Ghana
Country in Western part of Africa From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ghana,[lower-alpha 1] officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It lies adjacent to the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing a border with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Togo in the east. Ghana covers an area of 239,567 km2 (92,497 sq mi), spanning diverse ecologies, from coastal savannas to tropical rainforests. With nearly 35 million inhabitants, Ghana is the second-most populous country in West Africa. The capital and largest city is Accra; other significant cities include Kumasi, Tamale, and Sekondi-Takoradi. In 1957 Ghana became the first colony in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve sovereignty, under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah.[7][8][9]
Republic of Ghana | |
|---|---|
| Motto: "Freedom and Justice" | |
| Anthem: "God Bless Our Homeland Ghana" | |
.svg) | |
| Capital and largest city | Accra 05°33′18″N 00°11′33″W |
| Official languages | English[1][2] |
| Ethnic groups (2021 census[3]) |
|
| Religion (2021 census[3]) |
|
| Demonym(s) | Ghanaian |
| Government | Unitary presidential republic |
| Nana Akufo-Addo | |
| Mahamudu Bawumia | |
| Alban Bagbin | |
| Gertrude Tokornoo | |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Independence from the United Kingdom | |
| 6 March 1957 | |
• Republic | 1 July 1960 |
| Area | |
• Total | 238,540 km2 (92,100 sq mi) (80th) |
• Water (%) | 4.61 (11,000 km2; 4,247 mi2) |
| Population | |
• 2024 estimate | 34,582,346 (47th) |
• Census | 30,832,019 |
• Density | 151/km2 (391.1/sq mi) (90th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2023 estimate |
• Total |  $227.189 billion[4] (68th) |
• Per capita | $6,905[4] (136th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $76.628 billion[4] (83rd) |
• Per capita | $2,328[4] (149th) |
| Gini (2024) |  44[5]medium inequality |
| HDI (2022) | 0.602[6] medium (145th) |
| Currency | Cedi (GHS) |
| Time zone | UTC (GMT) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Drives on | right |
| Calling code | +233 |
| ISO 3166 code | GH |
| Internet TLD | .gh |
The earliest kingdoms to emerge in Ghana were the Kingdom of Dagbon in the north and the Bonoman in the south, with Bonoman existing in the area during the 11th century.[10][11] The Ashanti Empire and other Akan kingdoms in the south emerged over the centuries.[12] Beginning in the 15th century, the Portuguese Empire, followed by other European powers, contested the area for trading rights, until the British ultimately established control of the coast by the 19th century. Following more than a century of colonial resistance, the current borders of the country took shape, encompassing four separate British colonial territories: Gold Coast, Ashanti, the Northern Territories, and British Togoland. These were unified as an independent dominion within the Commonwealth of Nations. On 6 March 1957 Ghana became the first colony in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve sovereignty.[7][8][9] Under President Kwame Nkrumah, it became influential in decolonisation efforts and the Pan-African movement.[13]
Ghana is a multi-ethnic country with linguistic and religious groups;[14] while the Akan are the largest ethnic group, they constitute a plurality. Most Ghanaians are Christians (71.3%); almost a fifth are Muslims; a tenth practice traditional faiths or report no religion.[3] Ghana is a unitary constitutional democracy led by a president who is head of state and head of government.[15] For political stability in Africa, Ghana ranked seventh in the 2012 Ibrahim Index of African Governance and fifth in the 2012 Fragile States Index. It has maintained since 1993 one of the freest and most stable governments on the continent, and it performs relatively well in healthcare, economic growth, and human development,[13][16] so that it has a significant influence in West Africa and Africa as a whole.[17] Ghana is highly integrated in international affairs, being a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement and the African Union, and a member of the Economic Community of West African States, the Group of 24 and the Commonwealth of Nations.[18]
The name Ghana comes from Wagadu, a vast empire in west Africa from the 3rd to 12th centuries; Wagadu was termed Ghana by Arab traders involved in the trans-Saharan trade. Ghana is thought to originate from the title Kaya Maghan of the rulers of Wagadu, which translates as ruler of gold. As the Gold Coast colony prepared for independence, the nation's founder Kwame Nkrumah settled on Ghana, aiming to evoke a sense of unity and liberation among the Ghanaian people. The name was a powerful reminder of their shared heritage and the legacy of the ancient empire that once thrived in the wider region. It encapsulated the aspirations of the Ghanaian people for self-governance, progress, and a future marked by dignity and resilience.[19][20]
Medieval kingdoms
The earliest recorded kingdoms to emerge in modern Ghana were the Mole-Dagbon states.[21] Before the unification of Dagbon, societies were decentralised, and headed by the Tindaamba (singular: tindana).[22] These decentralised states were unified by King Gbewaa, who lived a long life, and formed a stable, peaceful society.[23] Dagbon extended beyond the boundaries of present-day Ghana.[24][25][26] Kingdoms that emerged from Dagbon include the Mossi Kingdoms of Burkina Faso,[27] and Bouna Kingdom of Ivory Coast.[28] The kingdom enjoyed great prosperity, establishing Ghana's earliest educational systems,[29] and using a writing script[30][31] prior to European invasion. Female chiefs who rule over male subjects are present in the kingdom,[32] and inheritance is both patrilineal and matrilineal.[33] The Yaa Naa is the King of Dagbon and the Gundo Naa is the Queen.[34][35] The kingdom remained uncolonised. In 1896, Germany invaded Eastern Dagbon (Naya) and burnt down its capital, Yendi,[36][37] during the Battle of Adibo.[38][39]
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The Akan-speaking peoples began to move into what later became Ghana toward the 15th century.[21][40] By the 16th century, the Akans were established in the Akan state called Bonoman, for which the Brong-Ahafo region was named.[21][41] From the 17th century, Akans emerged from what is believed to have been the Bonoman area, to create Akan states, mainly based on gold trading.[42] These states included Bonoman (Brong-Ahafo region), Ashanti (Ashanti Region), Denkyira (Western North region), Mankessim Kingdom (Central region), and Akwamu (Eastern region).[21] By the 19th century, the territory of the southern part of Ghana was included in the Kingdom of Ashanti.[21] The government of the Ashanti Empire operated first as a loose network and eventually as a centralised kingdom with a specialised bureaucracy centred in the capital city of Kumasi.[21] Prior to Akan contact with Europeans, the Akan people created an economy based on principally gold and gold bar commodities, which were traded with other states in Africa.[21][43]
The Ga-Dangme and Ewe migrated westward from south-western Nigeria. The Ewe – formerly known as Dogbo- migrated from Oyo area with their Gbe-speaking kinsmen (Adja, Fon, Phla/Phera and Ogun/Gun) and in transition, settled at Ketou in Benin Republic, Tado in Togo, Dogbo Nyigbo in Benin Republic and with Nortsie (a walled town in present-day Togo) as their final dispersal point. Their dispersal from Nortsie was necessitated by the high-handed rule of King Agorkorli (Agɔ Akɔli) who was the reigning monarch of the tribe at that time. The Ewe in Ghana speak three principal dialects: Anlo(along the coast),Tongu(along the Volta river) and Ewedome (in the hill country side).The Ga-Dangme occupy the Greater Accra Region and parts of the Eastern Region, while the Ewe are found in the Volta Region as well as the neighbouring Togo, Benin Republic and Nigeria (around Badagry area).
European contact and colonialism
Akan trade with European states began after contact with the Portuguese in the 15th century.[44] European contact was by the Portuguese people, who came to the Gold Coast region in the 15th century to trade. The Portuguese then established the Portuguese Gold Coast (Costa do Ouro), focused on the availability of gold.[45] The Portuguese built a trading lodge at a coastal settlement called Anomansah (the perpetual drink), which they renamed São Jorge da Mina.[45] In 1481, King John II of Portugal commissioned Diogo de Azambuja to build the Elmina Castle, which was completed in three years.[45] By 1598, the Dutch had joined the Portuguese in the gold trade, establishing the Dutch Gold Coast (Nederlandse Bezittingen ter Kuste van Guinea – 'Dutch properties at the Guinea coast') and building forts at Fort Komenda and Kormantsi.[46] In 1617, the Dutch captured the Elmina Castle from the Portuguese and Axim in 1642 (Fort St Anthony).[46]
European traders had joined in gold trading by the 17th century, including the Swedes, establishing the Swedish Gold Coast (Svenska Guldkusten), and Denmark–Norway, establishing the Danish Gold Coast (Danske Guldkyst or Dansk Guinea).[47] European traders participated in the Atlantic slave trade in this area.[48] More than 30 forts and castles were built by the merchants. The Germans established the Brandenburger Gold Coast or Groß Friedrichsburg.[49] In 1874, Great Britain established control over some parts of the country, assigning these areas the status of the British Gold Coast.[50] Military engagements occurred between British colonial powers and Akan nation-states. The Kingdom of Ashanti defeated the British some times in the 100-year-long Anglo-Ashanti wars and eventually lost with the War of the Golden Stool in 1900.[51][52][53]
Transition to independence
A Gold Coast postage stamp overprinted for Ghanaian independence in 1957
Celebrations marking Ghana's independence on 6 March 1957
In 1947, the newly formed United Gold Coast Convention led by "The Big Six" called for "self-government within the shortest possible time" following the 1946 Gold Coast legislative election.[47][54] Kwame Nkrumah, a Ghanaian nationalist who led Ghana from 1957 to 1966 as the country's first prime minister and president, formed the Convention People's Party in 1949 with the motto "self-government now".[47] The party initiated a "positive action" campaign involving non-violent protests, strikes and non-cooperation with the British authorities. Nkrumah was arrested and sentenced to one year imprisonment during this time. In the Gold Coast's 1951 general election, he was elected to Parliament and was released from prison.[47] He became prime minister in 1952 and began a policy of Africanization.[citation needed]
At midnight of March 6, 1957, the Gold Coast, Ashanti, the Northern Territories, and British Togoland were unified as one single independent dominion within the British Commonwealth under the name Ghana. This was done under the Ghana Independence Act 1957. The current flag of Ghana, consisting of the colours red, gold, green, and a black star, dates back to this unification.[55] On 1 July 1960, following the Ghanaian constitutional referendum and Ghanaian presidential election, Nkrumah declared Ghana a republic and assumed the presidency.[7][8][9][47] 6 March is the nation's Independence Day, and 1 July is celebrated as Republic Day.[56][57]
Nkrumah led an authoritarian regime in Ghana, as he repressed political opposition and conducted elections that were not free and fair.[58][59][60][61][62] In 1964, a constitutional amendment made Ghana a one-party state, with Nkrumah as president for life of both the nation and its party.[63] Nkrumah was the first African head of state to promote the concept of Pan-Africanism, which he had been introduced to during his studies at Lincoln University, Pennsylvania in the United States, at the time when Marcus Garvey was known for his "Back to Africa Movement".[47] He merged the teachings of Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr. and the naturalised Ghanaian scholar W. E. B. Du Bois into the formation of 1960s Ghana.[47] Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, as he became known, played an instrumental part in the founding of the Non-Aligned Movement, and in establishing the Kwame Nkrumah Ideological Institute to teach his ideologies of communism and socialism.[64] His life achievements were recognised by Ghanaians during his centenary birthday celebration, and the day was instituted as a public holiday in Ghana (Founders' Day).[65]
Operation Cold Chop and aftermath
The government of Nkrumah was subsequently overthrown in a coup by the Ghana Armed Forces, codenamed "Operation Cold Chop". This occurred while Nkrumah was abroad with Zhou Enlai in the People's Republic of China, on a mission to Hanoi, Vietnam, to help end the Vietnam War. The coup took place on 24 February 1966, led by Colonel Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka and Brigadier Akwasi Afrifa. The National Liberation Council was formed, chaired by Lieutenant General Joseph A. Ankrah.[66][67]
A series of alternating military and civilian governments, often affected by economic instabilities,[68] ruled Ghana from 1966, ending with the ascent to power of Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings of the Provisional National Defence Council in 1981.[69] These changes resulted in the suspension of the constitution in 1981 and the banning of political parties.[70] The economy soon declined, so Rawlings negotiated a structural adjustment plan, changing many old economic policies, and growth recovered during the mid-1980s.[70] A new constitution restoring multi-party system politics was promulgated in the presidential election of 1992, in which Rawlings was elected, and again in the general election of 1996.[71]
In a tribal war in Northern Ghana in 1994, between the Konkomba and other ethnic groups, including the Nanumba, Dagomba and Gonja, between 1,000 and 2,000 people were killed and 150,000 people were displaced.[72]
After the 2000 general election, John Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party became president of Ghana on 7 January 2001 and was re-elected in 2004, thus also serving two terms (the term limit) as president of Ghana and marking the first time under the fourth republic that power was transferred from one legitimately elected head of state and head of government to another.[71]
Nana Akufo-Addo, the ruling party candidate, was defeated in a very close 2008 general election by John Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress.[73][74] Mills died of natural causes and was succeeded by Vice President John Mahama on 24 July 2012.[75] Following the 2012 general election, Mahama became president in his own right,[76] and Ghana was described as a "stable democracy".[77][78] As a result of the 2016 general election,[79] Nana Akufo-Addo became president on 7 January 2017.[80] He was re-elected after a tightly contested election in 2020.[81]
To combat deforestation, on 11 June 2021 Ghana inaugurated Green Ghana Day, with the aim of planting five million trees in a concentrated effort to preserve the country's rainforest cover.[82]
On 13 April 2023, Ghana became the first country to approve a highly effective malaria vaccine developed at the Oxford University in the UK.
Ghana is located on the Gulf of Guinea, a few degrees north of the Equator.[83] It spans an area of 238,540 km2 (92,101 sq mi)[83] and has an Atlantic coastline that stretches 560 kilometres (350 miles) on the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to its south.[83] Dodi Island and Bobowasi Island are near the south coast.[84] It lies between latitudes 4°45'N and 11°N, and longitudes 1°15'E and 3°15'W. The prime meridian passes through Ghana, specifically through Tema.[83] Ghana is geographically closer to the intersection of the Prime Meridian and the Equator than any other country, since this point, (0°, 0°), is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 614 km (382 mi) off the south-east coast of Ghana.
Grasslands mixed with south coastal shrublands and forests dominate Ghana, with forest extending northward from the coast 320 kilometres (200 miles) and eastward for a maximum of about 270 kilometres (170 miles) with locations for mining of industrial minerals and timber.[83] Ghana is home to five terrestrial ecoregions: Eastern Guinean forests, Guinean forest–savanna mosaic, West Sudanian savanna, Central African mangroves, and Guinean mangroves.[85] It had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.53/10, ranking it 112th globally out of 172 countries.[86]
The White Volta River and its tributary Black Volta, flow south through Ghana to Lake Volta, the world's third-largest reservoir by volume and largest by surface area, formed by the hydroelectric Akosombo Dam,[87] completed in 1965.[88] The Volta flows out of Lake Volta into the Gulf of Guinea.[89] The northernmost part of Ghana is Pulmakong and the southernmost part of Ghana is Cape Three Points.[83]
The climate of Ghana is tropical, and there is wet season and dry season.[91] Ghana sits at the intersection of three hydro-climatic zones.[92] Changes in rainfall, weather conditions and sea-level rise affect the salinity of coastal waters. This is expected to negatively affect both farming and fisheries.[93]
In 2015, the government produced a document titled "Ghana's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution".[94] Following that, Ghana signed the Paris Climate Agreement in 2016.
Ghana is a unitary presidential constitutional democracy with a parliamentary multi-party system that is dominated by two parties—the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Ghana alternated between civilian and military governments until January 1993, when the military government gave way to the Fourth Republic of Ghana after presidential and parliamentary elections in late 1992. The 1992 constitution of Ghana divides powers among a commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces (President of Ghana), parliament (Parliament of Ghana), cabinet (Cabinet of Ghana), council of state (Ghanaian Council of State), and an independent judiciary (Judiciary of Ghana). The government is elected by universal suffrage after every four years.[95]
Nana Akufo-Addo won the presidency in the general election in 2016, defeating incumbent John Mahama. He also won the 2020 election after the presidential election results were challenged at the Supreme Court by flagbearer of the NDC, John Mahama. Presidents are limited to two four-year terms in office. The president can serve a second term only upon re-election.
The 2012 Fragile States Index indicated that Ghana is ranked the 67th-least fragile state in the world and the fifth-least fragile state in Africa. Ghana ranked 112th out of 177 countries on the index.[96] Ghana ranked as the 64th-least corrupt and politically corrupt country in the world out of all 174 countries ranked and ranked as the fifth-least corrupt and politically corrupt country in Africa out of 53 countries in the 2012 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index.[97][98] Ghana was ranked seventh in Africa out of 53 countries in the 2012 Ibrahim Index of African Governance. The Ibrahim Index is a comprehensive measure of African government, based on variables which reflect the success with which governments deliver essential political goods to its citizens.[99] According to 2023 V-Dem Democracy indices Ghana is ranked 67th electoral democracy worldwide and 10th electoral democracy in Africa.[100]