Ghana is a small African country on the western coast. It is filled with a colorful people who are rich in cultures and who have recently started to make big changes within their country.
Ghana is on the West Coast of Africa 750 km north of the equator. It stretches 672 km north to south and 536 km east to west. Ghana is surrounded by Bokina Faso on the north, Togo on the east, the Gulf of Guinea on the South, and Cote d’lvoire on the west (Location, 1994 [on-line]).
The land is relativity flat with over half the land under 200km above sea level. The Volta Basin is a sandstone plateau in the center of the country that takes up about 45% of Ghana land. The two main mountain chains are the Akuapem-Togo and the Oti Mountain in the eastern part of the country. The Black Volta River and the White Volta River flow together to form the main Volta River (Middleton 231). The Volta River also consists of the Lake Volta, which is formed by the Akosombo hydroelectric dam making the lake the largest artificial lake in the world(Land, 1994 [on-line]).
The northern part of the country is a Sudanese climate. The tree bearing Savannah is known for the Indian butter tree, the nere, and the baobab. The southwestern part of Ghana has a tropical climate. The rain forest here is greatly diminished due to being exploited. The southeastern region is drier wooded savanna rich in oil (Uwechue 798).
Cocoa is Ghana’s largest export at 53,9%. Also exported are logs and lumber, food and live animals, gold, bauxite, and maganese ore and diamonds (Grossman, 4.20-4.29). Agriculturally Ghana exports pineapples, kola nuts, cottonseed, and palm kernels. Tema, Accra, Kumasi, and Sekondi-Takoradi are the major production and manufacturing cities of Ghana. Locally produced are rubber, cotton, and oil palms. Agriculture employees 50% of the economically active population (Middleton, 234).
Ghana has a tropical climate with a moderate temperature that averages between 70 to 90 F year round, which is often accompanied by a constant breeze and sunshine. The year is divided into seasons by its two rainy seasons. The first one is from March to July and the second is from September to October. They are separated by a short dry season in August and a longer one from mid October to March. The average annual rainfall is 2030mm but varies greatly throughout the country with the heaviest rainfall in the western region and the least amount in the north (Climate, 1994 [on-line]).
Ghana is a highly populated country for one of its size. From 1955 to 1995 there was a population increase of 11,694,000. By the year 2015, there is an expected population of 30,254,000. The majority of the population is younger than 25 (Grossman, 4.20-4.29). The population density is 52 persons per square kilometer. The population is largely concentrated in the southern part, with the densest areas being urban areas and cocoa producing areas. The largest populated region is Ashanti with about 2 million people (Population, 1994 [on-line]).
The people of Ghana are very diverse. There are nine principal ethic groups including: Akans, Guans, Ewes, Dagombas, Gas, Gonjas, Dagabas, Walas, and Frafras. There are seven major languages among the people with English being the official one(The People, 1996 [on-line]). There is complete religious freedom in Ghana. The Protestants and traditional religion make up over half of the population. Among others are Roman Catholic, African Christian, and Muslim (Grossman, 4.20-4.29). The people of Ghana celebrate Independence Day, Republic Day, and Boxing Day. The Christians celebrate Christmas and Easter. They have their own festivals one of which is Homowo, or the Hooting at Harvest festival. Another festival is Akwambo, or the Path Clearing festival. Ewas celebrate yam harvest with a yam festival marking the New Year (Grossman, 4.20-4.29).
Ghana has numerous grammar, secondary, basic, commercial, technical and vocational institutions throughout the country. There are also five universities for higher education. The literacy rate in Ghana is 60%; 70% of the males are literate but only 51% of the females are (Grossman, 4.20-4.29). A functional literacy program has been started to target illiterate adults, (The People, 1996 [on-line]).
Ghana has very reasonable health services when compared to the rest of Africa. All regional capitals and most districts have hospitals and clinics for the people. Two teaching hospitals have been established to treat special cases that might occur. There are also a number of mission organizations and privately owned clinics around the country. Traditional herbal medicine and psychic healing are also practiced as methods of healing. There is a special government Herbal Medicine Hospital and Research Centre at Akwapim-Mampong (The People, 1996 [on-line]).
Ghana’s currency is the new cedi, which is equivalent to 0.0004 American dollars. Their foreign debt has risen from 1398 million US dollars in 1980 to 4590 million in 1993. The Gross National Product (GNP) in 1993 was $25.0 billion and the GNP per capita in ’93 was $1500. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) real growth rate in ’93 was 4.8% (Grossman, 4.20-4.29).
Ghana’s Volta River has six 127-mw turbines at Akosombo that generate the majority of its electricity. Volta Aluminum Company, owned by the US, uses 60% of that output. Electricity is sometimes produced by diesel units operated by the State Electricity Corporation and also by a hydroelectric plant near Akosombo. They have a nuclear reactor plant but it is not used for energy production, it is used for aiding agricultural and geological surveys and medicine (Uwechue, 805).
Ghana has long had a history of change. In the eleventh century AD, the ancient kingdom of Ghana had control over the gold trade between the mining areas in the south and the trade routes to the north. They were also experts in the Saharan copper and salt trading (Brief Political History and Government, 1996 [on-line]).
When the Europeans came to Ghana, things began to change greatly. The Portuguese were the first to come in search of gold. They found that it was too far inland for them to mine themselves so they established a trade path along the already established trade routes. The Portuguese built a series of forts along the shore to discourage other Europeans from infringing on their newfound riches (Brief Political History and Government, 1996 [on-line]).
Slaves soon became new commodities for the Portuguese and their many forts were used as holding grounds for slaves and materials they traded for them. Other European countries also turned to Africa to profit from gold and slaves (Brief Political History and Government, 1996 [on-line]).
As the Europeans fought over African trade, two small states emerged in Ghana, the Asante and the Fantes. By the nineteenth century the Asante wanted to have control over the coast which was now occupied by the British. The British did not want the Asante to expand anymore because they were excellent traders and knew that they could not beat the Asante at the trading business. After fifty years of fighting, the British finally forced the Asante to give up their coastal lands. In 1874 the British were able to take over the city of Kumasi and ransom it for gold. After that, the Asante Empire fell and was shrunk forever (Brief Political History and Government, 1996 [on-line]).
The Fantes had also been organizing themselves and by 1868, had formed a confederacy with an army, a civil service, and a constitution. In 1871 the British arrested the Fante leaders for treason but leased them a month later. This devastated the confederacy and three years later the British formally established the British Crown Colony of the Gold Coast. Under this policy, the kings didn’t cede power to the British but allowed the British to intervene in judicial matters (Brief Political History and Government, 1996 [on-line]).
Throughout the British rule the Asante and the Fante kept their traditions of educational and organization, their urge for freedom also remained. The British were please with the Gold Coast because it was their showcase of colonies. In 1948 the Gold Coast rioted and started the people’s fight for independence, showing the British that they didn’t have control over the people (Brief Political History and Government, 1996 [on-line]).
The leader of the revolt against the British was Kwame Nkrimah. He was an important leader in the West African organizations in London and returned to Ghana as a general secretary of the United Gold Coast Convention. In 1949 he broke away to the Convention People’s Party and promoted self-government. In February of 1951 the party won to become the leaders of Government business in the colony’s first African government (Brief Political History and Government, 1996 [on-line]).
On March 6 1957 Ghana received independence and Nkrumah became Prime Minister. On July 1, 1960, Ghana became a republic with Nkrumah as the President. Ghana was the first British colony to achieve independence, and lead the way for others though the foundation of the Organization of African Unity. On March 24, 1966 Nkrumah was overthrown by the Ghana military. The National Liberation Council headed by General Joseph Ankrah took over as administer of the country. Three years later Ankrah was removed from office and General Akwasi Afrifabe became chairman of the NLC. This gave way to the three-man Presidential Commission which brought the Progress Party government into power (Brief Political History and Government, 1996 [on-line]).
The military again took over in January of 1972, placing Colonel Ignatius Acheampong as Head of State and Chairman of the National Redemption Council. General F.W. K. Akuffo replaced Acheampong in July 1978. The SMC was otherthrown a year later by a massive revolt by junior officers and other military men. The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council had control for three months until elections could be held. On September 24 power was handed over to a civilian, Dr. Hilla Limann, the leader of the People’s National Party who had won the election (Brief Political History and Government, 1996 [on-line]).
In 1981 Limann was overthrown and the Chairman of a nine-member Provisional National Defense Ruling Council took over. The PNDC began forming a program to set up a more realistic democracy. It also planned to establish District Assemblies to start local governments. By 1990, there were organized forums in all ten regions of the country were the people could form a government if they wanted. The Ghanaians decided that they were a multi-party system of government (Brief Political History and Government, 1996 [on-line]).
The people in a referendum unanimously approved their constitution on April 28, 1992. The constitution provides for an Executive President serving four-year terms with the option of a reelected term. In November of that year Flt. Lt Rawlings was elected president. Parliamentary elections were held the next month, and Rawlings and the parliament were inaugurated on January 7, 1993. That same day speaker Justice D.F. Annan was elected (Brief Political History and Government, 1996 [on-line]).
Brief Political History and Government. 1996. Ghana, Political History [on-line]. Available: www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/ghana/politics/polit_hist.html
Climate. 1994. Profile of Ghana [on-line]. Available: www.ghana.gov.gh/profile/climate.html
Grossman, Zoltan ed. Africa on File II (Facts on File, Inc,1995)4.20-2.29
Land. 1994. Profile of Ghana [on-line]. Available: www.ghana.gov.gh/profile/land.html
Location. 1994. Profile of Ghana [on-line]. Available: www.ghana.gov.gh/profile/location.html
The People. 1996. Profile of Ghana [on-line]. Available: www.ghana.gov.gh/profile/peop.html Cited 1999 September 27
Middleton, John ed. "Ghana" Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. Vol 2 (New York:Charles Scribner’s Sons,1997)231-234
Uwechue, Raph ed. "Country Survets:Ghana" Africa Today (London:Africa Books Limited,1996)798-805