Ghana

Republic of Ghana Ghana
Motto: "Freedom and Justice"
Anthem: "God Bless Our Homeland Ghana"
Capital (and largest city)		Accra 5°33′N 0°15′W
Official languages		English
Government		Constitutional democracy
-	President	John Kufuor
Republic
-	from the UK	1 July 1960
Area
-	Total	238,533 km² (81st) 92,098 sq mi
-	Water (%)	3.5
Population
-	2005 estimate	22,113,0001 (49th)
GDP (PPP)		2005 estimate
-	Total	$55.2 billion (72nd)
-	Per capita	$2,643 (127th)
Currency		Cedi (GHC)
Time zone		GMT
Internet TLD		.gh
Calling code		+233
1 note: Estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.)

For other uses, see Ghana (disambiguation).

Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, was the first black African country to obtain independence from colonial rule. That occurred in 1957 under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah, the anti-colonial leader who served as the first president. As the nation's founder, he was in a position to propagage his pan-African, anti-capitalist views, and opposition was not tolerated. He was overthrown in 1966 by army officers dissatisfied with his dictatorial ways.

History

The earliest recorded site of probable human habitation within modern Ghana was about 10,000 B.C.E. Pottery dating from the Stone Age (4,000 B.C.E.) was found near Accra.

Starting in the late thirteenth century, Ghana was inhabited by a number of ancient kingdoms, including an inland kingdom within the Ashanti Confederacy and various Fante states along the coast. Trade with European states flourished after contact with the Portuguese in the fifteenth century. But one of the chief exports of the region was human slaves, more than six million of whom were shipped to plantations in the Americas. Millions more died during the overland march from inland areas to the coast, while imprisoned before loading, and on the ships crossing the Atlantic. The west coast of Africa became the principal source of slaves for the New World, overshadowing trading for gold. As other nations moved in to participate in this lucrative trade, the Portuguese were edged out. The British finally gained the dominant position and established a colony, known as Gold Coast, in 1874.

Once the United Kingdom granted independence, the name Ghana was chosen for the new nation, a reference to an empire of earlier centuries. This name is mostly symbolic, as the ancient Empire of Ghana was located to the north and west of current-day Ghana. But the descendants of that ancient empire migrated south and east and currently reside in Ghana.

Politics

Ghana is a republic. President John Agyekum Kufuor was first elected in 2000 and reelected in 2004 for a four-year term. The Parliament of Ghana is unicameral and dominated by two main parties, the New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress. ]]

After Nkrumah was overthrown, a series of subsequent coups ended with the ascension to power of Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings in 1981. Rawlings suspended the constitution in 1981 and banned political parties. A new constitution, restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1992, and Rawlings was elected in free elections (which the opposition boycotted) that year and in 1996. The constitution prohibited him from running for a third term.

The capital of Ghana is Accra, with a population of 1.9 million people. Ghana is divided into ten regions, which are then subdivided into a total of 138 districts. The regions are as follows:

Ashanti Brong Ahafo Central Eastern Greater Accra

Northern Upper East Upper West Volta Western

Economy

Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance. It receives about $1 billion per year in foreign aid, a figure that accounts for 10 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP). As one of the world's poorest countries, it was granted total debt cancellation by the Group of Eight in 2005. In his inauguration speech in 2005, President Kufuor reconfirmed his government's commitment to government accountability, capacity building, agricultural development, and privatization.

Although the British have been the traditional main source of aid, China in 2006 promised about $66 million to fund development projects as part of its drive to open export markets and secure energy and mineral supplies.

Ghana is Africa's second biggest exporter of gold, after South Africa. Timber and cocoa (introduced by the British) are other major sources of foreign exchange.

The domestic economy continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 40 percent of GDP and employs 60 percent of the work force, mainly small landholders.

Geography

Map of Ghana

File:Ghana sat.png

Satellite image of Ghana, generated from raster graphics data supplied by The Map Library

Ghana borders the Ivory Coast to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It is located on the Gulf of Guinea, only a few degrees north of the Equator. The coastline is mostly a low, sandy shore backed by plains and scrub and intersected by several rivers and streams. A tropical rain forest belt, broken by heavily forested hills and many streams and rivers, extends northward from the shore. North of this belt, the land is covered by low bush, parklike savanna, and grassy plains.

The climate is tropical. The eastern coastal belt is warm and comparatively dry (see Dahomey Gap); the southwest corner, hot and humid; and the north, hot and dry. Lake Volta, the world's largest artificial lake, extends through large portions of eastern Ghana.

Demographics

Ghana is comprised of the following ethnic groups: black African 99.8 percent (major tribes: Akan 44 percent, Moshi-Dagomba 16 percent, Ewe 13 percent, Ga 8 percent), European and other 0.2 percent.

The major religions are: Christian, 63 percent; indigenous beliefs, 21 percent; Muslim, 16 percent

English is the official language. Nine languages have the status of government-sponsored languages: Akan, Dagaare/Wale, Dagbane, Dangme, Ewe, Ga, Gonja, Kasem, and Nzema.

Culture

A man weaves kente cloth using a traditional loom in Bonwire (a village) in Ashanti region, Ghana.

Perhaps the most visible (and most marketable) cultural contribution from modern Ghana is Kente cloth, which is widely recognized and valued for its colors and symbolism. Kente cloth is made by skilled Ghanaian weavers, and the major weaving centers in and around Kumasi (Bonwire is known as the home of Kente, though areas of Volta Region also lay claim to the title) are full of weavers throwing their shuttles back and forth as they make long strips of Kente. These strips can then be sewn together to form the larger wraps that are worn by some Ghanaians (chiefs especially) and are purchased by tourists in Accra and Kumasi. The colors and patterns of the Kente are carefully chosen by the weaver and the wearer. Each symbol woven into the cloth has a special meaning within Ghanaian culture.

Kente is one of the symbols of the Ghanaian chieftaincy, which remains strong throughout the south and central regions of the country, particularly in the areas populated by members of the culturally and politically dominant Ashanti tribe. The Ashanti's paramount chief, known as the Asantehene, is perhaps the most revered individual in the central part of the country. Like other Ghanaian chiefs, he wears bright Kente, gold bracelets, rings, and amulets, and is always accompanied by numerous ornate umbrellas (which are also a symbol of the chieftaincy). The most sacred symbol of the Ashanti people is the Golden Stool, a small golden throne in which the spirit of the people is said to reside. It is kept in safekeeping in Kumasi, the cultural capital of the Ashanti people and the seat of the Asantehene's palace. Though the chieftaincy across Ghana has been weakened by allegations of corruption and cooperation with colonial oppression, it remains a vital institution in Ghana.

Because of their location, the northern regions of Ghana exhibit cultural ties with other Sahelian countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, and northern Nigeria. Although those tribes are not indigenous to the area, there is strong Hausa and Mande influence in the culture of the northern Ghanaian peoples. The dominant tribe in this part of Ghana are the Dagomba. Northern Ghanaians are known for their traditional long flowing robes and musical styles that are distinct from those of the southern and central regions. Tuo Zaafi, made from pounded rice, is a specialty from this region that has become a staple across Ghana.

The Larabanga mosque in Larabanga is the oldest mosque in Ghana and one of the oldest in West Africa, dating from the twelfth century. It is an excellent example of the Sudanese Architecture style, of which other examples include the Djenné Mosque in Mali and the Grand Mosque in Agadez, Niger.

After Independence, the Ghanaian music scene flourished, particularly the up-tempo, danceable style known as highlife, which is still played consistently at the local clubs and bars, often called spots. Many Ghanaians are adept drummers, and it is not unusual to hear traditional drum ensembles play at social events or performances.

Hiplife, another genre of music in Ghana, is now in stiff competition with the more established highlife for airplay on local radio stations and at nightclubs. A movement that started in the mid 1990s, hiplife is effectively a Ghanaian version of hip hop rap music, with raps basically in the local dialects. Hiplife in present-day Ghana arguably represents youth culture in general. Slowly but surely, hiplife is surpassing "western music" in terms of airplay, whereas ten years ago the opposite was true.

Education

Ghana has 12,630 primary schools, 5,450 junior secondary schools, 503 senior secondary schools, 21 training colleges, 18 technical institutions, two diploma-awarding institutions and five universities serving a population of 18 million; this means that most Ghanaians have relatively easy access to good education. In contrast, at the time of independence in 1957, Ghana had only one university and a handful of secondary and primary schools. In the past decade, Ghana's spending on education has been between 28 percent and 40 percent of its annual budget. Teaching is mainly in English.

Primary and middle school education is free and will be mandatory when enough teachers and facilities are available to accommodate all students. Under educational reforms implemented in 1987, children pass into a new junior secondary school system for three years of academic training combined with technical and vocational training.

Those wishing to continue their education move into the three-year senior secondary school program. Entrance to universities is by examination following completion of senior secondary school. School enrollment totals almost 2 million: 1.3 million primary; 107,600 middle; 48,900 secondary; 21,280 technical; 11,300 teacher training; and 5,600 university.

Miscellaneous topics

• Communications in Ghana
• Foreign relations of Ghana
• Roman Catholicism in Ghana
• Islam in Ghana
• List of Ghanaian companies
• List of writers from Ghana
• Military of Ghana
• Public Holidays in Ghana
• Transport in Ghana
• The Ghana Scout Association

External links

Government

• The Republic of Ghana official government site
• The Parliament of Ghana official site
• National Commission on Culture official site

Overviews

• BBC Country Profile - Ghana
• Encyclopaedia Britannica, Country Page - Ghana
• CIA World Factbook - Ghana
• Open Directory Project - Ghana directory category
• US State Department — Ghana includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports
• Guide to African Countries — Ghana
• myZongo Ghana News
• Ghana Find Classifieds

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