Ghana at a Glance
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On this page:
- Historical Background
- Location
- Climate
- Language
For further information on Ghana and travel tips, please visit: http://www.touringghana.com/
Historical Background
Ghana attained independence from British colonial rule on March 6, 1957. While under colonial rule, the country was known as the Gold Coast. The country was named after an ancient and powerful empire which flourished in West Africa during the 10th Century.
Ghana became a Republic in 1960 with Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, leader of the Convention Peoples' Party as the country's first President. Under the administration of the Convention Peoples' Party (CPP) the country made remarkable progress in education and social services, in addition accelerated efforts at industrial and infrastructural development. Ghana under the CPP also played a leading role in the African liberation struggle and promoted African Unity. The country was equally active in the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the Non-Aligned Movement of which it was a founding member. The first Republic was overthrown by coup d'état in 1966.
Constitutional government was restored in 1969, but the Government of the Progress Party led by Dr. K. A. Busia which formed the 2nd Republic was similarly overthrown in 1972. Dr. Hilla Limann and the Peoples' National Party (3rd Republic) met a similar fate in 1979.
Constitutional rule was re-established (4th Republic) in 1992, with a new constitution accepted by the people of Ghana in a referendum. Under the Provisions of the 1992 Constitution, the President and members of the National Assembly are elected by universal adult suffrage. They may be elected for a maximum two (2) terms, while members of the legislature for four (4) years.
Winning the 2000 elections, John Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party was sworn into office as President in January 2001, and won again in 2004; serving two terms as President.
In 2009, John Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress took office as president, marking the second time that power had been transferred from one legitimately elected leader to another, and securing Ghana's status as a stable democracy.
Location
Ghana is located on the west coast of Africa, about 750 km north of the equator on the Gulf of Guinea, between the latitudes of 4°-11°5' north. The capital, Accra, is on the Greenwich Meridian (zero line of longitude). The country has a total land area of 239,460 km and is bounded on the north by Burkina Faso, on the west by Côte d’Ivoire, on the east by Togo and on the south by the Gulf of Guinea. The land area stretches for 672km north-south and 536km east-west.
Climate
Ghana has a tropical climate, characterised most of the year by moderate temperatures generally 21-32°C (70-90°F), constant breeze and sunshine. There are two rainy seasons, from March to July and from September to October, separated by a short cool dry season in August and a relatively long dry season in the south from mid-October to March. Annual rainfall in the south averages 2,030 mm but varies greatly throughout the country, with the heaviest rainfall in the western region and the lowest in the north.
Languages
Ghana’s principal ethnic groups are the Akan (Twi and Fante speaking), the Guans, Ewes, Dagombas, Gas, Gonjas, Dagaabas, Walas and Fafras. There are 56 Ghanaian dialects of which Akwapim Twi, Asante Twi, Fante, Dangbe, Ewe, Kasem, Gonja, Dagare, Ga Dagbani and Nzema are the major languages. The official language of the country is English. French and Hausa are two major foreign languages spoken in the country.
