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Website Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a , located along the and , in the of. Spanning a of 238,535 km 2 92,099 sq mi , Ghana is bordered by the in the west, in the north, in the east and the and in the south. The first permanent state in the territory of present-day Ghana dates back to the 11th century. Numerous kingdoms and empires emerged over the centuries, of which the most powerful was the. Beginning in the 15th century, numerous European powers contested the area for trading rights, with the ultimately establishing control of the coast by the late 19th century. Following over a century of native resistance, Ghana's current borders were established by the 1900s as the. It became independent of the on 6 March 1957. Ghana's population of approximately 28 million spans a variety of ethnic, linguistic and religious groups. Five percent of the population practices traditional faiths, 67. Its diverse geography and ecology ranges from coastal savannahs to. Ghana is a democratic country led by a president who is both and. Ghana's growing economic prosperity and democratic political system have made it a in West Africa. It is a member of the , the , the ECOWAS , G24 and the. Ghana was inhabited in the and the by a number of ancient predominantly kingdoms in the Southern and Central territories. This included the , the , the , the , and the. Although the area of present-day Ghana in West Africa has experienced many population movements, the were firmly settled by the 5th century BC. By the early 11th century, the Akans were firmly established in the Akan state called , for which the is named. From the 13th century, Akans emerged from what is believed to have been the Bonoman area, to create several Akan states of Ghana, mainly based on gold trading. These states included Bonoman , Ashanti , , , and. By the 19th century, the territory of the southern part of Ghana was included in the , one of the most influential states in sub-saharan Africa prior to the onset of colonialism. An 1850 map showing the within the and surrounding regions in West Africa The Kingdom of Ashanti government operated first as a loose network, and eventually as a centralised kingdom with an advanced, highly specialised bureaucracy centred in the capital city of. Prior to Akan contact with Europeans, the Akan created an advanced economy based on principally gold and then traded with the states of. The earliest known kingdoms to emerge in modern Ghana were the states. The Mole-Dagomba came on horseback from present-day under a single leader,. With their advanced weapons and based on a central authority, they easily invaded and occupied the lands of the local people ruled by the Tendamba land god priests , established themselves as the rulers over the locals, and made their capital. The death of Naa Gbewaa caused civil war among his children, some of whom broke off and founded separate states including , , , and. European contact 15th century 18th Century Ashanti kuduo. Gold dust and nuggets were kept in kuduo, as were other items of personal value and significance. As receptacles for their owners' kra, or life force, kuduo were prominent features of ceremonies designed to honor and protect that individual. Akan trade with European states began after contact with in the 15th century. Early European contact by the , who came to the in the 15th century to trade and then established the Costa do Ouro , focused on the extensive availability of gold. The Portuguese built a trading lodge at a coastal settlement called Anomansah the perpetual drink which they renamed. In 1481, King commissioned to build , which was completed in three years. By 1598, the had joined the Portuguese in the gold trade, establishing the Nederlandse Bezittingen ter Kuste van Guinea and building forts at and Kormantsi. In 1617, the Dutch captured the Olnini Castle from the Portuguese, and in 1642 Fort St Anthony. Other European traders had joined in gold trading by the mid-17th century, most notably the , establishing the Svenska Guldkusten , and , establishing the Danske Guldkyst or Dansk Guinea. In 1874 Great Britain established control over some parts of the country, assigning these areas the status of. Many occurred between the British colonial powers and the various Akan nation-states. The Akan defeated the British a few times in the 100-year-long but eventually lost with the in the early 1900s. Nkrumah won a majority in the for the Gold Coast Legislative Assembly in 1952. Nkrumah was appointed leader of the Gold Coast's government business. The Gold Coast region declared independence from the United Kingdom on 6 March 1957 and established the nation of Ghana. On 6 March 1957 at 12 a. Nkrumah declared Ghana's establishment and autonomy. On 1 July 1960, following the and Nkrumah declared Ghana as a republic as the first. We shall measure our progress by the improvement in the health of our people; by the number of children in school, and by the quality of their education; by the availability of water and electricity in our towns and villages; and by the happiness which our people take in being able to manage their own affairs. The welfare of our people is our chief pride, and it is by this that the government will ask to be judged. The , consisting of the colours red, gold, green, and a black star, became the new flag in 1957 when Gold Coast gained its name Ghana. It was designed by ; the red represents the blood that was shed towards independence, the gold represents the wealth of Ghana, the green symbolises the rich of Ghana, and the black star is the symbol of the Ghanaian people and African emancipation. Nkrumah merged the teachings of Marcus Garvey, and the naturalised scholar into the formation of 1960s Ghana. Kwame Nkrumah, as he became known, played an instrumental part in the founding of the , and in establishing the to teach his ideologies of and. His life achievements were recognised by Ghanaians during his centenary birthday celebration, and the day was instituted as a. The coup took place on 24 February 1966, led by Col. National Liberation Council N. A series of alternating military and civilian governments, often affected by economic instabilities, from 1966 to 1981 ended with the ascension to power of of the PNDC in 1981. These changes resulted in the suspension of the in 1981, and the banning of. The economy soon declined, so Rawlings negotiated a structural adjustment plan changing many old economic policies, and economic growth soon recovered during the mid—1980s. A new restoring politics was promulgated in ; Rawlings was elected as president of Ghana then, and again in. Traditional in Ghana in 2015 Winning the , of the NPP was sworn into office as president of Ghana on 7 January 2001, and attained the presidency again in the , thus also serving two the as president of Ghana and thus marking the first time under the fourth republic that power was transferred from one legitimately elected and to another. Kufuor was succeeded to the presidency of the Republic of Ghana by John Atta Mills of the NDC following the. Following the , John Dramani Mahama became President-elect and was inaugurated as the 4th President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana and 7th President of Ghana on 7 January 2013, to serve one of four-year term length as until 7 January 2017, maintaining Ghana's status as a stable democracy. As a result of the , became President-elect and was inaugurated as the 5th President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana and 8th President of Ghana on 7 January 2017, to serve one of four-year term length as , until 7 January 2021. Ghana map of Köppen climate classification. Ghana is located on the , only a few degrees north of the , therefore giving it a warm climate. Ghana spans an area of 238,535 km 2 92,099 sq mi , and has an Atlantic coastline that stretches 560 kilometres 350 miles on the Gulf of Guinea in Atlantic Ocean to its south. It lies between latitudes 4°45'N and 11°N, and longitudes 1°15'E and 3°15'W. The passes through Ghana, specifically through the industrial of. Ghana encompasses , , low hills, rivers, , the world's largest artificial lake, and on the south Atlantic Ocean coast of Ghana. The northernmost part of Ghana is Pulmakong and the southernmost part of Ghana is. Main article: The of Ghana is and there are two main seasons: the and the. Climate data for Ghana Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Average high °C °F 30. First President of the Republic of Ghana and Presidents of the 4th Republic of Ghana ; ; and. Ghana is a with a parliamentary. Ghana alternated between civilian and military governments until January 1993, when the military government gave way to the Fourth Republic of Ghana after and in late 1992. The 1992 divides powers among a of the , parliament , cabinet , council of state , and an independent judiciary. The is elected by after every four years. He was sworn in on 7 January 2017. The 2012 indicated that Ghana is ranked the 67th least fragile state in the world and the 5th least fragile state in Africa after , 2nd , 3rd , and 4th. Ghana ranked 112th out of 177 countries on the index. Ghana ranked as the 64th least and country in the world out of all 174 countries ranked and Ghana ranked as the 5th least corrupt and politically corrupt country in Africa out of 53 countries in the 2012. Ghana was ranked 7th in Africa out of 53 countries in the 2012. The Ibrahim Index is a comprehensive measure of African government, based on a number of different variables which reflect the success with which governments deliver essential political goods to its citizens. Nkrumah was a Ghanaian nationalist leader who led the country from 1957 to 1966. He graduated with master's degrees from Lincoln University and the University of Pennsylvania. Nkrumah was arrested and sentenced to one year imprisonment during this time. He became Prime Minister of the Gold Coast in 1952s leadership was authoritarian but he improved the infrastructure of the country and his Africanisation policies created better career opportunities for Ghanaians. He was deposed in a coup in 1966. Foreign relations , Ghanaian diplomat and United Nations Secretary-General 1997—2006 Since independence, Ghana has been devoted to ideals of nonalignment and is a founding member of the. Ghana favours international and regional political and economic co-operation, and is an active member of the United Nations and the African Union. Ghana has a strong relationship with the United States. Three recent US presidents--, , and --made diplomatic trips to Ghana. Many Ghanaian diplomats and politicians hold positions in international organisations, including Ghanaian diplomat and former , International Criminal Court Judge , and former President and former President John Agyekum Kuffour, who both served as diplomats of the United Nations. In September 2010, Ghana's former President visited China on an official visit. Mills and China's former President , marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations, at the on 20 September 2010. China reciprocated with an official visit in November 2011, by the Vice-Chairman of the , who visited Ghana and met with Ghana's President. The and the , met with the , on 16 April 2013 to hold discussions with President John Dramani Mahama on strengthening the and also co—chair a bilateral meeting between Ghana and Iran at the Ghanaian. The reciprocated with an official on 5 August 2013 by the , , who with the Vice-President of Iran, on the basis of and possible at the 's ,. The GPS and the CID are the main law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Ghana, and are responsible for the detection of crime, maintenance of law and order and the maintenance of internal peace and security. The Ghana Police Service has eleven specialised police units including a RDF and Unit MPU. The Ghana Police Service operates in 12 divisions: ten covering the ten regions of Ghana, one assigned specifically to the seaport and industrial hub of , and the twelfth being the Railways, Ports and Harbours Division. The Ghana Police Service's Unit and Division handles issues that arise from the country's offshore. The and the sub-division administers in Ghana. Ghana retains and exercises the death penalty for treason, corruption, robbery, piracy, drug trafficking, rape, and homicide. Ghana is used as a key industry point by traffickers, usually from South America as well as some from other African nations. The social context within which , storage, transportation, and repacking systems exist in Ghana and the state's location along the within the Atlantic Ocean — only a few degrees north of the — makes Ghana an attractive country for the narcotics business. The NACOB has impounded at the Sekondi Naval Base in the. These ships were carrying thousands of kilograms of cocaine, with a street value running into billions of. However, drug seizures saw a decline in 2011. Underdeveloped institutions, porous open borders, and the existence of established organisations contribute to Ghana's position in the narcotics industry. Military In 1957, the Ghana Armed Forces GAF consisted of its headquarters, support services, three battalions of infantry and a reconnaissance squadron with armoured vehicles. Ghanaian Prime Minister and President Kwame Nkrumah aimed at rapidly expanding the GAF to support the ambitions. Thus in 1961, 4th and 5th Battalions were established, and in 1964 6th Battalion was established, from a originally raised in 1963. Today, Ghana is a and. In his book , commander highly rated the GAF soldiers and. The and of the GAF are conceptualised on the , Ghana's Law on , and KAIPTC agreements to which GAF is attestator. GAF military operations are executed under the auspices and imperium of the MoD. Although Ghana is relatively peaceful and is often considered to be one of the least violent countries in the region, but Ghana has experienced political violence in the past and 2017 has thus far seen an upward trend in incidents motivated by political grievances. Administrative divisions See also: are prohibited by law in Ghana. Sometimes old women are accused of , particularly in rural Ghana. Issues of witchcraft mainly remain as speculations based on superstitions within families. In some parts of northern Ghana, there exists what is called a. This is said to house a total of around 1,000 people accused of witchcraft. The Ghanaian government has announced that it intends to close the camps. Accra market scene Ghana is an average enriched country possessing , and. It is an emerging designated with hybridisation and an with 8. This plan envisions Ghana as the first African country to become a between 2020 and 2029 and a between 2030 and 2039. Ghana's economy also has ties to the along with Ghana's vast gold reserves. In 2013, the began circulating the renminbi throughout Ghanaian state-owned banks and to the Ghana public as along with the national for second national trade currency. Urban areas hold greater opportunity for employment, particularly in informal trade, while nearly all 94 percent of rural poor households participate in the agricultural sector. The state-owned and are the two major electricity producers. The , built on the Volta River in 1965, along with , , and several other provide hydropower. In addition, the Government of Ghana has sought to. The is the 5th largest on continental Africa and 3rd largest in sub-saharan Africa with a of 57. The GSE was the 2nd best performing in sub-saharan Africa in 2013. Ghana also produces high-quality , is the 2nd largest producer of cocoa globally, and is projected to become the world's largest producer of cocoa in 2015. Ghana is classified as a middle income country. Manufacturing The Ghana economy is an emerging digital-based mixed economy hybrid similarly to that of with an increasing primary manufacturing and exportation of digital technology goods along with assembling and exporting automobiles and ships, diverse resource rich exportation of , agricultural products primarily cocoa, petroleum and natural gas, and such as primarily via Ghana's state digital technology corporation which manufactures with and various. Petroleum and natural gas production Ghana produces and exports an abundance of such as and natural gas. The 100% state-owned company of Ghana, GOIL is the number 1 petroleum and gas filling station of Ghana and the 100% state-owned state oil company GNPC oversees and production of Ghana's entire petroleum and natural gas reserves. Ghana aims to further increase output of oil to 2. Ghana's which contains up to 3 billion barrels 480,000,000 m 3 of was discovered in 2007, among the many other offshore and inland oilfields in Ghana. Ghana is believed to have up to 5 billion barrels 790,000,000 m 3 to 7 billion barrels 1. It also has up to 1. The has drawn up plans to Ghana's entire petroleum and natural gas reserves to increase government revenue. Industrial minerals mining Known for its , Ghana is the world's 7th largest producer of gold; producing over 102 of gold and the 10th of gold in the world in 2012; producing 89 metric tons of gold. Ghana is the 2nd largest producer of gold on the behind South Africa. Ghana has the 9th largest reserves, and is the 9th largest producer, of diamonds in the world. South Ghana also has great deposits of , , , , , , , , iron ore, , , , , , , , , , salts, , , silver, , , and that are yet to be fully. The Government of Ghana has drawn up plans to Ghana's entire mining industry to increase government revenues. Real estate A in The real estate and of Ghana has become an important and strategic , particularly in the of south Ghana such as Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi and Tema. Kumasi is growing at a faster rate than Accra, and there is less competition in its real estate market. The gross rental of Ghana is withheld at 10%, are taxed at 15% with a 5% imposed on the transfer of properties and Ghana's is divided into 3 areas: public sector real estate development, emerging private sector real estate development, and private individuals. The activities of these 3 groups are facilitated by the Ghanaian banks and the primary mortgage market which has demonstrated enormous growth potential. Recent developments in the Ghanaian economy has given birth to a boom in the construction sector, including the housing and public housing sector generating and injecting billions of dollars annually into the Ghanaian economy. The real estate market investment perspective and attraction comes from Ghana's tropical location and robust political stability. An increasing number of the Ghanaian populace are investing in properties and the Ghana government is empowering the in the real estate direction. Ghana maintains one of the world's fastest growing and expanding. In July 2013, opened its 38th global office in Accra, to develop trade and investment on logistics, and , aviation, transportation and consumer sectors. Singapore and Ghana also signed four bilateral agreements to promote and collaboration, as Ghana aims to predominantly shift its economic trade partnership to East Asia and Southeast Asia. The economic centre is 's second office in Africa, coming six months after opening in Johannesburg, South Africa in January 2013. Ghana's labour force in 2008 totalled 11. They are also traffic junctions where goods are transhipped; the Tema harbour handles the majority of the nation's export cargo and most of the country's chief exports is shipped from Takoradi harbour. The Takoradi harbour and Tema harbour are operated by the state-owned. Electricity generation sector Main article: Shortages of electricity have led to persistent, irregular and unpredictable electric power outages , increasing the interest in renewables. Ghana plans to become a major regional exporter of electrical power using oil from the. Economic transparency According to Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index of 2013, out of 177 countries, Ghana ranked 63rd with and. Ghana had a score of 46 on a scale where a 0—9 score means highly corrupt, and a 90—100 score means very clean. This was based on perceived levels of public sector corruption. Previously in 2012, the country ranked 64 and scored 45. Thus, Ghana's public sector scored lower in 2013 than in 2012, according to CPI's scores. The incumbent president is however seen to be fighting corruption by some government members, and a fellow politician of an opposition party, after ordering investigations into scandals. Nonetheless others believe his actions are not sufficient in some cases. John Addo Kufuor, son of former President , and Kojo Annan, son of former Secretary-General of the United Nations , have been named in association with the. Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to launch a cellular mobile network 1992. It was one of the first countries in Africa to be connected to the internet and to introduce ADSL broadband services. Space and satellite programmes The GSSTC and Ghana Space Agency GhsA oversee the and of Ghana. GSSTC and GhsA worked to have a launched into orbit in 2015. The first practical step in its endeavor was a launched on 15 May 2013, a space programme spearheaded by the All Nations University College ANUC in Koforidua. The CanSat was deployed 200 metres 660 feet high from a helium-filled balloon and took some aerial images as well as temperature readings. As its next step in advancing space science and satellite technology in the sub-region, an amateur ground station has been designed and built by the university. It has successfully tracked and communicated with several amateur radio satellites in orbit including the , receiving images on 18 and 20 December 2014. The miniaturized earth observational satellite is to be launched into orbit in 2017. Ghana's annual space exploration expenditure has been 1% of its gross domestic product GDP , to support research in science and technology. In 2012 Ghana was elected to chair the Comsats ; Ghana has a joint effort in with South Africa's SANSA. Cybernetics and cyberwarfare implementation of at the The use of computer technology for teaching and learning began to receive 's attention from the late 1990s. The in education policy of Ghana requires the use of information and communications technology for teaching and learning at all levels of the system. The MOE supports institutions in teaching of information and communications technology literacy. Majority of secondary, and some basic have computer laboratories. Ghana's intention to become the information technology hub of West Africa has led the government of Ghana to enact cyber crime legislation and enhance practices. Acting on that goal, in 2008 Ghana passed the Electronic Communications Act and the Electronic Transactions Act, which established the legal framework for governing information technology. In November 2011, the Deputy and Technology announced the development of a national cyber security strategy, aimed at combating and securing critical infrastructure. The agency also established for each to improve co-ordination and information-sharing on. Ghana is ranked 2nd on continental Africa and 7th globally in , , , and. This includes both and work on more advanced applications. It also has a secondary role as an educational resource for foreign students in health, biotechnology and related fields. It is divided into 2 years , Primary School 2 module of 3 years and Junior High 3 years. Junior High School JHS ends with the Basic Education Certificate Examination. Once the BECE achieved, the pupil can pursue into secondary cycle. Hence, the pupil has the choice between general education assumed by Senior High School and vocational education assumed by technical Senior High School, Technical and Vocational Institutes, completed by a massive private and informal offer. Senior High School lasts three years and ends on the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination. The WASSCE is needed to join a university bachelor's degree programme. Polytechnics are opened to vocational students, from SHS or from TVI. A Bachelor's degree usually lasts 4 years, can be followed by a 1- or 2-year master's degree, which can be concluded in 3 years by a Ph. A polytechnic lasts 2 or 3 years. Ghana also possesses numerous colleges of education. The Ghanaian education system from Kindergarten up to an undergraduate degree level takes 20 years. The academic year usually goes from August to May inclusive. The school year in primary education lasts 40 weeks in Primary School and SHS, and 45 weeks in JHS. A 2013 study assessing demand- and supply-side factors shows that various external influences present the most important challenges to educational access and attainment in Ghana, especially the geographic gap between the rural North and urban South, high population growth which places constant pressure on new enrolments and child labour. Enrollment With over 95% of its children in school, Ghana currently has one of the highest school enrollment rates in all of Africa. The ratio of females to males in the total education system was 0. Foreign students Ghana's education system annually attracts a large number of particularly in the university sector. One noted product of the Ghana education system is who completed both his elementary school education and high school education at the prestigious. Funding of education The government largely funds basic education comprising public primary schools and public junior high schools. Senior high schools are highly subsidised by the government. At the higher education level, the government funds more than 80% of resources provided to public universities, polytechnics and teacher training colleges. Provision of educational material As part of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education, Fcube, the government supplies all basic education schools with all their textbooks and other educational supplies like exercise books. Senior high schools are also provided with all their textbook requirement by the government. Private schools acquire their educational material from private suppliers. Ghana has the largest bookshop in Africa, EPP Books Services located at the University of Ghana. Kindergarten and education structure Education structure of Ghana The female and male ages 15—24 years literacy rate in Ghana was 81% in 2010, with males at 82%, and females at 80%. Ghanaian children begin their education at the age of three or four starting from nursery school and , then to elementary school primary school , high school and and finally university. The average age at which a Ghanaian child enters primary school is 6 years. Ghana has a 6-year primary school education system beginning at age six, and, under the educational reforms implemented in 1988 and reformed in 2007, they pass on to a 3-year junior high school system. Those continuing must complete the 4-year senior high school programme which has been changed to three years and take an admission exam to enter any university or tertiary programme. The Ghanaian from nursery school up to an level takes 20 years. In 2005, Ghana had 12,130 primary schools, 5,450 junior secondary schools, 503 senior secondary schools, 21 public training colleges, 18 technical institutions, two diploma-awarding institutions and 6 universities. In 2010, there were relatively more females 53. Elementary The and the provide at the elementary school primary school level, and most Ghanaians have relatively easy access to high school education and. 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—40% of its annual budget in the past decade. All teaching is done in English, mostly by qualified Ghanaian educators. The courses taught at the primary or basic school level include English, Ghanaian language and culture, mathematics, environmental studies, social studies, and French as an associated-member, integrated or , pre- skills and pre- skills, religious and moral education, and physical activities such as Ghanaian music and dance, and. Further information: The senior high level school curriculum has core subjects and elective subjects of which students must take four the core subjects of English language, mathematics, integrated science including science, agriculture and environmental studies and economics, geography, history and government. High school students also choose four elective subjects from five available programmes: agriculture programme, general programme arts or science option , , programme and programme. Apart from most primary and secondary schools which choose the Ghanaian system of schooling, there are also international schools such as the , Tema International School, , The Roman Ridge School, , Faith Montessori School, American International School, , Association International School, New Nation School, SOS Hermann Gmeiner International College, Vilac International School, Akosombo International School which offers Cambridge O level certificate , North Legon Little Campus and International Community School, which offer the , and the IGCSE. University There are eight national public universities in Ghana: the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, , , , , , University of Energy and Natural Resources, and University of Health and Allied Sciences. Ghana has a growing number of accredited private universities including , , , , , , , , Catholic University College, Presbyterian university college, and. The oldest university in Ghana, the , was founded in 1948. It had 29,754 students in 2008. Its programmes in the arts, , business, and the , as well as medicine, are among the best in the country. The University of Ghana has seen a shift of its traditionally best students to the. Since Ghana's independence, the country has been one of the most educational in sub-Saharan Africa. Former UN Secretary General has been chancellor of the University of Ghana since 2008. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the second university to be established in the country, is the premier university of science and technology in Ghana and West Africa. Further information: Population in Ghana Year Million 1950 5. The largest is the. Ghana's territorial area within West Africa was unoccupied and uninhabited by humans until the 10th century BC. By the 10th century AD. The were the first settlers in Ghana long before the other tribes came. In 2010, the population of Ghana was 72. Of these, 98% are indigenous converts. Hinduism in Ghana was popularized by Swami Ghana Nanda ji, who opened several temples in the nation. The temple of lord Shiva in Accra is one of the largest where there are celebrations to Ganesh Chaturthi, Rath Yatra, and other Hindu observations. In its first post-colonial census in 1960, Ghana had a population of 6. The median age of Ghanaian citizens is 30 years old and the average household size is 3. The Government of Ghana states that the of Ghana is English, and is spoken by 67. Population As of 2016, Ghana had a population of 28,206,728. Around 29 percent of the population is under the age of 15, while persons aged 15-64 make up 57. The Ashanti Region had the most, 4. As of 2010 , 4. As of 2010 , 2. Legal immigration Main article: In 2010, the reported a large number of and inhabiting Ghana: 14. In 2013, there was a mass deportation of illegal miners, more than 4,000 of them Chinese nationals. Since Ghana is surrounded by , is widely taught in schools and universities, as well as a language used for commercial and international economic exchanges. Since 2006, Ghana is an associate member of the , the global organisation that unites French-speaking countries 84 nations on 6 continents. In 2005, over 350 000 Ghanaian children studied French in schools. Since then, its status has progressively been updated to a mandatory language in every high school. Religion Ghana is a largely Christian country, although a sizable Muslim minority exists. Traditional indigenous beliefs are also practiced. Fertility and reproductive health The fertility rate of Ghana declined from 3. According to a 2013 UNICEF report, 4% of women in Ghana have undergone FGM. The practice has been made illegal in the country. Ghana is also the birth country of anti-FGM campaigner. Further information: and Ghana has a system strictly designated for , National Health Insurance Scheme NHIS. Health care is very variable throughout Ghana and in 2012, over 12 million Ghanaian nationals were covered by the NHIS. Urban centres are well served, and contain most of the hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies in Ghana. There are over 200 hospitals in Ghana and Ghana is a destination for. In 2010, there were 0. In 2013, at birth had increased to an average of 66 years with males at 66 years and females at 67 years, and in 2013 decreased to 39 per 1,000 live births. There was an estimation of 15 physicians and 93 nurses per 100,000 persons in 2010. As of 2012 , the prevalence was estimated at 1. The 2010 census reported that the largest ethnic groups are the Akan 47. The Akan make up a majority of the population in the Central 81. Food and drink Main article: and is diverse, and includes an assortment of and with varied seafoods and most Ghanaian soups are prepared with vegetables, meat, poultry or fish. Fish is important in the Ghanaian with , roasted and fried , and all being common components of Ghanaian dishes. Banku Akple is a common Ghanaian food made from ground corn maize , and cornmeal based staples, dokonu and banku akple are usually accompanied by some form of chinam or grilled tilapia and a very spicy condiment made from raw red and green , onions and tomatoes. Banku and tilapia is a combo served in most Ghanaian restaurants. Literature The Ghanaian national literature radio programme and accompanying publication was one of the earliest on the African continent. The most prominent Ghanaian authors are novelists; , and , who gained international acclaim with the books, Ethiopia Unbound 1911 , 1968 and Tail of the Blue Bird 2009 , respectively. In addition to novels, other literature arts such as Ghanaian theatre and poetry have also had a very good development and support at the national level with prominent Ghanaian playwrights and poets and. Adinkra by During the 13th century, Ghanaians developed their unique art of printing. Hand-printed and hand- adinkra clothes were made and used exclusively by the then Ghanaian royalty for devotional ceremonies. Each of the that make up the of adinkra symbolism has a name and meaning derived from a proverb, a historical event, human attitude, , , or of and man-made objects. These are graphically rendered in stylised geometric shapes. The meanings of the motifs may be categorised into , ethics, , and concepts. The Adinkra symbols have a decorative function as but also represent objects that encapsulate evocative messages that convey traditional wisdom, aspects of life or the environment. There are many different symbols with distinct meanings, often linked with. Traditional clothing Main article: Along with the Adinkra cloth Ghanaians use many different cloth fabrics for their traditional attire. The different ethnic groups have their own individual cloth. The most well known is the cloth. Kente is a very important Ghanaian and clothing and these cloths are used to make traditional and modern Ghanaian Kente. Different symbols and different colours mean different things. Kente is a ceremonial cloth hand-woven on a horizontal and strips measuring about 4 inches wide are sewn together into larger pieces of cloths. Cloths come in various colours, sizes and designs and are worn during very important social and religious occasions. In a cultural context, kente is more important than just a cloth and it is a visual representation of history and also a form of written language through weaving. The term kente has its roots in the Akan word kɛntɛn which means a basket and the first kente weavers used raffia fibres to weave cloths that looked like kenten a basket ; and thus were referred to as kenten ntoma; meaning basket cloth. Contemporary Ghanaian fashion includes traditional and modern styles and fabrics and has made its way into the African and global fashion scene. The cloth known as was created out of Dutch wax textiles, it is believed that in the late 1800s, Dutch ships on their way to Asia stocked with machine-made textiles that mimicked Indonesian Batik stopped at many West African ports on the way. The fabrics did not do well in Asia. However, in West Africa — mainly Ghana where there was an already established market for cloths and textiles — the client base grew and it was changed to include local and traditional designs, colours and patterns to cater to the taste of the new consumers. It is very popular among Caribbean peoples and African Americans; celebrities such as and her sister have been seen wearing African print attire. Many designers from countries in North America and Europe are now using African prints and it has gained a global interest. British luxury fashion house created a collection around Ghanaian styles. American musician has repeatedly incorporated African prints into her clothing line and can often be seen wearing it. Internationally acclaimed Ghanaian-British designer introduced African print suits in his 2012 collection. Music and dance Traditional form and music performance. The is diverse and varies between different ethnic groups and regions. Ghanaian music incorporates several distinct types of musical instruments such as the talking drum ensembles, , fiddle and koloko lute, court music, including the Akan , the Akan atumpan, the Ga kpanlogo styles, and log used in asonko music. The most well known genres to have come from Ghana are African jazz, which was created by Ghanaian artist , and its earliest form of secular music, called. Highlife originated in the late 19th century and early 20th century and spread throughout West Africa. In the 1990s a new genre of music was created by the youth incorporating the influences of highlife, Afro-reggae, and. This hybrid was called. In December 2015, Rocky Dawuni became the first Ghanaian musician to be nominated for a Grammy award in the category for his 6th studio album titled Branches of The Same Tree released 31 March 2015. Ghanaian dance is as diverse as its music, and there are traditional dances and different dances for different occasions. The most known Ghanaian dances are those for celebrations. These dances include the , , , Klama, and Bamaya. Film Popular , , and international actors and Ghana has a budding and thriving film industry. Ghana's film industry dates as far back as 1948 when the Gold Coast Film Unit was set up in the Information Services Department. Some internationally recognised films have come from Ghana. In 1970, I Told You So was one of the first Ghanaian films to receive international acknowledgement and received great reviews from. In 1987, , another Ghanaian and German production directed by Werner Herzog, received international acclamation and in 1988, Heritage Africa won more than 12 film awards. In recent times there have been collaborations between Ghanaian and Nigerian crew and cast and a number of productions turned out. Many Ghanaian films are co-produced with , the Nigerian film industry, and some are distributed by Nigerian marketers. Also, Nigerian filmmakers often feature Ghanaian actors and actresses in their movies and Ghanaian filmmakers feature Nigerian actors and actresses in theirs. As a result of these collaborations, Western viewers often confuse Ghanaian movies with Nollywood and count their sales as one; however, they are two independent industries that sometimes share Nollywood. In 2009, described Nollywood as the second-biggest film industry in the world after. Media Ghana mass media, and information provided by television. The are amongst the most free in Africa. Chapter 12 of the 1992 guarantees and independence of the media, while Chapter 2 prohibits censorship. Post-independence, the government and media often had a tense relationship, with private outlets closed during the military governments and strict media laws that prevented criticism of government. Press freedoms were restored in 1992, and after the election in 2000 of the tensions between the private media and government decreased. Kufuor supported press freedom and repealed a law, but maintained that the media had to act responsibly. The private press often carries criticism of government policy. Sports Black Stars, the. Association football or soccer is the most spectated and the is known as the Black Stars, with the known as the Black Satellites. Ghana has won the four times, the once, and has participated in three consecutive dating back to 2006. In the , Ghana became the third African country to reach the quarter-final stage of the World Cup after Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002. Ghana national U-20 football team, known as the Black Satellites, is considered to be the feeder team for the. Ghana is the first and only country on the to be crowned , and two-time runners up in and. The Ghana national U-17 football team known as the Black Starlets are two-time champions in and , two-time runners up in and. Ghanaian Asante Kotoko SC and Accra Hearts of Oak SC are the 5th and 9th best on the and have won a total of five Africa continental association football and trophies; Ghanaian football club has been crowned two-time winners in , and five-time CAF Champions League runners up, and Ghanaian football club has been crowned winner and two-time CAF Champions League runners up, 2001 champions and champions. The crowned Asante Kotoko SC as the. There are several club football teams in Ghana that play in the and , both administered by the. Ghana competed in the Winter Olympics in 2010 for the first time. Ghana qualified for the 2010 Winter Olympics, scoring 137. Ghana finished 47th out of 102 participating nations, of whom 54 finished in the. Ghanaian athletes have won a total of four Olympics medals in thirteen appearances at the , three in , and a in association football, and thus became the first country on the to win a at association football. The country has also produced a number of world class boxers, including a three-time world champion and considered as Africa's greatest , also a three-time world champion, , and. Ghana's women's football team won bronze at the 2016 edition in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The team beat South Africa 1—0. Ghanaian There are two types of Ghanaian traditional construction: the series of adjacent buildings in an enclosure around a common are common and the traditional round huts with grass roof. The round huts with grass roof architecture are situated in the northern regions of Ghana , and regions , while the series of adjacent buildings are in the southern regions of Ghana , , , , and regions. Ghanaian and buildings are predominant in the Ghanaian southern regions, while the Ghanaian are most evident by the more than thirty and built in Ghana. Some of these forts are and. Ghana has museums that are situated inside castles, and two are situated inside a fort. The and the organise temporary exhibitions. Ghana has museums that show a in-depth look at specific , there are a number of museums that provide insight into the traditions and history of their own geographical area in Ghana. The Museum and St. Georges Castle Museum offer. The provides its visitors with a look into the domain of Ghanaian development, through exhibits of objects of scientific and interest. The depicts two animals: the Aquila rapax, a very large that lives in the savannas and deserts; 35% of Ghana's is , 35% is forest, 30% is and the lion Panthera leo, a ; a , a castle on a heraldic sea, a and a representing the wealth of Ghana, and a five-pointed black star rimmed with gold representing the mineral gold wealth of Ghana and the lodestar of the. It also has the legend Freedom and Justice. The consists of three horizontal bands strips of red top , gold middle and green bottom ; the three bands are the same height and width; the middle band bears a five-pointed black in the centre of the gold band, the colour red band stands for the blood spilled to achieve the nation's independence: gold stands for Ghana's wealth, and the color green symbolises the rich and natural resources of Ghana. Tourist arrivals to Ghana include South Americans, Asians, Europeans, and North Americans. The attractions and major tourist destinations of Ghana include a warm, tropical climate year-round; diverse ; exotic such as Kintampo Waterfalls and the largest waterfall in west Africa, ; Ghana's coastal palm-lined sandy beaches; caves; mountains, rivers; and reservoirs and lakes such as or Bosumtwi and the largest man-made lake in the world by surface area, ; dozens of and ; World Heritage Sites; and. The statistics in 2010 showed that out of the world's favourite tourist destinations, Ghana was ranked 108th out of 139 countries. The country had moved two places up from the 2009 rankings. In 2011, magazine, published that Ghana was ranked the eleventh most friendly country in the world. The assertion was based on a survey in 2010 of a cross-section of travellers. Of all the African countries that were included in the survey, Ghana ranked highest. Tourism is the fourth highest earner of for the country. In 2017, Ghana ranks as the in the. To enter Ghana, it is necessary to have a visa authorised by the. Travelers must apply for this visa at a Ghanaian embassy; this process can take approximately two weeks. By law, visitors entering Ghana must be able to produce a yellow fever vaccination certificate. Retrieved 21 December 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2017. English is the official language of Ghana and is universally used in schools in addition to nine other local languages. 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