Journalism - GHANA Country Facts

Ghana

Population: 21.8 million (UN, 2005) Capital: Accra Area: 238,533 sq km (92,098 sq miles) Major languages: English, African languages including Akan, Ewe Major religions: Christianity, indigenous beliefs, Islam Life expectancy: 56 years (men), 57 years (women) Monetary unit: Cedi Main exports: Gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminium, manganese ore, diamonds GNI per capita: US $450 (World Bank, 2006) International dialling code: +233

Geography

Ghana is roughly the size of the UK. It is situated in West Africa, bordering Togo to the East, the Cote d'Ivoire to the West and Burkina Faso to the North. Ghana's southern edge consists of 539km of coastline bordering the Gulf of Guinea. The land is made up predominantly of low plains, with the highest point measuring only 880m. Ghana has a tropical climate, in some areas dry and in some humid, but invariably hot. Ghana has an abundance of natural resources including gold, timber and industrial diamonds. It also has the world's largest artificial lake. Natural hazards include the dry, dusty, northeastern Harmattan winds which last from January to March, and drought.

People

Ghana has a predominantly black African population, which is divided into many tribes, the major ones being Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe and Ga. Ghana has a total of 79 languages; English is the official language while nine indigenous languages have the status of government-sponsored languages. 63% of the population practice Christianity, 21% have indigenous beliefs, and 16% are Muslim. Ghana has a rich culture and is famous for its colorful and symbolic Kente cloth. Music is an important part of Ghanaian life, be it traditional drumming or the modern style dance music called hiplife. Despite wide access to free education, Ghana's literacy rate remains low at 64%.

Brief History

When Europeans first discovered West Africa in the 15th Century, the region now named Ghana was inhabited by several advanced civilizations, the most important of which were the Ashanti people and the Fanti people. However, the Europeans were more interested in the land's gold reserves than its people. Portuguese traders were the first to discover the land and its abundance of gold in 1470 and were inspired to name it the Gold Coast. They maintained their control of the gold trade for the next 150 years, during which time they built several coastal forts, the main one being Elmina Castle. Over the course of the following four centuries the English, Dutch and the Swedes also sailed to the Gold Coast to set up trading posts along the coast and exploit the gold reserves. In 1806, a war broke out between the Ashanti and the Fante people, after the latter abandoned the former in favor of British rule. In 1921, after a series of wars, the British overcame Ashanti resistance and began their rule over the Gold Coast. They took over all of the Dutch trading forts, and the town of Cape Coast which became the Gold Coast's first capital. In 1957- following many years of British rule during which time the Fante people willingly learned English - Ghana became an independent state when the British relinquished control over the Gold Coast. Kwame Nkrumah became Ghana's first prime minister, and maintained his position until 1966 when he was overthrown in a military coup. Several more coups and political corruption followed until in 2000 John Kufuor was elected as president which marked the first real transfer of power through elections in Ghana.

Politics

Ghana's political history has been turbulent, with nine civilian and military governments since Independence in 1957. Recently however Ghana has proved itself as a political success story in Africa and is considered the safest and most stable country in West Africa.

In 1979, Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings seized power, handing over four months later to Dr Hilla Limann and his People's National Party civilian government. Rawlings took power again on 31st December 1981; at the time he abolished the Constitution, dissolved Parliament and proscribed all political parties, becoming Chairman of the PNDC (Provisional National Defence Council).

A search for greater democracy coincided with pressure for political reform, and in March 1992 the PNDC announced its timetable for a return to constitutional rule. The following election that year was won by Rawlings after securing 58% of the vote. Ghana's Forth Republic was inaugurated on 7th January 1993. Rawlings won the 1996 election and commenced with his second term. At the end of this second term he stepped down as the constitution required.

In December 2000 a new political era was heralded in when the conservative liberal New Patriotic Party (NPP) of John Agyekum Kufuour won both the parliamentary and presidential elections, ousting President Jerry Rawlings after 20 years in power. In 2004 Kufour was voted in for a second term.

Economy

Ghana has a per capita income of about US$1,310. It is therefore one of the poorest countries south of the Sahara, with poverty remaining pervasive and full economic recovery still elusive, even after many attempts at structural adjustments of the economy. Nevertheless, Ghana's potential cannot be denied. It is relatively rich in primary resources such as gold, bauxite, cocoa, diamonds and other minerals. Indeed, renewed development in the goldfields of the south have successfully raised Ghana to Africa's second largest exporter of gold, only behind South Africa. Due to Ghana's stability, tourism has also increased dramatically over the last decade and is now Ghana's third largest earner of foreign revenue.