Mankessim as a name, means OMAN KESE (the big town). Relativelly, Mankessim is the largest of the many small
towns and rural communities (villages) that make up the Mfantseman West and East districts.
It
is bordered to the south by a coastal town of Saltpond, to the East side by the Ekumfi communities, and the West by Nkwanta
and Krofu villages. Its shares northern boundary with Enyan Maim and Ajumako communities respectivelly.
Centrally
located, Mankessim is the hub of commercial activities with a local central market that serves all the surrounding villages
and fishing communities in the Central region. Traders come from all over Ghana as well as from foreign countries.
Mfantsiman Municipal (Culled from GhanaDistricts.com)
Mfantsiman Municipality is located along the Atlantic coastline cf the Central Region of Ghana and extends from latitudes
5* T to 5* 20’ North of the Equator and longitudes 0* 44’ to 1* 11’ West of the Greenwich Meridian, stretching
for about 21 kilometers along the coastline and for about 13 kilometers inland and constituting an area of 612 square kilometers.
The Municipal capital is Saltpond.
The Municipal is bounded to the West and Northwest by Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District,
to the East by Gomoa District and to the South by the Atlantic Ocean.
Hon. Henry Hayfron
Population According to the 2000 Population and Housing Census, the
district has a total population of 152,264 comprising 69,670 males and 82,594 females and these are to be found in 168 settlements.
The district population constitutes almost 7% of the Central Region population and relating it to the 1984 Census and the
various intermediate extrapolations the annual rate of population growth is estimated as 2.8%. About 2.4% of the population
live in areas classified as urban.
Salpond, the District capital has a population of the second largest town
by population Mankessim, which is also an important commercial center has a population of about 20,000.
Location and Size Mfantseman District is located along the Atlantic coastline
cf the Central Region of Ghana and extends from latitudes 5* T to 5* 20’ North of the Equator and longitudes 0* 44’
to 1* 11’ West of the Greenwich Meridian, stretching for about 21 kilometers along the coastline and for about 13 kilometers
inland and constituting an area of 612 square kilometers. The District capital is Saltpond. The District is bounded to the
West and Northwest by Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District, to the East by Gomoa District and to the South by the Atlantic Ocean.
Relief, Geology and Drainage The Mfantseman District is basically a low-lying area with
loose quaternary sands. The area has an elevation lower than 60m above sea level. Along the coasts are cretaceous— Eocene
marine sands with thin pebbly sands and some limestone. The District consists of upper and lower Birrimian rocks and intrusive
Tarkwaian rocks. These rocks have metallogenetic materials (metals), which include:
Precious metals
Light metals
Base metals such as talc and diamonds.
The Mfantseman District is drained by a number of rivers and streams including the Narkwa, Amisa (Ochi) and Bruka. The
rivers Narkwa and Amisa drain into the sea via the Narkwa and Amisa lagoons at Narkwa and Amisano.
The other rivers in the area are the Nkasaku, which empties into the Atufa lagoon in Saltpond, and Aworaba, which drains into
Etsi lagoon in great Kormantse. Other lagoons in the area are the Eko near Anomabu, the Egya at Egyaa and Kwasinzema at Kormantse
into which flow small streams and rivulets.
Climate The
Mfantseman District with its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean has mild temperatures, which range between 24° C and 28°C due
to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. It has a relative humidity of about 70 per cent. The district experiences double maxima
rainfall with peaks in May—June and October. Annual totals of rainfall range between 90 cm and 110 cm in the Coastal
Savanna areas and between 110 cm and 160 cm in the interior close to the margin of the forest zone. The periods December—
February and July to early September are much drier than the rest of the year.
Vegetation This
consists of dense scrub tangle and grass, which grow to an average height of 4.5 m. It is believed that the District was once
forested, but has been systematically destroyed through centuries of bad environmental practices. However, pockets of relatively
dense forest can be found around fetish groves and isolated areas. These physical characteristics have combined effectively
to offer opportunities in agriculture (farming and fishing) to the people. The proximity to the sea has made fishing a major
activity along the coastal towns and villages notable among which are Biriwa, Saltpond, Otuam, Abandze and Kormantse.
’Further,
the effective interactions among climate, soils and rivers/streams have made farming possible especially in the inland areas.
Among the crops cultivated are cocoa, oil palm, pineapples, oranges, plantain, cocoyam and coconut. Also significant
are the exploitation of kaolin for building, ceramic material, talc, granite and silica. These gave rise to the building of
the Saltpond Ceramics Factory (now Ghana Ceramics Company) The District also has oil deposits, which are being exploited off
the coast of Saltpond.
Mfantsiman Municipal » Members of Parliament as at 2009
