Location: Ghana is located in the western part of Africa and it is bordered to the west by Cote D'ivoire, to the north by Burkina Faso, to the south by the Gulf of Guinea, and to the east by Togo.
Geographic Features: Ghana has a tropical climate, with dry air mass coming in from the northeast and moist equatorial winds from the southwest. It has savanna type vegetation in the north and heavier vegetation in the south. Ghana has the world's largest artificial lake, Lake Volta.
Languages: Ghana has many ethnic groups which are subdivided into many cultures and languages. Examples of ethnic groups include the Akhan, Ewe, MoleDaghane, Guan, Ga-Adangbe, Senufo, and many others.
English is the official language used in Ghana. Local Languages include Asante, Akan, Ewe, Fante, Boron, Dangme, Dagomba, Dagarte, Akyem, Akuapem, Nzema, Hausa and others.
Major Religions: Christianity is the main religion followed by traditional beliefs and Islam.
Economy: Ghana's economy is based on cocoa and gold. Ghana is the world's third largest producer of cocoa. It also produces cash crops such as palm oil, cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, rubber and others. Crops such as cassava, yams, and corn are produced for home consumption. Ghana also mines minerals such as bauxite, diamonds and manganese. Ghana's industries include oil refining, saw mill and timber processing, cement and many others.
History: On March 6th, 1957 Ghana gained independence from the British. It was the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence from its colonial masters. Ghana was also the first sub-Saharan country to carry out trade with the Europeans. Its first president after independence was Kwame Nkrumah in 1966, a dictator and Pan-African hero. In 1981 Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings took over power. In 2000 and 2004, Mr. John Kufour was the president and in 2008 John Atta Mills was elected. He is the current president.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on the Ghana.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the URL of this page.
Sources
BBC News
2009 Country Profile: Ghana. Electronic document, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1023355.stm, accessed April 2009.
CIA World Factbook
2009 Ghana. Electronic document, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gh.html, accessed April 2009.
Written by Esther Nalubwama, 2009.