Ghana is located
on West Africa's Gulf of Guinea only a few degrees north of
theEquator. Half of the country lies less than 152 meters (500
ft.) above sea level, and the highest point is 883 meters (2,900
ft.). The 537 kilometer (334 miles) coastline is mostly a low,
sandy shore backed by plains and scrub and intersected by several
rivers and streams, most of which are navigable only by canoe.
A tropical rain forest belt, broken by heavily forested hills
and many streams and rivers, extends northward from the shore,
near the Cote d'Ivoire frontier.
This area, known
as the "Ashanti," produces most of the country's cocoa,
minerals, and timber. North of this belt, the country varies
from 91 to 396 meters (300-1,300 ft.) above sea level and is
covered by low bush, parklike savanna, and grassy plains.
The climate is tropical.
The eastern coastal belt is warm and comparatively dry; the
southwest corner, hot and humid; and the north, hot and dry.
There are two distinct rainy seasons in the south-May-June and
August-September; in the north, the rainy seasons tend to merge.
A dry, northeasterly wind, the Harmattan, blows in January and
February. Annual rainfall in the coastal zone averages 83 centimeters
(33 in.).
The manmade Volta
Lake extends from the Akosombo Dam in southeastern Ghana to
the town of Yapei, 520 kilometers (325 miles) to the north.
The lake generates electricity, provides inland transportation,
and is a potentially valuable resource for irrigation and fish
farming.
FLAG:
The meaning of the
colours of the Ghana flag 
The Ghana Flag was
designed by Mrs Theodosia Okoh, a Ghanaian, to replace the flag
of the United Kingdom upon attainment of independence in 1957.
The Flag of Ghana consists of the colours RED, GOLD and Green
in horizontal stripes with a five-pointed star in the centre
of the gold stripe
RED represents the blood of those who died
in the country's struggle for independence
GOLD represents
the mineral wealth of the country
GREEN symbolizes
the country's rich forest
THE BLACK STAR stands for the lone star of African freedom
PEOPLE:
The major ethnic
groups in Ghana include the Akan, Ewe, Mole-Dagbane, Guan, and
Ga-Adangbe. No part of Ghana, is ethnically homogeneous. Urban
centers are the most ethnically mixed because of migration to
towns and cities by those in search of employment. Rural areas,
with the exception of cocoa-producing areas that have attracted
migrant labor, tend to reflect more traditional population distributions.
One overriding feature of the country's ethnic population is
that groups to the south who are closer to the Atlantic coast
have long been influenced by the money economy, Western education,
and Christianity, whereas Gur-speakers to the north, who have
been less exposed to those influences, have came under Islamic
influence. These influences were not pervasive in the respective
regions, however, nor were they wholly restricted to them.
The official language
is ENGLISH.
ECONOMY:
Exports:
$1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodities: cocoa 45%, gold, timber, tuna, bauxite, and aluminum
Partners: Germany 29%, UK 12%, US 12%, Japan 5%
Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
Commodities:
petroleum 16%, consumer goods,foods,intermediate goods, capital
equipment
Partners: UK 23%, US 11%, Germany 10%, Japan 6%
Industries: mining, lumbering, light manufacturing,
aluminum, food processing
Agriculture:
Agriculture accounts for about 50%
of GDP (including fishing and forestry); the major cash crop
is cocoa; other principal crops - rice, coffee, cassava, peanuts,
corn, shea nuts timber; normally self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
US commitments,
including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $455 million; Western (non-US) countries,
ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.6 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $78 million; Eastern European countries
(1970-89), $106 million
Currency:1 cedi (C) = 100 pesewas
Minimum wage: 5,500 cedis/Day (March
2001)
HISTORY:
Gold Coast & European Exploration
Before March 1957
Ghana was called the Gold Coast. The Portuguese who came to
Ghana in the 15th Century found so much gold between the rivers
Ankobra and the Volta that they named the place Mina - meaning
Mine. The Gold Coast was later adopted to by the English colonisers.
Similarily, the French, equally impressed by the trinkets worn
by the coastal people, named The Ivory Coast, Cote d'Ivoire.
In 1482, the Portuguese
built a castle in Elmina. Their aim was to trade in gold, ivory
and slaves. In 1481 King John II of Portugal sent Diego d'Azambuja
to build this castle.
In 1598 the Dutch
joined them, and built forts at Komenda and Kormantsil. In 1637
they captured the castle from the Portuguese and that of Axim
in 1642 (Fort St Anthony). Other European traders joined in
by the mid 18th century. These were the English, Danes and Swedes.
The coastline were dotted by forts built by the Dutch, British
and the Dane merchants. By the latter part of 19th century the
Dutch and the British were the only traders left. And when the
Dutch withdrew in 1874, Britain made the Gold Coast a crown
colony.
By 1901 the Ashanti
and the North were made a protectorate.
Political highlights
1957 - independence, Nkrumah of
CPP is PM, 2 key parties
1960 - declared republic, one party
system, presidential system
1966 - military overthrow of
1st republic
1969 - 2nd republic, Busia of PP is PM, 2 key
parties
1972 - military overthrow of 2nd republic
1978
- palace coup to restructure military government
1979 -
junior officer uprising and military housecleaning
1979
- ushered third republic, Limann of PNP is President, 3 parties
1981 - overthrow of the constitutional PNP gov't by the
PNDC military junta
1983 - attempted overthrow of the PNDC
junta by other junior army men 1992 - Rawlings of NDC is Dem
elected as President, 2 parties **
1996 - Rawlings of NDC
is re-elected, 2 parties
2001 - Kuffour (NPP) is President
Summary:
multiparty system:
military system:
one party system:
|
16 years
21 years
6 years |
** fraud allegations
led to an electoral boycott resulting in an effective one party
system. Also, marks the first time when the head of a military
regime had contested in an election.
CLIMATE:
Accra Weather
The climate of Ghana
is tropical, but temperatures vary with season and elevation.
Except in the north two rainy seasons occur, from April to July
and from September to November. In the north the rainy season
begins in April and lasts until September. Annual rainfall ranges
from about 1,100 mm (about 43 in) in the north to about 2,100
mm (about 83 in) in the southeast. The harmattan, a dry desert
wind, blows from the northeast from December to March, lowering
the humidity and creating hot days and cool nights in the north.
In the south the effects of the harmattan are felt in January.
In most areas the highest temperatures occur in March, the lowest
in August. The average annual temperature is about 26 degrees
C (about 79 degrees F).
Average Temperatures
January
Feb
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December |
87
88
88
87
86
83
81
80
82
84
87
86
|
Sunny skys
Sunny skys
Sunny skys
Light rains
Heavy rains
Heavy
rains
Light rains
Scattered showers
Scattered showers
Sunny skies
Sunny skies
Sunny skies (dry) |
Updated 02/04/2006
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