| Republic of Ghana | ||||||
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| Motto: "Freedom and Justice" | ||||||
| Anthem: God Bless Our Homeland Ghana[1] |
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Location of Ghana within the African Union
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| Capital (and largest city) |
Accra |
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| Official language(s) | English | |||||
| Government-sponsored languages |
Akan (specifically Ashanti Twi, Fanti, Akuapem Twi, Akyem, Kwahu, Wassa Nzema), Dagaare/Wale, Dagbani, Dangme, Ewe, Ga, Gonja and Kasem | |||||
| Demonym | Ghanaian | |||||
| Government | Constitutional presidential republic | |||||
| - | President | John Atta Mills | ||||
| - | Vice-President | John Dramani Mahama[2] | ||||
| - | Speaker of Parliament | Joyce Bamford-Addo | ||||
| - | Chief Justice | Georgina Theodora Wood | ||||
| Independence | from the United Kingdom | |||||
| - | Declared | 6 March 1957 | ||||
| - | Republic | 1 July 1960 | ||||
| - | Current Constitution | 28 April 1992 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 238,535 km2 (81st) 92,098 sq mi |
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| - | Water (%) | 3.5 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2010 estimate | 24,233,431[3] | ||||
| - | Density | 101.5/km2 (103rd) 258.8/sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) | 2012 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $81.179 billion[4] | ||||
| - | Per capita | $3,256.848[4] | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2012 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $45.124 billion[4] | ||||
| - | Per capita | $1,810.358[4] | ||||
| HDI (2010) | 0.541[5] (medium) (135th) | |||||
| Currency | Ghana cedi (GH₵) (GHS) |
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| Time zone | GMT (UTC0) | |||||
| Drives on the | right | |||||
| ISO 3166 code | GH | |||||
| Internet TLD | .gh | |||||
| Calling code | 233 | |||||
Ghana i/ˈɡɑːnə/, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The word Ghana means "Warrior King"[6] and is derived from the ancient Ghana Empire.
Ghana was inhabited in pre-colonial times by a number of ancient predominantly Akan kingdoms, including the inland Ashanti Empire, the Akwamu, the Akyem, the Bonoman, the Denkyira, and the Fante among others. Non-Akan states created by the Ga and Ewe also existed as did states by the Gonja, Dagomba and others. Prior to contact with Europeans trade between the Akan and various African states flourished due to Akan's gold wealth. Trade with European states began after contact with the Portuguese in the 15th century, and the British established the Gold Coast Crown colony in 1874 over parts but not all of the country.[7]
The Gold Coast achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, becoming the first sub-Saharan African nation to do so,[8][9][10] and the name Ghana was chosen for the new nation to reflect the ancient Empire of Ghana, which once extended throughout much of west Africa. Ghana is a member of the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union, and an associate member of La Francophonie. Ghana is the second largest producer of cocoa in the world and is home to Lake Volta, the largest artificial lake in the world by surface area.[11] The economy of Ghana has been listed as The World's Fastest Growing Economy in 2011 with an economic growth of about 20.146 % for the year 2011 in economic research led by Economy Watch with data coming from the IMF's tracker of GDP Growth in constant prices in the national currency.[12]
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The word Ghana means Warrior King and was the title accorded to the kings of the medieval West African Ghana Empire.[13] Geographically, the Ghana Empire was approximately 500 miles (800 km) north and west of modern Ghana, and it ruled territories in the area of the Sénégal River and east towards the Niger River, in modern Senegal, Mauritania and Mali.
Ghana was adopted as the legal name for the Gold Coast combined with British Togoland upon gaining autonomy on March 6, 1957.
There is archaeological evidence which shows that humans have lived in present-day Ghana since the Bronze Age. But, before the 11th Century the majority of the state known as Ghana today was largely unoccupied.[14] The area of Ghana today has experienced many population movements but, by the 16th Century the major Ethnic groups in Ghana today were firmly settled.[15] By the Early 11th Century the Akan were firmly established in a state called Bonoman for which the Brong-Ahafo Region region is named.[16] The Mole-Dagbane as well as the Mossi states were well established by the 16th century, with the Gonja state being established by the 17th Century.[15]
From the 13th century numerous groups emerged from what is believed to have been the Bonoman area to create several Akan States mainly based on gold trading. These states included Denkyira, Akwamu, Akyem. By the 19th Century most of Modern Ghanaian territory was included in the Empire of Ashanti, one of the most influential states in sub-Saharan Africa prior to colonial rule. The Ashanti government operated first as a loose network and eventually as a centralized kingdom with an advanced highly specialized bureaucracy centred in Kumasi. It is said that at its peak, the Asantehene could field 500,000 troops and had some degree of military influence over all of its neighbours.
Early European contact by the Portuguese, who came to Ghana in the 15th century, focused on the extensive availability of gold. The Portuguese first landed at a coastal city inhabited by the Fante nation-state and named the place Elmina. In 1481, King John II of Portugal commissioned Diogo d'Azambuja to build Elmina Castle, which was completed in 3 years their aim was to trade for Akan gold.
By 1598, the Dutch had joined them and built forts at Komeda and Kormantsi.[17] In 1617, they captured the Olnini Castle from the Portuguese and Axim in 1642 (Fort St Anthony). Other European traders joined in by the mid-17th century, largely English, Danes and Swedes. English merchants, impressed with the gold resources in the area, named it the Gold Coast, while French merchants, impressed with the trinkets worn by the coastal people, named the area to the west "Côte d'Ivoire", or Ivory Coast.
More than thirty forts and castles were built by the Portuguese, Dutch, British and Spanish merchants. The Gold Coast was known for centuries as 'The White Man's Grave' because many of the Europeans who went there died of malaria and other tropical diseases.[18] After the Dutch withdrew in 1874, Britain made the Gold Coast a protectorate. Following conquest by the British in 1896 until independence in March 1957, the territory of modern Ghana excluding the Volta Region (British Togoland), was known as the Gold Coast.
Many wars occurred between the colonial powers and the various nation-states in the area including the 1806 Ashanti-Fante War and the continuous struggle by the Ashanti against the British in many wars. The Ashanti defeated the British a few times but eventually lost with the Ashanti-British War in the early 1900s.[19][20][21][22] Even under colonial rule the chiefs and people often resisted the policies of the British; however, moves toward de-colonization intensified after World War II. In 1947 the newly formed United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) called for "self-government within the shortest possible time."[23] After rioting increased in 1948, the members of the United Gold Coast Convention were arrested, including future prime minister and president Kwame Nkrumah. Later Nkrumah formed his own party, the Convention People's Party (CPP) with the motto "self government now." He began a 'Positive Action' campaign and gained the support of rural and working class people.[22] He was again imprisoned for being the leader of a party that caused boycotts, strikes and other forms of civil disobedience. After winning a majority in the Legislative Assembly in 1952, Nkrumah was released and appointed leader of government business. After further negotiations with Britain, on March 6, 1957 at 12 a.m. Nkrumah declared Ghana "free forever".[22]
The flag which consists of the colours red, gold, green and the black star became the new flag in 1957. Designed by, Theodosia Salome Okoh, the red represents the blood that was shed towards independence, the gold represents the mineral wealth of Ghana, the green symbolises the rich agriculture and the black star is the symbol of African emancipation.[24] Formed from the merger of the Gold Coast and British (formerly German) Togoland by a United Nations sponsored plebiscite in 1956, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain its independence in 1957.
Kwame Nkrumah, first prime minister and then president of the modern Ghanaian state, as an anti-colonial leader sought a united Africa which would not drift into neo-colonialism. He was the first African head of state to promote Pan-Africanism, an idea he came into contact with during his studies at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania (United States), at the time when Marcus Garvey was becoming famous for his "Back to Africa Movement." He merged the teachings of Garvey and the African-American scholar W. E. B. Du Bois into the formation of the modern day Ghana. Ghana's principles of freedom and justice, equity and free education for all, irrespective of ethnic background, religion or creed, borrow from Nkrumah's implementation of Pan-Africanism.
Although his goal of African unity was never realised, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, as he is now known, played an instrumental part in the founding of the Organisation of African Unity, which was succeeded in 2002 by the African Union. His achievements were recognised by Ghanaians during his centenary birthday celebrations, and the day was instituted as a public holiday. Dr. Nkrumah's government was subsequently overthrown by the military while he was abroad in February 1966. Former Central Intelligence Agency employee John Stockwell alleges that the CIA had an effective hand in forcing the coup.[25]
A series of subsequent coups from 1966 to 1981 ended with the ascension to power of Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings in 1981. These changes resulted in the suspension of the constitution in 1981 and the banning of political parties. The economy suffered a severe decline soon after, and many Ghanaians migrated to other countries.[26]
Kwame Darko negotiated a structural adjustment plan with the International Monetary Fund and changed many old economic policies, and the economy began to recover. A new constitution restoring multi-party politics was promulgated in 1992, and Rawlings was elected as president then and again in 1996. The Constitution of 1992 prohibited him from running for a third term, so his party, the National Democratic Congress, chose his Vice President, John Atta Mills, to run against the opposition parties. Winning the 2000 elections, John Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party was sworn into office as president in January 2001 and beat Mills again in 2004, thus also serving two terms as president.
In 2009, John Atta Mills took office as President of Ghana with a difference of about 40,000 votes (0.46%) [27] between his party, the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party, marking the second time that power had been transferred from one legitimately elected leader to another and securing Ghana's status as a stable democracy.[28]
In 2011, John Atta Mills won the NDC congress when he ran against Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings for the National Democratic Congress flagbearership. He won by 2,771 votes representing 96.9% of total votes cast.
Ghana is divided into 10 administrative regions, subdivided into a total of 170 districts. The regions are:
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According to the 2009 Failed States Index, Ghana is ranked the 53rd least failed state in the world and the second least failed state in Africa after Mauritius. Ghana ranked 124th out of 177 countries on the index.[29] Ghana also was placed 7th out of 48 sub-Saharan African countries in the 2008 Ibrahim Index of African Governance which was based on data from 2006. The Ibrahim Index is a comprehensive measure of African government, based on a number of different variables which reflect the success with which governments deliver essential political goods to its citizens.[30]
Ghana was created as a parliamentary democracy at independence in 1957, followed by alternating military and civilian governments. In January 1993, military government gave way to the Fourth Republic after presidential and parliamentary elections in late 1992. The 1992 constitution divides powers among a president, parliament, cabinet, council of state, and an independent judiciary. The government is elected by universal suffrage; however, the legislature is not proportionate, with low-population districts receiving more representatives per person than those with high populations.[31]...
There are ten administrative regions which are divided into 138 districts, each with its own district assembly. Below districts are various types of councils, including 58 town or area councils, 108 zonal councils, and 626 area councils. Sixteen thousand unit committees exist on the lowest level.[31]
The legal system is based on British common law, customary (traditional) law, and the 1992 constitution. Court hierarchy consists of Supreme Court of Ghana (highest court), courts of appeal, and high courts of justice. Beneath these bodies are circuit, magisterial, and traditional courts. Extrajudicial institutions include public tribunals. Since independence, courts are relatively independent; this independence continues under Fourth Republic. Lower courts are being redefined and reorganized under the Fourth Republic.[31]
Political parties became legal in mid-1992 after a ten-year hiatus. There are many political parties under the Fourth Republic; the major ones are the National Democratic Congress which won presidential and parliamentary elections in 1992, 1996 and 2008; the New Patriotic Party, the major opposition party which won elections in 2000 and 2004; the People's National Convention, and the Convention People's Party, successor to Kwame Nkrumah's original party of the same name.[31]
Since independence, Ghana has been devoted to ideals of nonalignment and Pan-Africanism, both closely identified with Nkrumah. Ghana favours international and regional political and economic co-operation, and is an active member of the United Nations and the African Union.
Many Ghanaian diplomats and politicians hold positions in international organisations. These include Ghanaian diplomat and former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, International Criminal Court Judge Akua Kuenyehia, former President Jerry Rawlings and former President John Agyekum Kuffour who have both been elected chairmen of the Economic Community of West African States.[31]
In September 2010, Ghanaian President John Atta Mills visited China on an official visit. Ghanaian President John Atta Mills and Chinese President Hu Jintao, marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations, at the Great Hall of the People on September 20, 2010.[32] China reciprocated with a visit in November 2011, by the Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, Zhou Tienong who visited Ghana and met with Ghana's Vice President John Dramani Mahama.[33]
In 1957, the Ghana Army consisted of its headquarters, support services, three battalions of infantry and a reconnaissance squadron with armoured cars. Total strength was approximately 5,700 men.[34] Ghanaian Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah wished to rapidly expand and Africanise the army in order to support his Pan-African and anti-colonial ambitions. Thus in 1961, 4th and 5th Battalions were established, and in 1964 6th Battalion was established, from a parachute unit originally raised in 1963.[35]
Today the Ghana Armed Forces are in military alliance with the People's Republic of China's People's Liberation Army.[36] Ghana has contributed forces to numerous UN and ECOWAS operations, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, and Liberia (ECOMOG and UNMIL). Ghana also contributed UN peacekeepers in UNAMIR during the Rwandan Genocide. In his book Shake Hands with the Devil, Canadian Forces commander Roméo Dallaire gave the Ghanaian soldiers high credit for their work and effort in the conflict.[34]
The economy of Ghana was listed as The World's Fastest Growing Economy in 2011 in economic research led by Economy Watch with data coming from the IMF's tracker of GDP Growth in constant prices in the national currency (not converted to US dollars), with an economic growth predicted to be about 20% in 2011.[12] Other countries have competing claims to be the fastest growing economy.[37][38][39]
Ghana is a Middle Income Economy.[40] Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has more than twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Known for its gold in colonial times, Ghana remains one of the world's top gold producers. Other exports such as cocoa, oil, gas, timber, electricity, diamond, bauxite,[41] and manganese are major sources of foreign exchange.
An oilfield which is reported to contain up to 3 billion barrels (480,000,000 m3) of light oil was discovered in 2007.[42] Oil and Gas exploration is ongoing, and the amount of both oil and gas continues to increase.[43] There is expected to be a tremendous inflow of capital into the economy beginning from the first quarter of 2011 when the country starts producing oil in commercial quantities. The oil is expected to account for 6% of the revenue for 2011.[44]
The Akosombo Dam, which was built on the Volta River in 1965 provides hydro-electricity for Ghana and its neighbouring countries.
Ghana’s labour force in 2008 totalled 11.5 million people.[45][45] The economy continues to rely heavily on agriculture which accounts for 37.3% of GDP and provides employment for 56% of the work force,[45] mainly small landholders. Manufacturing is only a small part of the Ghanaian economy totalling 7.9% of Gross Domestic Product in 2007.[46] Even though Ghana boasts of one of the highly skilled workforces in the sub-region, successive governments still rely on foreign countries to undertake strategic infrastructural projects in the country, including the very basic projects like housebuilding. These firms in turn sub-contract to local firms at a small fraction of the budget, resulting always in a net drain of Ghana's wealth to the said countries. Efforts to encourage local Ghanaian firms to play frontline roles as has been the hallmark of many great civilizations, in infrastructural development have always proven futile, leading to a perpetual dependency on external help and a net loss to Ghanaians. Typical among these is the award of a $1.5billion housing contract to STX of South Korea.[47]
Ineffective economic policies of past military governments and regional peacekeeping commitments have led to continued inflationary deficit financing, depreciation of the Cedi, and rising public discontent with Ghana's austerity measures. Even so, Ghana remains one of the more economically sound countries in all of Africa. In July 2007, the Bank of Ghana embarked on a currency re-denomination exercise, from the Cedi (₵) to the new currency, the Ghana Cedi (GH₵). The transfer rate is 1 Ghana Cedi for every 10,000 Cedis. The Bank of Ghana employed aggressive media campaigns to educate the public about the re-denomination.
The new Ghana Cedi is relatively stable and in 2009 generally exchanged at a rate of US$1 = GH₵1.4 [45] The Value Added Tax is a consumption tax administered in Ghana. The tax regime which started in 1998 had a single rate but since September 2007 entered into a multiple rate regime. In 1998, the rate of tax was 10% and amended in 2000 to 12.5%. However with the passage of Act 734 of 2007, a 3% VAT Flat Rate Scheme (VFRS) began to operate for the retail distribution sector. This allows retailers of taxable goods under Act 546 to charge a marginal 3% on their sales and account on same to the VAT Service. It is aimed at simplifying the tax system and increasing compliance.
Tourism is a rapidly growing sector particularly among Europeans, Americans, and other internationals connected to the Ghanaian Diaspora abroad. Ghana's political and economic stability, low crime rate, and wide use of English make the country an attractive entrypoint to West Africa for foreigners. UNESCO World Heritage Sites including Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle, national parks such as Kakum National Park and Mole National Park, as well as cultural celebrations such as Panafest are major centres of tourist activity.
Tema Port, officially opened in 1962, is the biggest of the two seaports in Ghana. It has a water-enclosed area of 1.7 square kilometres (0.66 sq mi) and a total land area of 3.9 square kilometres (1.5 sq mi). Apart from handling goods for Ghana, it is also a traffic junction, where goods are transhipped, and transit cargo destined for the landlocked countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are received.
The port of Tema handles 80% of the nation’s import and export cargo. Most of the country’s chief export, cacao, is shipped from Tema.
The port has 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) of breakwaters, 12 deepwater berths, an outsize oil tanker berth, a dockyard, warehouses, and transit sheds. The port has open and covered areas for the storage of cargo, including a 77,200-m² (7.72-hectare) paved area for the storage of containers, steel products and other conventional cargo. The port's container yard is capable of holding over 8,000 TEUs at any given time. The closed storage area, which is about 25,049 m² (2.51 hectares) in area, consists of six sheds with a total storage capacity of 50,000 tonnes of cargo. The port also includes a 100,000 dwt dry dock and slipway facility.[48] The harbour is operated by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.
Ghana is a country located on the Gulf of Guinea, only a few degrees north of the Equator, therefore giving it a warm climate. The country spans an area of 238,500 km2 (92,085 sq mi). It is surrounded by Togo to the east, Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north and the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean) to the south.
Ghana lies between latitudes 4° and 12°N, and longitudes 4°W and 2°E. The Prime Meridian passes through the country, specifically through the industrial city of Tema. Ghana is geographically closer to the "centre" of the world than any other country even though the notional centre, (0°, 0°) is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 614 km (382 mi) south of Accra, Ghana, in the Gulf of Guinea.[49]
The country encompasses flat plains, low hills and a few rivers. Ghana can be divided into five different geographical regions. The coastline is mostly a low, sandy shore backed by plains and scrub and intersected by several rivers and streams while the northern part of the country features high plains. Southwest and south central Ghana is made up of a forested plateau region consisting of the Ashanti uplands and the Kwahu Plateau; the hilly Akuapim-Togo ranges are found along the country's eastern border.
The Volta Basin also takes up most of central Ghana. Ghana's highest point is Mount Afadjato which is 885 m (2,904 ft) and is found in the Akwapim-Togo Ranges. The climate is tropical. The eastern coastal belt is warm and comparatively dry, the southwest corner is hot and humid, and the north is hot and dry. Lake Volta, the world's largest artificial lake, extends through large portions of eastern Ghana and is the main source of many tributary rivers such as the Oti and Afram rivers.
There are two main seasons in Ghana: the wet and the dry seasons. Northern Ghana experiences its rainy season from March to November while the south, including the capital Accra, experiences the season from April to mid-November. Southern Ghana contains evergreen and semi deciduous forests consisting of trees such as mahogany, odum and ebony. It also contains much of Ghana's oil palms and mangroves. Shea trees, baobabs and acacias are usually found in the Volta region and the northern part of the country.
Ghana has a population of about 24 million people. Ghana's first post-independence population census in 1960 counted about 6.7 million inhabitants.[50] It is home to more than 100 different ethnic groups. Ghana has not seen the kind of ethnic conflict that has created civil wars in many other African countries.[51] The official language is English; however, most Ghanaians also speak at least one local language.
The ethnic groups in Ghana are the Akan (which includes the Fante, Akyem, Ashanti, Kwahu, Akuapem, Nzema, Bono, Akwamu, Ahanta and others) 49.3%, Mole-Dagbon 15.2%, Ewe 11.7%, Ga–Dangme (comprising the Ga, Adangbe, Ada, Krobo and others) 7.3%, Guan 4%, Gurma 3.6%, Gurunsi 2.6%, Mande-Busanga 1%, other tribes 1.4%, other (Hausa, Zabarema, Fulani and Others) 1.8% (2000 census).
According to the CIA World Factbook, religious divisions are as follows: Christian 68.8%, Muslim 15.9%, Traditional African beliefs 8.5%.[52][53]
This is a list of the largest cities, each region may include several cities, which are in very close proximity to each other.
| Largest cities of Ghana
(2012 Department of Census and Statistics estimate)[54] |
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| Rank | City Name | Regions | Pop. | Rank | City Name | Regions | Pop. | ||||
| 1 | Accra | Greater Accra | 2,291,352 | 11 | Madina | Greater Accra | 137,162 | ||||
| 2 | Kumasi | Ashanti | 1,989,062 | 12 | Koforidua | Eastern | 127,334 | ||||
| 3 | Tamale | Northern | 537,986 | 13 | Wa | Upper West | 102,446 | ||||
| 4 | Ashiaman | Greater Accra | 284,518 | 14 | Techiman | Brong-Ahafo | 99,721 | ||||
| 5 | Takoradi | Western | 260,635 | 15 | Ho | Volta | 96,213 | ||||
| 6 | Cape Coast | Central | 217,032 | 16 | Sunyani | Brong-Ahafo | 87,642 | ||||
| 7 | Obuasi | Ashanti | 175,043 | 17 | Nungua | Greater Accra | 84,119 | ||||
| 8 | Teshie | Greater Accra | 171,875 | 18 | Tema New Town | Greater Accra | 81,480 | ||||
| 9 | Tema | Greater Accra | 160,939 | 19 | Dome | Greater Accra | 78,785 | ||||
| 10 | Sekondi | Western | 144,570 | 20 | Lashibi | Greater Accra | 78,539 | ||||
As of 2009, life expectancy at birth is about 59 years for males and 60 years for females [55] with infant mortality at 51 per 1000 live births.[55] The total fertility rate is about 4 children per woman. There are about 15 physicians and 93 nurses per 100,000 persons.[56] 4.5% of the country's GDP was spent on health in 2003.[56]
Ethnologue lists a total of 79 languages[57] for Ghana. English is the country's official language and predominates in government and business affairs. It is also the standard language used for educational instruction. Native Ghanaian languages are divided into two linguistic subfamilies of the Niger–Congo language family. Languages belonging to the Kwa subfamily are found predominantly to the south of the Volta River, while those belonging to the Gur subfamily are found predominantly to the north. The Kwa group, which is spoken by about 80% of the country's population, includes the Akan, Ga–Dangme (which includes Krobo), and Ewe languages. The Gur group includes the Gurma, Grusi, and Dagbani languages.[58] Nine languages have the status of government-sponsored languages: Akan, specifically Ashanti Twi, Fanti, Akuapem Twi, Akyem, Kwahu, Ahanta, Nzema; Dagaare/Wale, Dagbani, Dangme, Ewe, Ga, Gonja and Kasem. Though not an official language, Hausa is the lingua-franca among Ghana's Muslims[59] who comprise about 16% of the population.
As an OIF associated-member, French is increasingly taught in Ghana's high schools.[60]
Christianity is the country's largest religion, and predominates in southern areas and parts of the north, while Islam remains the most populous in the northern regions. Christian-Muslim relations in Ghana are peaceful, tolerant and bilateral, despite sectarian violence in neighboring countries with similar regional divides like Nigeria. In many parts of the country, there is still the practice of traditional African religions and these are sometimes intermixed with Christianity or Islam. They generally involve belief in a supreme being along with a pantheon of lesser gods. Ancestors and spirits also play a large role in these beliefs, as do animist aspects.
Christianity is the largest religion in Ghana, practiced by approximately 69 percent of the population, according to the 2000 census.[61] Up until the arrival of the Europeans on the coasts of Ghana in the fourteenth century, the religion that was practiced in southern Ghana was traditional African religion. As the Europeans explored parts of the country during the colonial days, Christianity spread. Christian denominations include Catholicism, Methodism, Anglicanism, Presbyterianism, Lutheranism, Seventh-Day Adventism, Pentecostalism, Baptists etc.[62]
Islam was the faith of 15.6% of the population in 2000.[61] There are three primary branches of Islam within the country: the largest group are Sunnis of the traditional Maliki school of thought, followed by the Sufi Tijani-brotherhood who are also Sunni Malikis, and a small number of Shia in urban areas in the south.
There are also very small percentages of other religions in Ghana, including Jehovah's Witnesses, Bahá'í Faith, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Ninchiren Shoshu Sōka Gakkai, Sri Sathya Sai Baba Sera, Sat Sang, Eckankar, the Divine Light Mission, Hare Krishna, Ghana's Hindu Monastery headed by Swami Ghananand Saraswati and Rastafarianism.
According to the census figures of the year 2000, out of Ghana's 18.8 million people, Christians make up 69 percent of the population while Muslims constitute 2.9 million, representing 15.6 percent of the population.[63]
Ghana is an ethnically diverse country; thus, Ghanaian culture is a mixture of all its ethnic groups, the Akan, Ga, Ewe, Mamprusi and Dagomba, among others but, the culture goes in line with the demographics and is thus predominantly Akan. Ghana's cultural diversity is most evident in Ghanaian cuisine, the arts and clothing.
Football is the most popular sport. The national men's football team is known as the Black Stars, with the under-20 team known as the Black Satellites. Ghana has participated in many championships including the African Cup of Nations, the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA U-20 World Cup. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Ghana became the third African country to reach the quarter final stage of the World Cup after Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002.[64] There are several club football teams in Ghana, which play in the Ghana premier league and Division One league, both managed by the Ghana Football Association. The country has also produced quite a few quality boxers such as Azumah Nelson a three time world champion, Nana Yaw Konadu also a three time world champion, Ike Quartey, and Joshua Clottey. Ghana also has a successful hockey team winning tournaments such as the Afro-Asian cup.
Textiles are very important in Ghanaian culture. These cloths are used to make traditional and modern attire. Different symbols and different colours mean different things. Kente is probably the most famous of all the Ghanaian cloths. Kente is an Akan ceremonial cloth hand-woven on a horizontal treadle loom. Strips measuring about 4 inches wide are sewn together into larger pieces of cloths. Cloths come in various colours, sizes and designs and are worn during very important social and religious occasions. In a cultural context, kente is more important than just a cloth. It is a visual representation of history and also form of a written language through weaving. The term kente has its roots in the Twi word kɛntɛn which means a basket. The first kente weavers used raffia fibres to weave cloths that looked like kenten (a basket); and thus were referred to as kenten ntoma; meaning basket cloth. The original Asante name of the cloth was nsaduaso or nwontoma, meaning "a cloth hand-woven on a loom"; however, the term kente is the most popularly used term today. Many variations of narrow-strip cloths similar to kente are woven by various ethnic groups in Ghana like the Ewe, Ga and others Ghana. It is also popular among the African diaspora.
Ghana has been recognized on the international level through several artists, including the Kane Kwei Carpentry Workshop and Eric Adjetey Anang who are creating the famous design coffins.
The music of Ghana is diverse. The sound varies from ethnic group and region. Ghanaian music incorporates several distinct types of musical instruments such as the talking drum ensembles, goje fiddle and koloko lute, court music, including the Akan atumpan, the Ga kpanlogo styles, and log xylophones used in asonko music. The most well known genres to have come from Ghana are Afro-jazz which was created by Ghanaian artist Kofi Ghanaba.[65] and its earliest form of secular music is called highlife. Highlife originated in the late 19th century and early 20th century and spread throughout West Africa. In the 1990s a new genre of music was created by the youth incorporating the influences of Highlife Afro-reggae, dancehall and hiphop. This hybrid was called Hiplife. Ghanaian artists such as R&B and soul singer Rhian Benson and highlife singer Kojo Antwi have had international success.
Ghanaian dance is as diverse as its music. Each ethnic group has their own traditional dances and there are different dances for different occasions. There are dances for funerals, celebrations, storytelling, praise and worship etc. Some of these dances include bamaya, adowa, kpanlongo (azonto), klama, agbadza, atsiagbekor, atsia, bɔbɔɔbɔ, and agahu.
The Miss Ghana contest held since 1957 and Miss Universe Ghana contest held since 1991 are the national beauty pageants of Ghana. They are responsible for selecting the country's representatives to the Miss World and Miss Universe.
The media of Ghana is one of the most free in Africa and had previously undergone a series of government overthrows by military leaders and periods of severe restriction. Chapter 12 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana guarantees freedom of the press and independence of the media, while Chapter 2 prohibits censorship.[66] Post independence, the government and media often had a tense relationship, with private outlets closed during the military coups and strict media laws that prevent criticism of government.[67] The media freedoms were restored in 1992, and after the election in 2000 of John Kufuor the tensions between the private media and government decreased. Kufuor was a supporter of press freedom and repealed a libel law, though maintained that the media had to act responsibly.[68] The Ghanaian media has been described as "one of the most unfettered" in Africa, operating with little restriction on private media. The private press often carries criticism of government policy.[69] The media were vigorous in their coverage of the 2008 Ghanaian presidential election, and the Ghanaian Journalists Association (GJA) praised John Atta Mills on his election, hoping to foster a good media-government relationship.[70]
British artist Adelaide Damoah is of Ghanaian descent. Her work is noted for raising social issues whilst combining African and western influences.[71]
The adult literacy rate in Ghana was 65% in 2007, with males at 71.7% and females at 58.3%. Ghana has a 6-year primary education system beginning at age six, and, under the educational reforms implemented in 1987 and reformed in 2007, they pass on to a 3-year junior high school system. At the end of the 3rd year of junior high, there is a mandatory "Basic Education Certificate Examination". Those continuing must complete the 3-year senior high school program and take an admission exam to enter any university or tertiary programme.
Presently, Ghana has 21,530 primary schools, 8,850 junior secondary schools, 900 senior secondary schools, 52[72] public training colleges, 5[72] private training colleges, 5[72] polytechnical institutions, 4[72] non-university public tertiary institutions, 8[72] public universities and over 45[72] private tertiary institutions. Most Ghanaians have relatively easy access to primary and secondary education. These numbers can be contrasted with the single university and handful of secondary and primary schools that existed at the time of independence in 1957. Ghana's spending on education has varied between 28-40% of its annual budget in the past decade. All teaching is done in English, mostly by qualified Ghanaian educators.
The courses taught at the primary or basic school level include English, Ghanaian language and culture, mathematics, environmental studies, social studies and French as a third language are added, integrated or general science, pre-vocational skills and pre-technical skills, religious and moral education, and physical activities such as music, dance and physical education. The senior high level school curriculum has core subjects and elective subjects of which students must take four the core subjects of English language, mathematics, integrated science (including science, agriculture and environmental studies) and social studies (economics, geography, history and government).
The high school students also choose 3 elective subjects from 5 available programmes: agriculture programme, general programme (arts or science option), business programme, vocational programme and technical programme.[73] Apart from most primary and secondary schools which choose the Ghanaian system of schooling, there are also international schools such as the Ghana International School, Takoradi International School, Tema International School, Galaxy International School, The Roman Ridge School, Lincoln Community School, Faith Montessori School, American International School, SOS Hermann Gmeiner International College and International Community School, which offer the International Baccalaureat, Advanced Level General Certificate of Education and the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE).
With 83% of its children in school, Ghana currently has one of the highest school enrollment rates in West Africa.[74] The ratio of girls to boys in the total education system is 1:0.96, which for a West African country is a considerable achievement.[75] That said, some 500,000 children still remain out of school because of resource constraints in building schools, providing adequate textbooks and training new teachers.[75]
Ghana's tertiary education sector is growing rapidly. There are six national public universities in Ghana, the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Cape Coast, University of Education, University for Development Studies and University of Mines and Technology.[76] Ghana also has a growing number of accredited private universities including Ashesi University College, Central University College, Catholic University College and Valley View University.[77]
The oldest university in Ghana, The University of Ghana, was founded in 1948. It had a total of about 29,754 students in 2008. Its programmes in the Arts, Humanities, Business, and the Social Sciences, as well as Medicine are the best in the country. The University has produced the bulk of lawyers and politicians in the country.
Unfortunately, the university's stiff opposition to the standard of a new senior secondary school system have seen a shift of its traditionally best students to the Kwame Nkrumah University.[78]
Since Ghana's independence, the country has been one of the educational hot spots in sub-Saharan Africa and has played host to notables such as President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Alhaji Sir Dauda Jawara of The Gambia and Cyprian Ekwensi of Nigeria among others. Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has been chancellor of the University of Ghana since 2008.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the second university to be established in Ghana, is the premier university of science and technology in Ghana and West Africa.
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