Ghana 101

I'll just come right out and say it... I'm a research junkie! When deciding what school to go to... I researched! When deciding what camera to buy... I researched! When deciding what new restaurant to explore... you guessed it, I researched! So it stands to reason that with my extensive researching background, I would also research the country I will be spending 10 months of my life in.
Hitherto the fruits of my labor:

Country: The Republic of Ghana [the word Ghana means Warrior King (Pretty awesome name don't you think!?)]

Capital: Accra [as previously mentioned, pronounced ah-krah]

Population: 24 million [that's 20.3mil. more than in Puerto Rico(3.7mil.) and 287mil. more than USA(311mil.)] making roughly .35% of the world's population.

Language: Oficially its English [no it's not a typo, it used to be a British colony (known as the Gold Coast) from 1874 until it gained independence in 1957]. There are approximately 79 languages in Ghana.

Climate: Very warm with two seasons: the wet and the dry (rain boots...check, flip flops... check)

History (I will try to be brief):

The earliest Europeans to arrive were the Portuguese in the 15th century. Dutch, Swedish, and British Europeans eventually made their ways to the Gold Coast and set up forts for trade (gold, and slaves). Over time, many lost interest until only the British remained who chose to make the Gold Coast a crown colony. The capital was located in Cape Coast until 1876, were it was moved to Accra. 

After the Second World War (1939-1945), things began to change. The discrimination against educated Ghanaians in the civil service was on the increase and high positions were reserved for white men while Ghanaians became "hewers of wood and drawers of water". The Ex-servicemen (Ghanaian soldiers who fought in the World War), helped inspire a fight for independence from British control (after having witnessed the independence wars in Burma and India). After various boycotts, riots, and proposals for independence Ghana became on the 6th of March, 1957. It was the first country in Africa, South of the Sahara to regain independence from colonial rule. 

The current president of Ghana is Professor John Evans Atta Mills (born 21 July 1944) who won the Forth Presidential and Parliamentary elections of the Republic.

Economy:

Ghana is the second largest producer of cocoa (oh, yeah!) and still remains a prominent producer of gold, among other goods such as oil, timber, and manganese.

Culture:

People are always described as very open and friendly! Soccer (football) is the most popular sport, and the rest of their culture is as diverse as the many ethnic groups they have (at least more than 8, with 79 different dialects). This of course influences other aspects such as music and cuisine [although fufu (pounded cassava and plantain or pounded yam and plantain) is a favorite]. Textiles are very important for Ghanaians. Cloths are used to make traditional and modern attire. Different symbols and different colors mean different things. Kente is probably the most famous of all the Ghanaian cloths. Kente is an Ashanti ceremonial cloth hand-woven on a horizontal treadle loom. Strips measuring about 4 inches wide are sewn together into larger pieces of cloths. In a cultural context, kente is more important than just a cloth, it is a visual representation of history and also form of a written language through weaving.  (Just look at those awesome colors)

Flag: 

The Ghana Flag was designed by Mrs Theodosia Okoh

RED represents the blood of those who died in the country's struggle for independence 
GOLD represents the mineral wealth of the country 
GREEN symbolises the country's rich forest and 
THE BLACK STAR stands for the lodestar of African freedom


National Anthem: (It's really quite beautiful...I've underlined my favorite parts)

Ghana 

Hail the Name of Ghana 

God bless our homeland Ghana, 

And make our nation great and strong, 

Bold to defend for ever 

The cause of Freedom and of Right; 

Fill our hearts with true humility, 

Make us cherish fearless honesty, 

And help us to resist oppressors' rule 

With all our will and might for evermore. 

(repeat previous two lines) 

Hail to thy name, O Ghana, 

To thee we make our solemn vow: 

Steadfast to build together 

A nation strong in Unity; 

With our gifts of mind and strength of arm, 

Whether night or day, in mist or storm, 

In ev'ry need, whate'er the call may be, 

To serve thee, O Ghana, now and evermore. 

(repeat previous two lines) 

Raise high the flag of Ghana 

And one with Africa advance; 

Black Star of hope and honour 

To all who thirst for Liberty; 

Where the banner of Ghana freely flies, 

May the way to freedom truly lie; 

Arise, arise, O sons of Ghanaland, 

And under God march on for evermore! 

(repeat previous two lines) 

There you have it folks, for more information feel free to visit the official site: http://www.ghana.gov.gh/

I hope you found my post both interesting and educational! I strongly believe in being prepared, and learning about a country before you visit is definitely a must. I have enjoyed finding this information and sharing my findings... maybe now I can stop procrastinating and do some more on my schoolwork! :/

Can't believe graduation is so close!!! 

Dios los bendiga! (God Bless)

Jamie