The Upper West Region of Ghana lies in the northwestern corner of the country, flanked to the east by the Upper East Region, to the south by the Northern Region, and to the west and north by Burkina Faso. Wa is the regional center and largest township in the Upper West.
Under the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) military dictatorship, the Upper West was established in 1983 by the then-Head of State, Flight-Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings. The previous Upper Region, which is now the Upper East Region, was created out of this area. It was the youngest region in Ghana for almost 35 years before the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government added six more regions in 2018, bringing the total number of administrative regions in Ghana to sixteen.
It is made up of 11 districts and is Ghana’s seventh largest region in terms of total area. The Upper West Region has the potential for international and inter-regional trade and other bi-lateral relations due to its location, but the spillover of disasters from the region’s neighbors, such as bush fires, diseases and pestilence, armed robbery, and so on, also represent a danger.
The major ethnic groups are the Dagaba, Sisaala and Wala. The Dagaba live in the western part of the region, the Sisaala live in the eastern areas, and the Wala live in Wa and a few of the nearby villages.
Agriculture is the most important economic activity in the Upper West Region. Corn, millet, peanuts, okra, shea tree, and rice are among the crops planted. Meat and eggs are produced from sheep, goats, chickens, pigs, and guinea fowl. Many people pack up and leave to work in the southern section due to the region’s long dry season, which lasts roughly from October to May.
Districts in Upper West and their capitals
| Number | District | Capital |
| 1. | Daffiama-Bussie-Iss | Issa |
| 2 | Jirapa | Jirapa |
| 3 | Lambussie-Karni | Lambussie |
| 4 | Lawra | Lawra |
| 5 | Nadowli-Kaleo | Nadowli |
| 6 | Nandom | Nandom |
| 7 | Sissala East | Tumu |
| 8 | Sissala West | Gwollu |
| 9 | Wa East | Funsi |
| 10. | Wa Municipal | Wa |
| 11 | Wa West | Wechiau |