GHANA

GEOGRAPHY

• The area of modern day Ghana is 91,843 square miles
• The Ghana coastline is made up of low sandy foreshore which is continuously watered by the Atlantic
• The population of Ghana is about 24 million
• The literacy rate for males is 66% and for females it is 50%. The total is 58%
• The death rate if Ghana is 7.53 deaths/1,000 people. The birth rate is 4.10 births per woman.

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

• People can still be found in a few isolated places but now live elsewhere
• An example is in Ewe, east of Lake Volta
• People in Ghana speak over 40 different languages
• Most jobs are focused around agriculture

GOVERNMENT AND LAWS

• Ghana's government is a multiparty constitutional democracy.
• All people over 18 are able to vote for an Executive President

ECONOMY

• Agriculture is dominant in the economy of Ghana
• Ghana Cedi is what the currency is called
• The money is in dominations of GHC 50, 20, 10, 5, and 1

PLACES OF INTEREST

• The Cape Coast Castle is a museum that tells the history of Ghana
• Kakum National Park is a tropical rain forest home to over 40 species of larger mammals
• Mole National Park is the largest wildlife park in Ghana
• Lake Volta is the largest man-made lake in the world

ARTS

• Drums are used in ceremonies, the drums "speak" and tell a story
• Many people create beautiful Kente cloths
• Adinkra cloths are used in funerals

HISTORY AND CULTURE

• Ghana became independent on March 6, 1957, and was called The Gold Coast
• The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in the 15th century
• The Dutch built forts along the coastal areas in 1598 (ex: Komenda Fort)
• Many wars between the people and British over the government took place

TRAVEL FACTS

• One of the most popular tourist destinations
• It is a relatively safe and friendly country
• English is the main and official language
• Rainy seasons are April-June and September-November
• The best time to visit is December through February

WHY TO VISIT

WORKS CITED

• http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/teachers/curriculum/m24/
• http://www.unesco.org/uil/litbase/?menu=13&programme=124
• http://www.our-africa.org/ghana/people-culture
• http://www.ghc-ca.com/frm-e-land-people.html
• http://goafrica.about.com/od/ghana/a/ghanafacts.htm