Tamale (pronounced tah-mah-lay) is the capital of the Northern Region of Ghana, with about 1,854,994 people. Mamprusis, Frafras, Moshies, Gonjas and Dagombas who are the custodians of the land mostly inhabit it. Dagombas speak Dagbani and the majority of the inhabitants are followers of Islam. It is located in the northern part of the country, where the vegetation is Lowland Savannah, consisting of grasslands with drought-resistant trees. The city is like a conglomeration of villages, with many people living in traditional mud brick houses with thatched roofs. Many of these mud block compounds have TV antennae and electricity wires. Tamale has electricity, which is transported from the Akosombo Dam on Lake Volta. The electricity service has been relatively reliable. During periods of drought, Tamale experiences rolling blackouts because of the rationing of electricity (and water through the dam). Telephone service is available in Tamale. Landlines may be acquired from the telephone company (Ghana Telecom). Cell phones are also widely used in Tamale. There are several Internet cafes located on the major roads in Tamale. The Internet cafes are connected through Africa Online, which also offers dialup service to home users. Africa Online's Tamale office has a 256 kbit/s satellite link, which is connected to a proxy server for web surfing. All direct TCP/IP traffic is channelled through a 64 kbit/s line to Accra, the capital city. Thus, the World Wide Web is perfectly usable in Tamale, but all other Internet applications experience packet loss and intermittent problems. In Tamale there are several Guesthouses and Hotels who have maintained their responsible duties to the highest level. Restaurants are not left out; Tamale holds the cheapest food service of restaurant in Ghana, which encourages not only strangers but also inhabitants to patronize. Some favourite restaurants in Tamale include Sparkles situated at the Centre for National Culture and Giddipass sited at the heart of the city a few meters from the city's main traffic lights. There are numerous NGOs with offices in assistance to the up growing of the city. Some of these are SYTO, NORGHAVO, and CMB among others who perform marvellous income generating and developmental activities. Transportation in Tamale varies in different ways comparative to other cities in Ghana. Many people choose to buy a bicycle or motorbike, which can take you quickly to most areas in Tamale. Other people prefer to use taxi services, which are very inexpensive. Transportation to neighbouring towns and other cities in Ghana are frequent and reliable. There are several different hospitals located in Tamale, equipped with most necessary technology. Being treated for most anything would be possible in Tamale.