Profile of Ghana
Size
: 238.538 km2 (slightly less than the United Kingdom).
Capital
: Accra.
Number of inhabitants: 23,9 million.
Number of inhabitants:per
100.km2
Largest religious groups
: Christians (69%), Muslims (16%) and supporters of traditional religions (15%).
Official language
: English. Of the other languages in Ghana Twi (also called Ashanti), Ewe and F
Largest population groups
: Akan (45.3%), Mole-Dagbon (15.2%) and Ewe (11.7%).
Neighbouring countries
: Togo, Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast.
National holiday
: Independence day on 6 March.
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Profile of Ghana
Climate: tropical, a lot of rain in the South-West, especially in May-June and
October-November, fairly dry in the South-East and exceedingly dry in the North.
Type of state: constitutional republic with a parliamentary democracy with a president who is
the head of the government as well as the head of the state and a parliament with one chamber.
Ghana has the right to vote for all citizens of 18 years old and more. Every four years the
Ghanaians elect a new president (and vice-president) and a new parliament.
In 2009 John Atta Mills became president
History
Around 700 in Senegal, Mauritania and Mali the kingdom Ghana came into existence. It
became an important transfer point for trade from South to North. Especially gold and ivory
found their way to countries in North-Africa through Ghana.
At the end of the 11th century Islamic fighters from Morocco invaded the kingdom and
conquered it. After that the Akan left the area of the kingdom to go to an area on the Gulf of
Guinea, that is called Ghana now. In the 15th century the Ewe and other peoples came in from
the East.
2/9
Profile of Ghana
discovered
fortresses
called
1471
the
the
Gold
on
that
first
the
aPortuguese
coast.
lot
of
The
gold
The
area
could
discoverers
area
would
where
be
found
keep
and
the
here.
trade
this
tradesmen
name
Portugal
posts
and
set
established
1957.
foot
fortresses
on
land
trade
were
in
this
posts
situated,
area.
and
They
was
In
slaves.
centuries
the
17th
did
They
and
not
century
bought
just
owned
come
the
slaves
slaves
Dutch
here
from
themselves).
colonists
the
the
gold,
Akan,
fought
but
who
also
off
lived
the
forthe
Portuguese
on
ivory,
the
pepper,
coast
from
(they
other
the
had
products
Gold
traded
Coast.
and
into
slaves
The
for
Dutch
established
their
Weapons,
hands
trade
clothes
on
in
with
1621.
aCoast.
part
the
and
Ivory
Colonists
of
other
the
Coast
trade
goods
from
was
with
in
England
in
their
the
the
Gold
turn
hands
and
Coast.
went
France,
of
to
Auntil
the
system
West-Indian
amongst
Gold
of
Coast
other
triangular
Company
from
countries,
Europe.
trade
of
WIC,
arose.
tried
to which
getfor
trade.
There,
America
found
their
they
and
way
were
the
to
Caribbean
exchanged
Europe.
The
in
for
exchange
Netherlands
slaves
and
for
other
salt,
dominated
coffee,
products.
sugar,
very
These
cotton
lucrative
were
and
transported
transatlantic
other
products,
slave
South
3/9
Profile of Ghana
Transatlantic
in
Gold
expanded
territory
1872
Coast
the
mainly
byNetherlands
became
trade
the
supplied
annexation
was
a British
not
cocoa
soldprofitable
of
Crown
all their
and
protectorates,
gold
colony.
possessions
anymore
to the
Later,
until
motherland. after
on
the
it the
took
the
territory
abolition
Gold
the shape
Coast
governed
of the
oftopresent-day
slavery.
England.
by Britain
For
Inwas
Ghana.
this
1885,
reason,
the
This
The
revolted
1947,
Under
education
colony
motherland
the
the
against
Ghanaians
strikes.
leadership
did
not
sold
this.
earn
its
Also,
of
went
much
industrial
Kwame
an
on
money
increasing
copper
Nkrumah,
products
strike.
number
had
more
to
They
to
pay
protest
Gold
of
refused
the
aGold
lot
Coast
actions
for
to
buy
those
at
wanted
took
high
any
products
place,
prices.
more
self-government.
imported
for
The
from
instance,
population
Britain.
products.
In
They
of
government
country
He
state-run
the
brought
1957,
became
opinion
the
about
Britain
economy.
that
name
the
ofRawlings
his
this
handed
country’s
they
of
fall.
novel
He
the
did
This
was
over
kingdom
not
construction.
first
led
confronted
get
its
president.
to
sovereignty
to
several
that
share
had
Thus,
with
He
in
short-term
encompassed
the
carried
the
over
athe
new
wealth,
the
out
country
changes
and
apeople
Senegal,
socialist
Coast
of
with
was
in
population
political
corruption.
born.
and
policy
Mauritania,
the
Nkrumah
power.
and
groups
protectorates
In
established
1966,
and
gave
which
Mali:
soldiers
this
were
toGhana.
aseized
the
new
of
economic
In
power
deteriorated.
only
1979,
received
for
Jerry
a
growth.
second
itRawlings seized
when
time
he
asked
and
introduced
continued
the
power,
World
aand
free
but
to
Bank
rule
market
after
and
the
aresistance
while,
system
the
country.
IMF
he
in
for
At
resigned.
Ghana.
first,
money
the
This
Two
to
Ghanaian
tackle
money
years
this
later,
stimulated
economy
problem.
he
He
4/9
Profile of Ghana
On
into
to
elsewhere
1994,
live
aInternational
democracy.
aside
April
in
by
1992,
war
Africa,
side
broke
Rawlings
Since
inpopulation
out
then,
in
approved
in
the
Ghana
spite
groups
north
ofhas
ofof
often
ancient
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had
new
fight
country,
afeuds
constitution
stable
each
and
the
other
government,
Guinea-Fowl
differences
forand
Ghana.
coups
allowing
inThis
War.
welfare,
are and
turned
committed.
population
whereas
the country
Yet
groups
in
Production
and
trade
International
trade
relations:
Ghana
Moreover,
trade
organizations:
iscivil
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member
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member
the
African
of
aUnion,
number
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of
African
other
counterpart
agriculture
of
the
European
international
Union.
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Community
of
West
African
States
ofproduction,
ECOWAS
Food
and
Agriculture
Organisation
(FAO/United
Nations)
Union
of
African
States
--28
Monetary
Fund
UNCTAD
World
Trade
Organization
WTO
ECOWAS
Germany,
exports
Belgium
most
and
ofproducts
its
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products
United
States.
to
EUflows
member
states
the
England,
France,
four
countries,
mainly
imports
only
one
isThe
an
EU
from
member.
Nigeria,
Trade
China,
with
England
China
inNetherlands,
and
particular
the
has
grown
explosively.
Of
these
Rich
inis
raw
materials,
yet
poor:
energy.
Ghana
generate
power plant
a
rich
lot
have
in
of
raw
income.
been
materials.
constructed.
Volta
Particularly
river
The
power
the
exports
through
station
of
the
supplies
gold,
country.
hardwood,
a large
In United
the
part
Volta
diamonds
ofStates.
the
river,
country
and
a dam
bauxite
with
and
5/9
Profile of Ghana
Hydroelectric
power
plant
in
the
Volta
River
But
aspects,
to
support.
Ghanaians
family
get
there
by
members
A
the
on
isone
large
have
aless
situation
large
who
source
than
moved
gap
they
in
one
between
many
abroad,
have
income
euro
African
a
left
for
rich
day.
comes
behind
instance
and
countries
Also,
from
poor
in
Ghana
to
Ghana.
transfer
and
the
isclimate,
worse,
UK.
is
highly
expenditures.
They
but
is
dependent
still,
send
widespread.
many
a part
More
on
Ghanaians
foreign
than
their
regard
two
income
financial
are
million
to
forced
to
these
The
central
role
of
agriculture:
More
more
Southwest
the
year.
than
In
half
the
the
of
third
North,
country,
the
of
population
there
the
which
Gross
is
no
earns
has
Domestic
rain
the
at
its
wettest
all
living
Product.
from
from
January
Agriculture
agriculture.
until
that
March.
mainly
crops
Also,
agriculture
can
takes
be
place
grown
accounts
in
throughout
the
for
In
(extensive)
bovine
imports
Union
bovines
this
(=sold
part
farming,
large
from
were
of
livestock
Europe
at
amounts
Ghana
slaughtered
especially
the
production
farming.
have
and
ofof
cheap
in
and
low
put
the
Here
an
prices).
aof
Southeast
beef
lively
end
beef
you
which
to
trade
There
and
will
this.
of
the
find
is
in
the
used
dumped
beef
beef
buffaloes,
country,
topoverty
produced
trade
be
onto
aso
people
are
bovines
large
the
suffering
in
world
number
Ghana
make
and
market
from
zeboes.
their
itself.
ofofWith
butcheries
competition.
living
by
The
However,
the
cheap
through
European
where
beef
Ghana
6/9
Profile of Ghana
The children
sometimes
often
and
crops
majority
use
include
traditional
manage
provide
ofyam
the (a
food
to
tools.
assistance,
kind
get
produced
of
Not
bycarrot),
on
only
the
especially
for
the
cassava,
production
the
farmers
domestic
when
peanuts
themselves
ofthe
their
market
harvest
and
fields,
isrice.
work
cultivated
isbut
taken.
hard
sometimes
in
Traditional
by
the
small
fields;
they
peasants
Ghanaian
do
their
not.
wives
They
who
7/9
Profile of Ghana
In addition,
products.
the
people
crops
most
and
work
important
Cocoa
harvesting
the
toglobal
serve
following
istoof
special
the
them
allone
export
owners,
among
is
products.
crops
but
these.
bykept
by
are
the
small
ItMoreover,
grown:
cocoa
is Ghana’s
farms
farmers
cocoa,
itinis
most
or
not
bananas
themselves.
around
important
produced
the
and
villages.
agricultural
on
various
plantations
Working
horticultural
product,
where
thethe
decided
Cotton
North
cotton
The
cotton
of
on
also
to
the
the
stop
price
used
country.
growing
on
the
be
market
Then
global
cotton.
the
of
atdone
Ghana’s
market
prices
European
collapsed
important
Union
artificially
and
to
export
the
low
the
extent
United
on
crops.
behalf
that
It
States
was
Ghanaian
of
their
mainly
put
own
large
cotton
cultivated
cotton
quantities
farmers
industry.
in
ofeven
The North ofofthe
introduction
market
country
liberalization,
also used toproduction
supply tomatoes
has plummeted.
on a large scale. But since the
8/9
Profile of Ghana
Market
liberalization
does
not
make
everyone
happy
Politics
and
economy
Until
the
a
introduction
(1992-2000).
policy.
state
dictator
country.
after
Thus,
economy.
in
the
the
of
As
he
His
democratization
the
a80s,
intended
liberal
result,
Following
free
Rawlings
market.
food
to
Ghana’s
encourage
processingof
had
He
the
continued
John
already
nation’s
independence
foreign
Kufuor
and
started
these
government
other
companies
(2000-2008)
the
as
in
industries
1957,
a
process
in
to
1992,
English
continued
invest
were
of
privatization
the
increasingly
incompanies
Ghana.
Ghanaian
and
strengthened
and
president
withdrew
dismantled.
economy
the
from
was
As
An
cocoa
independence
third
guaranteed
negotiation
‘90s.
liberalized.
(companies)
example
of
Athas
the
the
become
income
This
with
insistence
price
of
than
in
privatisation
gave
the
1957,
for
dealers.
from
increasingly
farmers.
their
farmers
of
itsuccessor
exports
the
has
harvest.
is
IMF
Dealers
actually
the
and
important
comes
and
cocoa
corporations
This
paid
the
become
price
from
trade.
World
to
the
the
cocoa.
was
farmers
the
Ever
the
Bank,
Ghanaian
fixed
backbone
liberty
In
since
this
the
bydemocratically elected
to
the
its
Ghanaian
past,
fixed
economy.
sell
of
introduction
Cocoa
the
price.
cocoa
cocoa
economy.
cocoa
Marketing
Since
This
farmers
to into
other
changed
trade
the
No
Ghana
received
country’s
Board
parties
less
was
ininthan
in
the
1880,
athis
late
one
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