GHANA

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Population: 24.3 million
• Capital: Accra
• Main Languages: English and Akan Languages
• Life Expectancy: 60
• Literacy Rate: Adult - 67%, Youth - 80%

POVERTY AND HEALTHCARE

• The Ghana Healthcare Service is responsible for the country's health.
• A third of Ghanaians live on less than a dollar a day.
• Over a quarter of Ghanaians live more than 15k away from a doctor.
• 1 out of 900 people die of Malaria.
• 90% of the population lacks adequate toilet facilities.

FOOD AND DAILY LIFE

• All funerals are colorful and filled with dance and music.
• Some of the main foods are fufu, stew, and kenkley.
• Ghanaians use cinnamon and hot pepper in most foods.
• Vacationers eat local foods at places called chop bars.
• Everyone rides bicycles around aren't there aren't too many cars.

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

• Villages and towns have their own chiefs.
• There are 40 different Akan Languages and 70 different dialects.
• If a man wants to marry a woman, he has to pay marriage rights to the family first.
• Some festivals ask gods to be blessed or protected.
• Festivals allow Ghanaians to show off textiles and jewelry.

GEOGRAPHY AND WILDLIFE

• The most famous river in Ghana is the River Volta.
• Lots of lizards, chameleons, snakes and other reptiles live in Ghana.
• 5% of Ghana is covered with nature preserves.
• Ghana has a lot of grasslands and vegetation but has its own tropical forest.
• Only on tenth of Ghana's tropical forest remains

CLIMATE AND AGRICULTURE

• Three main farming regions: coastal belt, forest zone, northern savannah.
• Cocoa beans is the top earning export of Ghana.
• Over half the usable farmland is farming cocoa beans.
• The climate is hot and topical.
• Temperatures range from 78 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRY

• The economy has grown annually by 6%.
• Ghana has a stable democratic government.
• Exports include sugar, cashews, palm oil, cocoa butter and rubber.
• Gold mining is very big in Ghana.
• Other resources mined are diamonds, manganese and bauxite.

EDUCATION AND JOBS

• The school system has 2 years of nursery, 6 of primary, 3 of junior secondary and 3 of senior secondary.
• Over recent years, the government has dedicated a fifth of the budget to education.
• Since 2005 children from 6 to 14 go to school for free.
• Students in Ghana wear uniforms.
• Some students have had a full 6 years of school but still can't read a full sentence.

HISTORY AND POLITICS

• The first Ghanaians lived around 1000 A.D.
• Between 1450 and 1870 over 11 million slaves were exported.
• The current president is John Dramani Mahama.
• Ghana used to be called Gold Coast because of its coastline.

PROBLEMS IN GHANA

• Environment: Most of Ghana's forest has been chopped for logging which is home to so many species.
• Disease: Quite a lot of people do from Malaria and other diseases.
• Poverty: Many Ghanaians live on less than a dollar a day and can hardly afford anything.
• Sanitation: Only 10% of all Ghanaians have adequate toilet facilities.

THANK YOU!