KWAHU PLATEAU

plateau, southern Ghana. It comprises the uplifted southern edge of the Volta River basin and extends for 160 miles (260 km) northwest-southeast from Wenchi to Koforidua. It forms the main watershed of Ghana, separating rivers in the western half of Ghana that flow due south to the Atlantic Ocean (Birim, Pra, Ankobra) from those of the Volta system (Afram, Pru, Sene) in the eastern half of the country. With an average elevation of 1,500 feet (460 m) and bordered north and south by bold erosional scarps, the plateau is deeply dissected by valleys and marked by prominent peaks (Mount Akwawa, 2,586 feet ). To the south it borders dense forest country, which it shields from the harmattan winds of the interior. Cacao cultivation has been introduced in the west, through which traditional trade routes lead to the Atlantic; vegetable cultivation is stressed in the eastern sector. Wenchi, Mampong, Mpraeso, and Abetifi are the principal towns.