Brief History

The Empire of Ghana was formed in 300AD. The Ghanaian Empire included what we now know as Senegal, Mauritania, and Mali. The ruler of this empire was called the ‘Ghana,’ which means ‘Warrior King’ in the Soninke language. In the late 1400s, Portuguese settlers arrived in Ghana. They began trading gold, timber, and ivory with various Akan states. So much gold was found in the area that Ghana was known as the Gold Coast. Unfortunately, during the 1500s, Ghanaian people were enslaved and traded. The slave trade increased in the 1600s with the arrival of the Swedish, Dutch, British, and Danish colonies. In 1874, Ghana became a British crown colony and slavery officially became illegal. In 1957, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan colony to become an independent nation.

National Flag

The national flag of Ghana was adopted on March 6, 1957. The red band symbolizes the blood that was shed during Ghana’s fight for independence. The gold band represents Ghana’s mineral wealth, and the green represents the country’s forests.

Geography

Ghana is located in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea. It shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Togo. Ghana has plains, low hills, rivers, forests, and beautiful coast.

World Land Mass Ranking: 82nd

Highest Mountain: Mount Agou, 986 m (3,235 ft)

Longest River: Volta River 1,500km (930 mi)

Main Languages

English, Fante, Akuapem Twi, Asante Twi, Ewe, and Dagbani.

Ghana Population: 31 million (as of 2020)

Capital City: Accra

Capital City Population: 2.6 million (as of 2022)

Climate

Ghana has a tropical climate with two distinct seasons: wet and dry. Overall, Ghana has warm temperatures year-round. The wettest part of the country is the coastline of southern Ghana, which can receive up to 2,000 mm (80 in) of rain each year.

Key People

Kofi Annan

Marcel Desailly

Shatta Wale

Jackie Appiah

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  Cuisine

  Ghanaian cuisine is diverse, and each ethnic group has special dishes of its own. Ghana has a prominence of tropical produce, including corn, cassava, millet, sorghum, and plantains. Soups and stews are common in Ghana, and are made with a variety of meats and vegetables. One famous Ghanaian dish is Fufu. Fufu is made from starchy foods like yams, cassava, or plantains that are boiled, pounded, and rolled into dough-like balls.

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  Sports

  Like many other African nations, football is the most popular sport in Ghana. Their national football team, called the Black Stars, has won the African Cup of Nations four times.  In 1992, Ghana won the bronze Olympic medal in Barcelona, making them the first African country to win an Olympic medal for football. Other sports that are common in Ghana include boxing, basketball, tennis, and cricket.

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  Culture

  Ghana has many different ethnic groups, languages, and customs. This makes Ghanaian culture rich and diverse. The people of Ghana are known for being warm and friendly. Ghanaians value the importance of family, and respect the elderly and rulers. Music and dance are both important parts of Ghanaian culture. At celebrations and festivals, dances are performed for entertainment. Christianity is the largest religion in Ghana, and most Ghanaians belong to Protestant denominations.