.4% based on the 2010 national population census figure. The population density is 87 km2 with 30% of the population living in the urban areas whilst 70% are in the rural areas.
