Ghanaian culture. Ghanaian culture Traditional culture of Ghana
Republic of Ghana.
The name of the country comes from “gana” - “warlord” - the title of the ruler of the country.
Capital of Ghana. Accra.
Area of Ghana. 238533 km2.
Population of Ghana. 19894 thousand people
Location of Ghana. Ghana is a state in Western. In the north and northwest it borders with Cote d'Ivoire in the west. In the south it is washed, in the east it borders with.
Administrative divisions of Ghana. The state is divided into 10 regions and the capital district.
Form of government of Ghana. Republic.
Head of State of Ghana. President, elected for a term of 4 years.
Higher Legislature Ghana. A unicameral parliament with a term of office of 4 years.
Supreme Executive Body of Ghana. Government.
Big cities Ghana. Kumasi, Sekondi, Takoradi.
Official language of Ghana. English.
Religion of Ghana. 38% are pagans, 30% are Muslims, 24% are Christians.
Ethnic composition of Ghana. 44% - Akans, 16% - Moshi-Dagomba, 13% - Ewe, 8% - Ga.
Currency of Ghana. Cedi = 100 pesewas.
Ghana. Ghana has a tropical climate, but temperatures can vary dramatically depending on the time of year and altitude. In general, the country (with the exception of the northern region) has two rainy seasons: from April to July and from September to November. In the northern regions, the rainy season lasts from April to September. The maximum amount of precipitation falls on the western part of the coast - up to 2000 mm per year. The lowest temperature is observed in August, the highest in March. The average annual temperature is + 26 C.
Flora of Ghana. Most of the forests were destroyed, and only in the southern regions there were still forests where cottonwood, mahogany, and cedrela grew. Two-thirds of the area is covered by grass and a few trees.
Fauna of Ghana. In Ghana, mammals such as leopard, hyena, lemur, buffalo, elephant, antelope, and monkeys have been preserved. There are a large number of reptiles on the territory of the state (cobra, python, horned viper, African viper, etc.). The ponds are home to hippos and crocodiles.
Rivers and lakes of Ghana. The largest rivers are the Black Volta and the White Volta. Lake Volta.
Sights of Ghana. Christianborg Castle, 17th century, National Museum in Accra, the remains of Fort Orange, two national parks.
Useful information for tourists
Along the coast there are ancient forts founded by Europeans. Around two fortresses - the English Asher Fort and the Danish Christianborg Castle (or Osu) - the capital of Ghana, Accra, arose, in which ancient quarters have been preserved to this day. The city of Sekondi has existed for many centuries, where administrative institutions are mainly concentrated. The city of Cape Coast is home to the country's oldest secondary educational establishments. Other cities - Kumasi, Takoradi - are mostly modern
Honoring both parents is something that makes Ghanaian culture very different from other African cultures. The mother plays no less, and often even more important role in the family than the father. And ancestor worship, devotion to the clan and religiosity are the cornerstone of generally accepted public morality.
Traditional culture of Ghana
Despite the fact that Ghanaians, like most peoples of West Africa, firmly believe in the existence of otherworldly forces, Ghanaian culture does not provide for the manufacture of masks for magical rituals. Wooden or clay idols are often used as talismans for summoning spirits. Most often they are made by women trying to protect their family and children from various troubles and misfortunes. The secrets of making figurines have been passed down by word of mouth for centuries.
Main religion of ghana– Christianity. Islam is also widespread in the north of the country. Despite this, Ghana is one of the few countries where traditional beliefs still play an important role in the life of the people. One of distinctive features Ghanaian society is the peaceful coexistence of representatives of different faiths.
To date Ghana's economy based on two main industries: mining and Agriculture. The country is one of the largest gold exporters on the African continent.
Despite the difficult economic situation countries, science ghana is developing rapidly. Special attention is devoted to the introduction of information technologies. There are also a number of government programs for space exploration.
Arts and crafts art of Ghana presented with carved wooden chairs and colorful fabrics. Gold products have become widely known: pendants for necklaces and bracelets, household items and musical instruments.
National Ghanaian cuisine considered the most “Europeanized” in the region. It is based on thick soups cooked in meat or chicken broth. Geography of Ghana, namely the proximity to the ocean, explains the love of local residents for seafood.
Ghanaian culture entirely based on various religious rituals. They prescribe to accompany all important events in a person’s life with a whole complex of rituals and ceremonies. Neither the birth of a child, nor the construction of a house, nor the harvesting of crops can occur without them.
Ghana Sports
The Government of Ghana pays great attention to the development of sports. The newly built Tamale Multi-Sports Stadium is a testament to this. Ghana Sports represented mainly by such sports as boxing and football.
Ghana- a state in West Africa. In the north and northwest it borders with Burkina Faso, in the west with Cote d'Ivoire. In the south it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, in the east it borders with Togo.
The name of the country comes from “gana” - “warlord” - the title of the ruler of the country.
Capital: Accra.
Square: 238533 km2.
Population: 19894 thousand people
Administrative division: The state is divided into 10 regions and the capital district.
Form of government: Republic.
Head of State: President, elected for a term of 4 years.
Big cities: Kumasi, Sekondi, Takoradi.
Official language: English.
Religion: 38% are pagans, 30% are Muslims, 24% are Christians.
Ethnic composition: 44% - Akans, 16% - Moshi-Dagomba, 13% - Ewe, 8% - Ga.
Currency: Cedi = 100 pesewas.
Climate
Ghana has a tropical climate, but temperatures can vary dramatically depending on the time of year and altitude. In general, the country (with the exception of the northern region) has two rainy seasons: from April to July and from September to November. In the northern regions, the rainy season lasts from April to September. The maximum amount of precipitation falls on the western part of the coast - up to 2000 mm per year. The lowest temperature is observed in August, the highest in March. The average annual temperature is + 26 C.Flora
Most of the forests were destroyed, and only in the southern regions there were still forests where cottonwood, mahogany, and cedrela grew. Two-thirds of the area is covered by savannah, where mostly grass and a few trees grow.Fauna
In Ghana, mammals such as leopard, hyena, lemur, buffalo, elephant, antelope, and monkeys have been preserved. There are a large number of reptiles on the territory of the state (cobra, python, horned viper, African viper, etc.). The ponds are home to hippos and crocodiles.Rivers and lakes
The largest rivers are the Volta, Black Volta, and White Volta. Lake Volta.Attractions
Christianborg Castle of the 17th century, the National Museum in Accra, the remains of Fort Orange, two national parks.Useful information for tourists
Along the coast there are ancient forts founded by Europeans. Around two fortresses - the English Asher Fort and the Danish Christianborg Castle (or Osu) - the capital of Ghana, Accra, arose, in which ancient quarters have been preserved to this day. The city of Sekondi has existed for many centuries, where administrative institutions are mainly concentrated.The city of Cape Coast is home to the oldest secondary educational institutions in the country. Other cities - Kumasi, Takoradi - are mainly modern industrial centers. Tips are up to 10%, although most often, especially in large establishments, the cost of service is already included in the bill.
general information
The climate is equatorial, monsoon with air temperatures of 23–27 °C, but there is quite little precipitation: only on the western part of the coast the amount reaches 2000 mm per year, in the eastern part - 650–750 mm, and in the north of the country - 1000–1200 mm . In the coastal part there are two wet periods (March–July and September–October), followed by two dry ones. In inland areas, the alternation of dry and wet periods is less pronounced.
The vegetation in most of Ghana is tall grass savanna and savannah forest, in some places close to the coast. Only in the southwest are gallery evergreen forests preserved, and on the slopes of the Ashanti Plateau are small areas of deciduous forests where valuable species of mahogany and ebony grow. Forests in general occupy no more than 10% of the territory. Animal world relatively poor: in savanna forests it is rare, but you can still find elephants, in savannas - lions, leopards, buffaloes, antelopes, in reservoirs - hippos and crocodiles.
Three quarters of the population are peoples of the Guinean linguistic subgroup - Akan, Ewe and others, as well as the Voltaic subgroup - Mosi, Gourma and others, who mainly adhere to the traditional way of life and beliefs. Ghana's culture has a long and rich tradition, and the cast gold products made by local artisans have become famous throughout the world.
Along the coast there are ancient forts founded by Europeans. Around two fortresses - the English Asher Fort and the Danish Christianborg Castle (or Osu) - the capital of Ghana, Accra, arose, which has preserved its ancient quarters to this day. The city of Sekondi has existed for many centuries, where administrative institutions are mainly concentrated. The city of Cape Coast is home to the oldest secondary educational institutions in the country. Other cities Kumasi and Takoradi are mainly modern industrial centers.
History of Ghana
On the territory of present-day Ghana, before the arrival of Europeans in the 15th century, there were a number of tribal associations and local state entities, the largest of which was Ashanti. In 1482, the Portuguese were the first to land on the coast; they built the Elmina fortress, then the fortresses of Axim, Shama and others. The Portuguese exported gold (the country was then called the Gold Coast) and slaves.
The wealth of the Gold Coast also attracted other European powers - the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Prussia, and Britain. In the 16th century, gold exported from the Gold Coast accounted for about 10% of world production.
By the mid-19th century, Britain had ousted other European competitors from the Gold Coast; in 1844, the English governor concluded an agreement with the rulers of the coastal territories of the Fanti tribes on their recognition of the British protectorate.
The Ashanti tribes stubbornly resisted British attempts to penetrate deeper into the mainland. In 1896, the Ashanti territory was declared a British protectorate, and in 1901 it was included in the Gold Coast colony.
In the 1940s, the liberation struggle of the peoples of the Gold Coast intensified, which, under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah, culminated in the declaration of independence. On March 6, 1957, the country became known as Ghana.
Kwame Nkrumah navigated the internal and foreign policy on socialist countries, primarily the USSR and China, and carried out reforms aimed at strengthening the public sector in the economy, ridding the country of economic dependence on the colonial powers, but dissatisfaction with his authoritarian style of government, corruption of the administration, and the lack of results of transformations grew stronger in the country.
In February 1966, Nkrumah was overthrown by a group of officers. What followed was a series of successive military juntas and weak civilian governments. A course was taken to develop private entrepreneurship.
In June 1979, junior officers staged another coup that seized power. The Revolutionary Council announced a purge, during which former politicians, officials and senior officers were shot. Elections were held and the People's National Party, a leftist party, was declared the winner.
However, the NPP, despite its leftist orientation, did not eliminate private sector economy and encouraged foreign investment in Ghana. Dissatisfied with this, the officers led by J. Rawlings, who carried out the 1979 coup, staged new revolution December 31, 1981. In 1982, “people's tribunals” were formed, which purged politicians, officials, and entrepreneurs.
In 1992, a multi-party system was restored in Ghana and elections were held.
Economy of Ghana
Ghana has rich natural resources- gold, diamonds, bauxite, manganese, oil, gas, silver, timber, fisheries, hydropower resources.
However, agriculture remains the main sector of the Ghanaian economy (more than 55% of workers and 35% of GDP). I cultivate cocoa beans (the main export product), rice, tapioca, peanuts, corn, and bananas.
Export goods - gold, cocoa, timber, fish, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds.