Accra (/əˈkrɑː/; Twi: Nkran; Dagbani: Ankara; Ga: Ga or Gaga) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean.[3] Accra covers an area of 225.67 km2 (87.13 sq mi) with an estimated urban population of 4.2 million as of 2020.[4] It is organized into 12 local government districts – 11 municipal districts and the Accra Metropolitan District, which is the only district within the capital to be granted city status.[5][6][7] "Accra" usually refers to the Accra Metropolitan Area, which serves as the capital of Ghana, while the district under the jurisdiction of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly is distinguished from the rest of the capital as the "City of Accra".[8] In common usage, however, the terms "Accra" and "City of Accra" are used interchangeably.

Formed from the merger of distinct settlements around British Fort James, Dutch Fort Crêvecoeur (Ussher Fort), and Danish Fort Christiansborg as Jamestown, Usshertown, and Christiansborg respectively, Accra served as the capital of the British Gold Coast between 1877 and 1957 and has since transitioned into a modern metropolis. The capital's architecture reflects this history, ranging from 19thcentury colonial architecture to modern skyscrapers and apartment blocks.[9]

Accra is the Greater Accra Region's economic and administrative hub and serves as the anchor of the larger Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA),[10] which is inhabited by about 4 million people, making it the thirteenthlargest metropolitan area in Africa. In 2020, the Globalization and World Cities Research Network think tank designated Accra as a "Gamma −" level global city, indicating a growing level of international influence and connectedness