﻿10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT GHANA Ghana, officially known as the Republic of Ghana,
is a country in West Africa. It spans the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south,
sharing borders with the Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Togo in the east.
Ghana covers an area of 238,535 km2, spanning diverse biomes that range from coastal savannas
to tropical rain forests. With over 31 million people, Ghana is the second-most populous country
in West Africa, after Nigeria. The capital and largest city is Accra; other major cities are
Kumasi, Tamale, and Sekondi-Takoradi. Ghana is a multinational state, home to a variety of ethnic,
linguistic and religious groups; while the Akan are the largest ethnic group, they constitute only
a plurality. The vast majority of Ghanaians are Christian (71.3%), with close to a fifth being
Muslim and a tenth practicing traditional faiths or reporting no religion. Ghana is a unitary
constitutional democracy led by a president who is both head of state and head of government. Since
1993, it has maintained one of the freest and most stable governments on the continent, and performs
relatively well in metrics of healthcare, economic growth, and human development. Ghana consequently
enjoys significant influence in West Africa, and is highly integrated in international affairs,
being a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, the African Union, the Economic Community
of West African States (ECOWAS), the Group of 24 (G24) and the Commonwealth of Nations.
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Ghana is a country with interesting cultures,
friendly people and rich cuisines, with that said, let’s take a look
at 10 interesting facts about Ghana 10. Ghana is home to the largest open-air market
in West Africa, which is located in the capital city of Kumasi.
The first of our Ghana facts informs us about a fascinating spot to go shopping in the nation.
Ghana is fortunate in that it is home to the largest open-air market in West Africa. It is
known as Kejetia Market, and it is located in the capital city of the Ashanti Region,
Kumasi. Locals and tourists alike go to the store to purchase traditional clothing and materials,
as well as footwear and outfits. The market is also home to a specialised meat market
as well as kiosks that offer fresh fruits and vegetables from the surrounding area.
09. Ghanaian Celebrities Are Famed for Not Letting Their Wealth and Status Affect Them.
Ghana is probably not a country that most people identify with wealthy and renowned celebrities
who are well-known throughout the world. In spite of this, the country boasts a number
of superstars who are probably more renowned for not allowing their celebrity, wealth, and
position to impact their lives. One of the most well-known of these individuals is John Dumelo,
who, in addition to being a gifted actor and fashion designer,
is also well-known for the humanitarian work that he has done. He has his own philanthropic
foundation, The John Dumelo Foundation, which was established in his honour to assist others
who are less fortunate than himself. 08. Ghana Was the First Sub-Saharan
Country in Africa to Gain Independence. One of the most remarkable historical facts about
Ghana is that the country became the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve
complete independence in 1957, according to our research. Ghana was founded as a result of the
union of the former British Gold Coast area and the Togoland trust in 1957. Despite the fact that
the country had earned its independence by 1957, it was subjected to a succession of politically
destructive coups between 1957 and 1981. The most recent of them occurred in 1981, when Lt Jerry
Rawlings came to power and outlawed all political partie. By 1992, a new legislature had established
the constitutional right to participate in several political parties once more.
07. The Cedi, Ghana's national currency, is actually a shell.
Before the region was controlled by the British Empire, a major currency in Ghana
was the the cowry shell, it was an important currency in Ghana prior to the British Empire's
domination of the region. The shells, which are native to the Indian Ocean, arrived in the area
in the 14th century. Arab traders transported them. Cowries were still used as cash as late
as 1901. Cedi is the Akan term for cowry. When Ghana transitioned away from the Ghanaian pound,
this was the name chosen for the new currency. A cowry shell was shown on a few early coins.
06. Lake Volta, located in Ghana, is one of the world's largest man-made lakes.
Lake Volta is a man-made lake in Ghana. The lake is constructed by the Akosombo Dam (q.v. ), which
blocked the Volta River just south of Ajena. Construction began in 1961 and finished in 1965.
It has a storage capacity of 124,000,000 acre-fees. It is approximately 250 miles
long and occupies 3,283 square miles, or 3.6 percent of Ghana's land area. The lake's formation
necessitated the flooding of 15,000 dwellings and 740 communities, as well as the relocation
of 78,000 inhabitants. The lake is navigable and serves as a low-cost connection between Ghana's
northern savanna and the coast. The Akosombo Dam’s hydroelectric power plant has a producing capacity
of 912 megawatts of energy, which is used by the aluminium smelter located at the port of Tema
on the Gulf of Guinea and also serves the majority of Ghana's other electrical demands.
05. Ferdi Ato Abobe, a Ghanaian athlete, currently holds the world record for walking backwards.
This one of our interesting Ghana facts concerns athletics. Although it's not recognized as an
Olympic Sport, when it comes to running backwards in a 100-meters dash, Ghana's Ferdie Adoboe is the
fastest human alive. Ferdie Ato Adoboe set a world record by running 100 metres backwards in 12.7
seconds on 25th Julv 1991 at the Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, USA. The record was
equaled by Roland Wegner in 2007, but Abobe is still a record holder as he also holds the same
title for running backwards over a distance of 100 yards. This feat he managed in 12.7 seconds
04. Ghana is home to Sub-Saharan Africa's oldest European-built castle.
Built by the Portuguese in 1482, Elmina Castle is the oldest European building still in existence
in Sub-Saharan Africa. The castle was later controlled by the Dutch,
and then the British before finally being handed over to the people of Ghana when Britain granted
the Ghanaians their independence in 1957. Cape Coast Castle has a similar history, as it was
built by Swedish traders in 1653, later seized by the Dutch, and then changed hands to the British
before finally resting in control of the Ghanaian people. Visiting Elmina Castle and Cape Coast
Castle allows you to gain a better understanding of Ghana’s past and its effect on the people and
culture of the present. The castles tell a story of immense oppression and hardship. They are
places where Ghanaian ancestors were held captive, tortured, and bought and sold as commodities.
Learning this history undoubtedly leaves a lasting impression on many.
03. The Country Is the World’s 7th Largest Producer of Gold.
Ghana is Africa's largest gold producer, 7th largest worldwide
and more ounces per km than Nevada Ghana produced approximately 5 million
ounces of gold in 2020, surpassing South Africa's 2020 production of 4.2-million ounces.
Ghana produces more gold per square kilometer than Nevada and holds more
estimated reserves than key gold-producing countries like Peru and Papua New Guinea.
Southern Ghana has been considered one of the world’s most prolific regions
for gold discoveries for some time, with both gold producers and explorers enjoying success
there. Mining and gold are essential to Ghana’s economy and tax base Gold contributes over 90%
of Ghana’s total mineral exports and makes up 49% of the country's total export value
02. Ghana produces a distinctive cloth known as Kente.
Kente comes from the word kenten, which means "basket" in the Asante Dialect
of the Akan Language, referencing its basket-like pattern.
Kente refers to a Ghanian textile, made of handwoven cloth, strips of silk and cotton.
Historically the fabric was worn in a Toga -like fashion by royalty among ethnic groups
such as the Ashanti and Ewe. It is also worn by queens, princesses and women of Dagbon.
In modern day Ghana, the wearing of kente cloth has become widespread to commemorate special
occasions, with highly sought after kente brands led by master weavers. Due to the popularity of
kente cloth patterns, kente print, which is a mass-produced version, is popular throughout the
West. Globally, the print is used in the design of Academic stoles in graduation ceremonies.
1. Ghana is the first African country to launch it’s first satellite into space.
GhanaSat-1, which was developed by students at All Nations University in Koforidua, was sent into
orbit from the International Space Station. Cheers erupted as 400 people, including the
engineers, gathered in the southern Ghanaian city to watch live pictures of the launch.
The first signal was received shortly afterwards. It is the culmination of a two-year project,
costing $500,000 (£400,000). It received support from the
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The satellite will be used to monitor Ghana's
coastline for mapping purposes, and to build capacity in space science and technology.
These were just a few of the many facts we gathered about Ghana,
Ghana is a country of rich history and fun facts.
Bonus Facts:
Ghana Is Essentially a Tropical Country, Though It Has 2 Very Distinct Split Seasons.
The south west of the country is in a warm and wet forest zone. The capital,
Accra, is considered to be in the drier, arid, equatorial zone. There are two distinct seasons:
the rainy season from April to October, and the dry season from November to March. However,
in South Ghana the rainy season is split in two: it’s wet from April to June, then there is a
two-month reprieve of dry weather, followed by a second rainy season from September to October.
The man who is probably most well-known for his role as General Secretary of the United
Nations was born and raised in Kumasi, Yes we are talking about the famous Koffi Annan. He took his
most prestigious role in the UN between the years 1997 and 2006, but before that had worked as a
Director of Tourism for Ghana, and also held a position within the World Health Organization.
Ghana’s Name Means “Warrior King”. When the country achieved independence in 1957, it took
its new name from The Ghana Empire. The word Ghana roughly translates into English as Warrior King or
<>. Prior to this, the country had been known as the Wagadou Empire for around 300 years. The
capital, Accra, also has an unusual translation – it comes from the African word Nkran meaning ants.
It is so-called as there is an abundance of anthills in the areas surrounding the city
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