A monument has being unveiled at a site in Tema, Ghana, where the Greenwich Meridian runs southwards through the ocean to meet the equator at the centre of the earth making the country the closest to the centre.
The Greenwich meridian (longitude zero degrees) meets with latitude zero degrees at the south of Ghana. That point of intersection is the geographic centre which is 611km from Ghana. According to Lieutenant Commander Stephen Manu of the Ghana Navy who was onsite to explain the phenomenon, although the figure might seem big in real terms, it places Ghana as the most proximate country to the centre of the earth.
“You may think 611km is too high, but however, that’s the smallest distance from any country with reference to the centre of the earth, he stressed”
The site is located at Hole Seven of the Tema Country Golf Club where the unveiling was done last Saturday as part of the Year of Return edition of the annual Ghana-Centre of the World Golf Tournament organised by the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC) who are spearheading Ghana as the Centre of the Earth project.
Speaking to the Press on the sidelines of the event, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Barbara Oteng-Gyasi said government is desirous of developing a project around it to sell Ghana as the centre of the earth.
“This project comprises supporting the Tema Golf Club to develop the golf course into an international standard one which can host international golf tournaments here in Ghana. We are also going to develop a religious aspect to the project which is the Presbyterian Church, located in Community One which will be a religious pilgrimage site for tourists coming to Ghana.
“We are also going to build an iconic tower just like any tower that you can identify in other countries; for instance, the Eiffel Tower in Paris. We are also going to develop a Port for passenger cruise ships to dock in Ghana to come and see the positioning of Ghana as the Centre of the Earth”, the Minister said.
Stressing the importance of the passenger terminal for instance, CEO, GTDC, Kwadwo Antwi said it will be a great way of boosting the country’s tourism receipts.
“We are working with the authorities at Ghana Ports to be able to develop a passenger terminal for cruise ships. We have been told from their manifest that there are cruise ships passing upwards of 15,000 and 30,000 people. So we’ve asked ourselves what it would look like if we are able to discharge all these people for the purposes of holiday and for reveling.
“If they came here to our country it means our hotels are full, our restaurants are full, it means transportation services will be patronized, it means there will be people buying our arts and craft. So that is what is driving us to be able to create this ecosystem that not just create opportunity for people to have pleasure but to do business and to develop the country’s GDP as well,” averred Antwi
Mrs. Oteng-Gyasi said with consultants at the final stages of designs and estimates, the project will take off soon.
“Currently we have engaged consultants who are working very hard to finalise the designs and estimates for the projects. Once that is done, GTDC who is the agency in the forefront of the project will seek investors to collaborate with in order to realize the project.
We hope that by the end of next year we will have something on the ground to show for the Centre of the World project,” the Minister assured.
Source: Voyages Afriq
Sure, let's dive into the concepts mentioned in the article about the monument unveiled at the site in Tema, Ghana, where the Greenwich Meridian intersects with the equator, making Ghana the closest country to the center of the Earth.
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Greenwich Meridian (Longitude Zero Degrees): This is the line of 0 degrees longitude, used as the reference point for measuring longitude. It runs from the North Pole to the South Pole, passing through Greenwich, London, and serves as the basis for the world's time zones.
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Equator (Latitude Zero Degrees): The equator is an imaginary line that divides the Earth into northern and southern hemispheres. It's located at 0 degrees latitude and is the midpoint between the North Pole and the South Pole.
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Geographic Center of the Earth: The point where the Greenwich Meridian (longitude zero degrees) intersects with the equator (latitude zero degrees), marking the theoretical center of the Earth. In this case, it's stated that this intersection point is 611 kilometers from Ghana.
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Tema, Ghana: The specific location where the monument has been unveiled, denoting the intersection of the Greenwich Meridian and the equator. The unveiling took place at Hole Seven of the Tema Country Golf Club during the Year of Return edition of the Ghana-Centre of the World Golf Tournament.
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Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC): The organization leading the "Ghana as the Centre of the Earth" project. They aim to promote Ghana's position as the closest country to the Earth's center and are planning various developments to boost tourism.
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Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Barbara Oteng-Gyasi: The government official responsible for the tourism sector, expressing the government's intentions to develop the site further for tourism purposes. Plans include upgrading the golf course, religious pilgrimage sites, an iconic tower, and a passenger cruise ship terminal to attract tourists.
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Development Plans: The project involves multiple facets, including developing the golf course to international standards, creating religious pilgrimage sites, building an iconic tower similar to landmarks in other countries, and establishing a passenger terminal for cruise ships to dock and bring in tourists.
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Economic Impact and Tourism: Emphasis is placed on the economic benefits of tourism, with predictions of increased revenue from accommodations, restaurants, transportation, art, and craft sales due to the influx of tourists visiting the site.
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Project Timeline and Investment: Consultants are working on designs and estimates for the project. The GTDC will seek investors to collaborate on realizing these developments, with the aim of having visible progress on the ground by the end of the following year.
The article outlines how Ghana aims to leverage its geographic position as the closest country to the center of the Earth for tourism and economic development, with plans for significant infrastructure and tourism-related projects.
