We share with you some interesting facts about the country Ghana perhaps you may not have heard about.
Ghana officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located along the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean, in the subregion of West Africa. Spanning a land mass of 238,535 km2 (92,099 sq mi), Ghana is bordered by the Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, Togo in the east and the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean in the south. The name Ghana means “Warrior King” in the Soninke language.
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The first permanent state in the territory of present-day Ghana dates back to the 11th century. Numerous kingdoms and empires emerged over the centuries, of which the most powerful was the Kingdom of Ashanti. Beginning in the 15th century, numerous European powers contested the area for trading rights, with the British ultimately establishing control of the coast by the late 19th century. Following over a century of native resistance, Ghana’s current borders were established by the 1900s as the British Gold Coast. It became independent of the United Kingdom on 6 March 1957.
The country’s population of approximately 30 million spans a variety of ethnic, linguistic and religious groups. According to the 2010 census, 71.2% of the population was Christian, 17.6% was Muslim, and 5.2% practised traditional faiths. Its diverse geography and ecology ranges from coastal savannahs to tropical rain forests.
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Facts about Ghana
- Ghana was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence post-colonialism. It gained its independence on March 6, 1957.
- Ghana was ranked as Africa’s most peaceful country by the Global Peace Index.
- Lake Volta, in the Volta region of the country, is the world’s largest man-made lake. It’s 250 miles long and covers 3,283 square miles, or 3.6 percent of Ghana’s area.
- The currency unit in Ghana is called the cedi. The word “cedi” comes from a local word meaning a cowry shell. Cowry shells (from sea snails) were once used as money in Ghana.
- Ghana has a population of 25.5 million
- Ghanas total area is 238,533 sq km (92,098 sq miles)
- Major languages in Ghana are English, African languages including Akan, Ewe
- Life expectancy in Ghana is 64 years (men), 66 years (women)
- There are six national parks and many smaller nature reserves, which were set up to help protect Ghana’s wildlife. There are over 650 butterfly species in the Kakum National Park, including the giant swallowtails, which are nearly 8 inches (20 centimeters) across.
- Children in Ghana begin two years of kindergarten at age four. Then all children ages 6-12 attend six years of elementary education. If families can afford it, children go on to secondary education. Ghana’s school system is more advanced than many of its African neighbors.
- Ghanaians love soccer and built a large soccer stadium in the capital of Accra. Soccer is the national sport.
- The traditional cloth of the Ghanaian people is the bright and colorful kente cloth. In the north, the men wear loose flowing clothes made of darker cloth.
- In Ghana there is a system of tribal government in addition to the national government.
- People from Portugal, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, and Britain came to the Gold Coast to search for gold. The British took control of the country in the 20th century and declared the Gold Coast a colony of the British Empire.
- In 2007, oil was found off the coast of Ghana. A daily production of 200,000 barrels, which could be achieved in about five years after commencement of production, could give Ghana a total revenue of approximately US$1.6 billion yearly.
- The name Ghana means warrior king and harks back to the days of the Ghana Empire between the ninth and 13th centuries.
- Ghana has the largest market in West Africa. It’s called Kejetia market and it’s located in Kumasi, the Ashanti region’s capital. There you can find everything under the hot Ghanaian sun, from local crafts — beads, cloth and sandals — to second-hand jeans and clothing, and meats, fruit and vegetables.
- The nation produces the second most cocoa beans in the world. Ivory Coast is No. 1.
- In 1991, Ferdie Ato Adoboe of Ghana set a world record by running 100 meters backwards in 13.6 seconds.
- The Ghana Empire was built on trade in salt and gold, which is why British merchants later called it the Gold Coast.
- The black star in Nation’s flag was adopted from legendary Pan African leader Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League, which had the Black Star Line Steamship company.
- Ghanaians speak over 40 languages throughout its 16 regions. English is the official language, but most people speak several languages as well.
- A West African country bordering on the Gulf of Guinea, Ghana is bounded by Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It compares in size to Oregon, and its largest river is the Volta.