Techiman


Techiman is a town and is the capital of Techiman Municipal and Bono East Region of Ghana. Techiman is a leading market town in South Ghana. Techiman is one of the two major cities and settlements of Bono East region. Techiman has a settlement population of 104,212 people in 2013. Techiman is located at a historical crossroads of trade routes and the Tano River, and serves as capital of the Techiman Municipal District.

History

According to oral tradition, all the Akans including the Ashantis come from Bono. The Fantes, according to their oral tradition, migrated from Techiman to found the coastal Mankessim Kingdom and present Central region in 1252. Others from the Akan people would later follow and formed their own states and city states, such as the now extinct Adanse state, the Akyem and Akwamu states, among others. After Bono Manso, capital of the Bono state, was taken by the Ashanti Empire in 1723, then the Bono-Techiman state was founded in 1740 under Ashanti sovereignty.. However, all the Akans including the Ashantis according to oral tradition settled and migrated from Bono and were part of the Bono State until when the Bono State was conquered in war by the Ashantis.

Climate

Demographics

The population has grown rapidly in recent decades, doubling between the 1970 and 1984 censuses, and again doubling by the next census in 2000. The estimate of 79,547 in 2007, is nine times the population that the town had in 1960.

Culture

Techiman has started the construction of a modern culture centre. The purpose of the centre is the preservation of the traditions of the Bono nation. Techiman celebrates the annual Apoo in April/May – a kind of Mardi Gras. Before 2009, the celebration of Apoo had been suspended for several years due to the decease of the Bonoman king. The climax of the Apoo is the durbar of the king through Techiman. In August, an annual yam ceremony takes place and it marks the end of the yam production in the Brong-Ahafo Region towns of Techiman and Wenchi.

Transport

Techiman is connected by road to Sunyani and its domestic airport, the Sunyani Airport. Techiman is not yet serviced by a railway station on the Ghana Railway Corporation, and it has been proposed that a line be extended to Techiman. The Tano River is a navigable river.
A study of traffic in Techiman in March 2007 found a breakdown of 34% for taxis, 31% for pedestrians, 10% for buses and vans, 7% for bicycles, 6% for motorbikes, 5% for cars and 7% for "other" modes of transportation. Of bicyclists, a focus of the study, 49% travelled for work, 18% for school, 14% for recreation and 6% for touring.

Sister city

Techiman, in partnership with nearby Sunyani, currently has a sister city relationship with:
CountryCityCounty / District / Region / StateDate
Tuscaloosa

On 11 October 2012, Techiman and Sunyani municipalities signed a Memorandum of Understanding to seal their sister-city relationship with Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International of Alabama State in the United state.

Literature