LOCATION
Ghana is located on the west coast of Africa, about 750km north
of the equator on the Gulf of Guinea. The country has a total land
area of 238,305 sq km. Ghana is bordered on the north by Burkina
Faso, on the west by Cote d'Ivoire, on the east by Togo and on the
south by the Gulf of Guinea. The capital, Accra lies just west of
the Greenwich Meridian.
HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND
Modern Ghana takes its name from the ancient kingdom of Ghana that
flourished between the 4th and the 11th centuries AD, 800km north
of the present day state. However the history of Ghana dates back
even further to prehistoric cultures which left behind a wide range
of archaeological evidence such as chipped stones, pierced stones
and cave settlements.
Portuguese
adventurers searching for gold first landed at Elmina in 1471 to
be followed by the Dutch, Danes, English, Germans and Swedes, all
of whom left their mark on what became known as the Gold Coast.
The extent of European presence and concentration of activities
in the country, are evident by the fact that 29 of the 32 surviving
European trading forts and castles dotted along the coast of West
Africa are in Ghana.
The
clamour for gold was soon overtaken by trade in humans leading to
forced transport of millions of Africans to the Americas to work
in the mines, cotton and sugar plantations.
THE
LAND
The coastal area of Ghana consists of lowland plains dissected by
rivers which form large and numerous lagoons near the estuaries.
The land is relatively flat and the altitude is generally below
500m, with more than half of the country lying below 200m.The Volta
basin surrounded by a system of escarpments, dominates the country's
river system and includes the 8,480 sq km Lake Volta (The largest
artificial lake in the world) formed behind the Akosombo hydro-electric
dam. In the north, the
predominant vegetation is savannah,
While the south has extensive rain forest.
CLIMATE
Ghana has a tropical climate, characterized by warm temperatures
(21-32º C; 70-90º F), constant breezes and sunshine. There
are two main rainy seasons, from March to July and from September
to October, separated by a short dry season in August, and a relatively
long dry season from mid-October to March. Rainfall varies greatly
throughout the country, with the heaviest in the south western part
of the country and the lowest in the north.
The
population of Ghana is 18.9 million (2000 population and housing
census figures) with 45% under 15 years of age. The country has
an average density of 79.3 persons per sq km. With an annual growth
rate of 2.7%, Ghana's population may reach over 21.6 million by
the year 2005.
Most of the population is concentrated in the southern part of the
country, with the highest densities occurring in the urban and cocoa
producing areas.
THE
PEOPLE
Languages: The official language is English. Twi, Ga, Hausa, Ewe
and Nzema are some of the major languages spoken.
Religion: The population of Ghana comprises Christians (69%), Muslims
(16%) and others (15%). Ghana is a secular state.
EDUCATION
There are numerous basic, secondary, commercial, technical and vocational
educational institutions throughout the country. There are five
state universities in Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi, Tamale and Winneba.
There are a few private universities, in addition to numerous specialized
tertiary institutions.
HEALTH
Ghana has a reasonably good health service. All regional capitals
and most districts have hospitals and clinics. The two teaching
hospitals in Accra and Kumasi have facilities for treating special
cases. Additionally, a number of private medical practitioners operate
hospitals and clinics all over the country. Herbal medicine and
psychic healing are also widely practiced.
TOURIST
ATTRACTIONS
Ghana has many interesting tourist attractions. These can be grouped
into three main categories comprising natural, historical and cultural
attractions.
NATURAL HERITAGE
Ghana has a number of national parks and wildlife reserves, to protect
interesting species of a wide range of vegetation and animal types.
In addition, the country has good beaches along the coast, tropical
lakes and rivers, waterfalls, and other scenic features. One of
the outstanding places is the Kakum National Park. This park occupies
some 350 square kilometres of moist evergreen tropical forests.
About forty (40) species of large
mammals live in the park, including forest elephants, bongos, red
river hogs, seven primate species, and some 200 species of birds.
In the north, Mole National Park covers over 4,000 square km of
savannah woodland, with lions, buffaloes, elephants and numerous
antelopes. Read more.
HISTORICAL HERITAGE
Numerous forts and castles of outstanding historic value can be
found along the coastline of Ghana. Three of these forts and castles,
namely St. George's Castle and Fort St. Jago both at Elmina,
and the Cape Coast Castle are World Heritage Sites protected by
UNESCO. Between the 15th and 18th centuries, these castles were
centers not only in trading of gold and other mineral resources
but also in slave trading. In addition to the castles, there are,
several important historical and archaeological sites related to
the activities of powerful traditional states and Ghana's struggle
for political independence. Read more.
CULTURAL HERITAGE
The traditional cultures of Ghana's ethnic groups are impressive
and highly developed. Ghanaian culture is manifested, among others,
in elaborate festivals and funeral rites, traditional crafts and
contemporary arts, in music and dances. Native architectural styles,
religious beliefs and practices, Natural
and herbal medicine, and the typical village life styles and other
notable characteristics of Ghanaian culture are admired by visitors. More.
LEISURE,
SPORTS & RECREATION
A variety of entertainment and recreational facilities exist; among
them, jazz clubs, popular drinking spots, nightclubs, pools, tennis
courts, golf courses, as well as sports stadia. The number one passion
of the people is soccer. In addition to the above, Polo and some
water sports are enjoyed by tourists.
INFORMATION
AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)
The
telecommunication sector is liberalized. This has led to the introduction
of multiple Cellular Phones, Pagers, FM radios and cable TV and
Internet service providers.
The
country has well equipped, digital, fixed telephone service providers
coupled with the existence of both analog and GSM networks.
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