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For other uses, see Ghana (disambiguation).
Republic of Ghana
Motto: "Freedom and Justice"
Anthem: God Bless Our Homeland Ghana[1]
Location of Ghana
Capital
and largest city
Accra
Official languagesEnglish
Demonym(s)Ghanaian
GovernmentConstitutional republic
• President
John Agyekum Kufuor
Alhaji Aliu Mahama
Independence 
from the United Kingdom
• Declared
6 March 1957
• Republic
1 July 1960
• Constitution
28 April 1992
Area
• Total
238,535 km2 (92,099 sq mi) (91st)
• Water (%)
3.5
Population
• 2007 estimate
23,000,000[2] (48th)
• Density
93/km2 (240.9/sq mi) (103rd)
GDP (PPP)2007 estimate
• Total
$65 Billion (75th)
• Per capita
$2,786 (129th)
HDI (2007)Increase 0.553
Error: Invalid HDI value (135th)
CurrencyGhanaian cedi (GHS)
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)
UTC0 (GMT)
Calling code233
ISO 3166 codeGH
Internet TLD.gh

The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (also known as Ivory Coast) to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The word "Ghana" means "Warrior King",[3] and was the source of the name "Guinea" (via French Guinoye) used to refer to the West African coast (as in Gulf of Guinea).

Ghana was inhabited in pre-colonial times by a number of ancient kingdoms, including the Ga Adangbes on the eastern coast, inland Empire of Ashanti and various Fante states along the coast and inland. Trade with European states flourished after contact with the Portuguese in the 15th century, and the British established a crown colony, Gold Coast, in 1874.[4]

Upon achieving independence from the United Kingdom in 1957,[5] the name Ghana was chosen for the new nation to reflect the ancient Empire of Ghana that once extended throughout much of western Africa. In the Ashanti language it is spelled Gaana.


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Economy

Main article: Economy of Ghana

Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance as well as the activities of the extensive Ghanaian diaspora. Gold, timber, cocoa, diamond, bauxite, and manganese exports are major sources of foreign exchange.[6] An oilfield which is reported to contain up to 3 billion barrels of light oil was discovered in 2007.[7]

The domestic economy continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 50% of GDP and employs 85% of the work force,[8] mainly small landholders. Ghana made progress under a three-year structural adjustment programme in cooperation with the IMF.[neutrality is disputed] On the negative side, public sector wage increases and regional peacekeeping commitments have led to continued inflationary deficit financing, depreciation of the Cedi, and rising public discontent with Ghana's austerity measures. Even so, Ghana remains one of the more economically sound countries in all of Africa.

The country has since July, 2007, embarked on a currency re-denomination exercise, from Cedi (¢) to the new currency, the Ghana Cedi (GH¢). The transfer rate is 1 Ghana Cedi for every 10,000 Cedis. The Bank of Ghana has embarked upon an aggressive media campaign to educate the public about what re-denomination entails. The new Ghana Cedi is now exchanging at a rate of $1 USD =Gh¢ 0.93 [citation needed]

Value Added Tax is a consumption tax administered in Ghana. The tax regime which started in 1998 had a single rate but since September 2007 entered into a multiple rate regime. In 1998, the rate of tax was 10% and amended in 2000 to 12.5%. However with the passage of Act 734 of 2007, a 3% VAT Flat Rate Scheme (VFRS) begun to operate for the retail distribution sector. This allows retailers of taxable goods under Act 546 to charge a marginal 3% on their sales and account on same to the VAT Service. It is aimed at simplifying the tax system and increasing compliance. It is the hope of government that if properly monitored, it would ultimately increase tax revenue in the country.

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Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Ghana

Major Ethnic groups: Akan 49%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%. European and other: 0.2%

Religions: Christian 63%, African beliefs 21%, Muslim 16%,[9] More recent estimates indicate that Muslims make up 30% of the population.[10]

Crime and Punishment

Main article: Advance fee fraud

Advance fee fraud (also known as "419" and the "Nigerian scam") is a form of organized crime common in many countries, including Ghana.[11][12] The scammer persuades the target to advance relatively small sums of money (the advance fee) in the hope of realizing a much larger gain (usually touted as millions).[13]

Languages

Main article: Languages of Ghana

More than 100 languages and dialects are spoken in Ghana. English is the country's official language and predominates government and business affairs. It is also the standard language used for educational instruction. Native Ghanaian languages are divided into two linguistic subfamilies of the Niger-Congo language family. Languages belonging to the Kwa subfamily are found predominantly to the south of the Volta River, while those belonging to the Gur subfamily are found predominantly to the north. The Kwa group, which is spoken by about 75% of the country's population, includes the Akan, Ga-Dangme, and Ewe languages. The Gur group includes the Gurma, Grusi, and Dagbani languages.[14]

Nine languages have the status of government-sponsored languages: Akan, Dagaare/Wale, Dagbani, Dangme, Ewe, Ga, Gonja, Kasem, and Nzema. Though not an official language, Hausa is the lingua-franca spoken among Ghana's Muslims, who comprise about 14% of the population.

Education

Main article: Education in Ghana

Presently, Ghana has 18,530 primary schools, 8,850 junior secondary schools, 900 senior secondary schools, 28 training colleges, 20 technical institutions, 4 diploma-awarding institutions, 6 public universities and over 10 private universities. That means that most Ghanaians have relatively easy access to primary and secondary education. These numbers can be contrasted with the single university and handful of secondary and primary schools that existed at the time of independence in 1957. Ghana's spending on education has varied between 28 and 40 percent of its annual budget in the past decade. All teaching is done in English, Ghana's official language.

Ghana has a 6-year primary education system beginning at the age of six and, under the educational reforms implemented in 1987, they pass on to a 3-year junior secondary system all making up the basic education and then afterwards a three year senior secondary system. The new educational reforms programme which was introduced in 2007 has now replaced the previous system. Now the junior secondary school is now junior high school (JHS). At the end of the 3rd year of JHS, there is a Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Those continuing must complete the 4-year senior high school (SHS) program and take an admission exam to enter university. School enrollment totals over 2 million: 1.3 million primary; 550,000 middle; 300,000 secondary; 84,280 technical; 18,000 teacher training, and 89,000 in university.

The shortage of places in post-secondary education is acute; one out of nine senior secondary graduates finds a place in a technical, teacher-training, or four-year university program.

International rankings

Organization Survey Ranking
Heritage Foundation/The Wall Street Journal Index of Economic Freedom 91 out of 157[15]
Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press Freedom Index 29 out of 168[16]
Transparency International Corruption Perception Index 69 out of 179[17]
United Nations Development Programme Human Development Index 135 out of 177[18]
Vision of Humanity Global Peace Index 40 out of 121[19]
World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report not ranked[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ The World Factbook
  3. ^ Jackson, John G. Introduction to African Civilizations, 2001. Page 201.
  4. ^ MacLean, Iain. Rational Choice and British Politics: An Analysis of Rhetoric and Manipulation from Peel to Blair, 2001. Page 76.
  5. ^ Peter N. Stearns and William Leonard Langer. The Encyclopedia of World History: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern, Chronologically Arranged, 2001. Page 1050.
  6. ^ The World Factbook
  7. ^ [2]
  8. ^ The World Factbook
  9. ^ Facts on People of Ghana, accessed July 13, 2006
  10. ^ Historical Dictionary Of Women In Sub-Saharan Africa By Kathleen E. Sheldon. 109.
  11. ^ ""419 SCAM"," US Diplomatic Mission to Ghana
  12. ^ "Scam Alert !," Intercontinental Bank Ghana
  13. ^ "The Nigerian "419" Advance Fee Scams: Prank or Peril?," Haverford College
  14. ^ LaVerle Berry, ed. (1995). Ghana: A Country Study. Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. pp. 81–82. ISBN 0844408352.
  15. ^ "Heritage Foundation - 2007 Index of Economic Freedom". Official Website for the Index. The Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 2007-02-24. The highest form of economic freedom provides an absolute right of property ownership, fully realised freedoms of movement for labour, capital, and goods, and an absolute absence of coercion or constraint of economic liberty beyond the extent necessary for citizens to protect and maintain liberty itself. In other words, individuals are free to work, produce, consume, and invest in any way they please, and that freedom is both protected by the state and unconstrained by the state.
  16. ^ "Reporters Without Borders - Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2006". Annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index. Reporters sans frontières. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
  17. ^ "Corruption Perception Index 2007". Official Website. Transparency International e.V. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  18. ^ "Human Development Report 2006" (pdf). Annual Report. United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
  19. ^ "Global Peace Index Rankings". Global Peace and Sustainability. Economist Intelligence Unit, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney, Australia and some Peace Institutes and Think Tanks. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  20. ^ "Table 1: Global Competitiveness Index rankings and 2005 comparisons" (pdf). World Economic Forum - Global Competitiveness Report 2006 - 2007. World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2007-02-24.

Wikimedia Atlas of right

Ghana News
Government
Healthcare
  • Korle Bu Hospital[dead link]
  • Unite For Sight at Buduburam Refugee Camp, Ghana A Unite For Sight video documentary with interviews of residents at Buduburam Refugee Camp, Ghana. Unite For Sight provides free eye care for the residents.
  • Subayo Foundation A not for profit charity for women and children in Ghana based out of the US.
  • Ghana Eye Foundation A Non Governmental Organisation to create awareness and mobilise resources to support the provision of a sustainable, equitable and quality eye health service by well-trained and appropriately motivated personnel to all residents in Ghana.
Overviews
Teaching resources
Tourism
On the web

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