Category: Ghana

Ghana is situated in West Africa and the country is bordered by Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Gulf of Guinea. The capital of Ghana is Accra. The evidences of human inhabitance in Ghana found since Bronze Age and the country was inhabited ancient kingdoms during pre-colonial times. Portuguese came to the country in 15th century setting their eye on the gold availability. Later Dutch, Swedish, Danish and English came to the country. Ghana got independence from the United Kingdom in the year 1957 and the country became republic in the year 1960.

Ghana was a parliamentary democracy after independence and several civilian and military governments alternated after independence. Current constitution was developed in the year 1992 and according to the constitution the powers are divided among the president, cabinet, parliament, independent judiciary and council of state. The election of the government is through universal suffrage. After independence, the judiciary is relatively independent. Ghana has middle income economy which depends mainly on natural resources. Ghana is still one among top producers of the gold in the world. Other exports are timber, oil, cocoa, diamond, bauxite, manganese and electricity. Tourism sector in Ghana is growing among Americans, Europeans and other international tourists.

The population of Ghana is 28.8 million and the county has hundreds of ethnic groups. The major ethnic groups of the country are Akan, Mole-Dagbon, Ewe, Ga-Dangme, Guan, Gurma, Gurunsi, Mande-Busanga and other tribes. The official language of the country is English and there are other 79 languages. Some of the languages used in the country are Akan, Ga-Dangme, Ewe, Gurma and Grusi and Dagbani languages. The variety of the culture is evident in the clothing, arts and cuisine. Majority of the population are Christians which comes to around 68.8%. Other major religions are Islam and traditional African beliefs.

Ghana’s one among the most famous historical attractions is ancient city of Bergo. The city is an interesting place for exploring the artifacts and excavations. Bui National Park of Ghana has the largest hippopotamus population and guided tours can be enjoyed by the tourists in the park. Ghana is famous for its beaches and the most popular beaches of Ghana are Gomoa Fetteh beach and Elmina beach. Kakum National Park is rain forest with indigenous plants and animals. Ghana promotes eco-tourism in the country and Mole National Park is the largest site for eco-tourism. Mole National Park is the home of several species of animals and plants.

Accra is a major tourist spot of the country and the place is famous for museums and various craft centers. Some of the must see tourist spots of Accra are Ghana Academy of Arts and Science, National Archives of Ghana and National Museum. Cape Coast is popular for its background of history and Cape Coast Castle is declared as the World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Kumasi was the capital of Ashanti kingdom and the ancient city is considered as the cultural cradle of the country. Aburi Botanical Gardens is another major tourist destination with variety of seasonal flowers, trees and exotic plants. The gardens also consist of colorful African birds and native butterflies.