By AccraEventsGH
Name: Ghana (IPA: /ˈɡɑːnɑ/, [ˈɡɑ̝ːnɑ̝])
Capital: Accra
Population: 30 Million+
Official Language: English
Regions: 16
Languages: 80+
Independence Date: Wednesday 6th March 1957
GEOGRAPHY
The Republic of Ghana is located in the tropics on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa. This contributes to its infamous warm weather all year round. The annual mean temperature ranges between 26°C to 31°C. The country is also very humid outside its dry Harmattan season. This climate contributes to the natural beauty of the country which is adorned with lush forests, diverse animal life, and miles of sandy beaches along its picturesque coast on the gulf. Ghana also borders Cote d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Though surrounded by French colonies, Ghana has very few french speakers and very little french influence.
Ethnically, Ghanaians belong to a single broad group within the African family, encompassing a diverse array of subgroups, with language serving as a key distinguishing factor among them. Approximately 75 distinct subgroups can be identified, although many are quite small, with only about 10 being of significant numerical size. Among these, the Akan group stands as the largest, comprising subdivisions such as the Anyi, Asante (Ashanti), Baule, Fante, and Guang. Other notable groups include the Mole-Dagbani (Dagomba), Ewe, Ga-Adangme (Ga and Adangme), and Gurma. Despite this diversity, Ghana experienced no significant ethnic tensions upon gaining independence. The initial 10 regions of Ghana were however divided along these lines when the regions were first introduced in 1987. This number was expanded to 16 in 2018.
The 16 Regions are: Ahafo Region, Ashanti Region, Bono East Region, Brong Ahafo Region, Central Region, Eastern Region, Greater Accra Region, North East Region, Northern Region, Oti Region, Savannah Region, Upper East Region, Upper West Region, Volta Region, Western Region, and Western North Region.
RELIGION
More than half of the Ghanaian population professes Christianity, with roughly one-fifth adhering to Islam, while a minority follows traditional indigenous faiths. These indigenous belief systems, although pervasive and entrenched, lack a structured set of teachings. They typically revolve around the belief in a supreme being and acknowledge several lesser deities linked to different aspects of nature. Ancestors hold significant importance, perceived as continuously present entities capable of impacting the lives of the living and serving as intermediaries between humanity and the divine.
HISTORY
Ghana boasts a rich historical tapestry, with evidence of human habitation dating back possibly to 10,000 BCE, making it a captivating reservoir of cultural heritage. In pre-colonial eras, the land was home to several ancient Akan Kingdoms, prominently including the Akwamus along the eastern coast, the Ashanti Empire inland, and various Fante as well as non-Akan states such as the Ga and Ewe along the coastline. Most of the present-day populace is believed to have migrated into the region within the past 700 to 1,000 years, with groups like the Ewe and Ga-Adangme settling in from the east and southeast.
The nation derives its name from the once-mighty medieval trading empire situated northwest of its present borders until its decline in the 13th century. Maritime commerce with Europe, initiated in the 15th century, significantly influenced local communities, many of whom engaged actively in trade with Portuguese, Dutch, British, and other European traders. European powers erected forts and castles along the Ghanaian coast, remnants of which still exist today, serving to safeguard their commercial interests. While the initial focus of trade was on gold, abundant in the region and from which the future British colony, the Gold Coast, derived its name, attention later shifted to the highly profitable slave trade in the 17th century.
As noted, the Gold Coast, later Ghana, became the first sub-Saharan African colony to attain independence. The quest for autonomy from British rule was spearheaded by nationalist and Pan-African figure Kwame Nkrumah. Despite its modest size in terms of both land area and population, Ghana stands as a prominent investment and tourist destination in Africa, owing in part to its significant natural resources such as gold, bauxite, and cocoa, the latter introduced to the nation in the late 19th century by Tetteh Quarshie.
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