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The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Cote d'lvoire 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 kings”.
Official Languages:
The Ga language is a Kwa language spoken in Ghana and in around the capital Accra. It is a part of Niger – Congo family and is very closely related to Adangme, and together they form the Ga – Dangme branch within Kwa. As the former colony of British, English is the official language of Ghana. Ga is the next important language.
Independence, Republic and Government:
Towards the end of the classical era, larger regional kingdoms were formed in West Africa, one of which was the kingdom of Ghana. The first contact between tribal peoples: the Fantes on the coastal areas and Europeans occurred in 1482. The Portuguese first landed in Elmina, a coastal city inhabited by the Fanti tribe in 1482. For the next few centuries, these areas were controlled by British, Portuguese and Scandinavian, with the British ultimately prevailing. Formed by the merger of the British colony Gold Coast and the British Togoland trust territory by a UN sponsored plebiscite, Ghana is the first sub – Saharan country in Colonial Africa to gain its independence on 6th March 1957.
Kwame Nkrumah is the first president of the modern Ghanaian state. He was not only an African anti – colonial leader but also one who dreamt of uniting Africa which would not drift into neo – colonialism. He was the first African head of state to evoke Pan – Africanism.
As the country prepared to move towards constitutional rule, the major concern of Ghanaians was to ensure a relatively smooth and peaceful democratic transition. It is against a background of intense mutual hostility, distrust and vicious political rivalry that the democratic transition occurred in 1988 and the inauguration of the Fourth Republic was marked in January 1993. The sovereignty of Ghana resides in the people of Ghana in whose name and welfare the government exercises its power. This is the fundamental concept of the constitution of Ghana and by which the government is shaped. The constitution of the country is the supreme law of the country and any law found inconsistent with the constitution is be canceled.
Top Cities of Ghana:
Some of the important cities of Ghana have been listed below:
Accra:is the capital of Ghana and the largest city. It is the administrative, communication and economic center of the country.
Ada:is a town in eastern Ghana, lying on the Atlantic Ocean, on the estuary of river Volta. It is known for its beaches and for water sports.
Axim: is a town on the coast of Ghana. Axim has a prominent seaside castle or fort, Fort San Antonio de Axim, built by the Portuguese in1515 and is mostly open to public.
Elmina: is a town situated on a south – facing bay on the Atlantic Ocean on the coast of Ghana, lying west of Cape Coast.
Ho: is a city in south east Ghana and is the capital of the Volta region. It lies near Mount Adaklu and is home to a museum, a cathedral ans a prison.
Culture and Heritage:
Ghana like most other African nation has rich traditional cultures that differs from one ethnic group or tribe from another. This cultural diversity is evidenced in the festivals of Ghana, which is a good way to gain exposure and knowledge about the dance, fashions and foods of indigenous people. Ghana has a festival at every month of the year and each one commemorates a Rite of Passage, a change of season, a migration or a festive occasion. The high quality masks from Sesse woods was made in Ghana by the best of the artisans. The wood is strong and durable. It is adorned with colorful beads. The measure of each masks is approximately 14 x 7 inches. This masks making and wearing of masks is one of the oldest heritage of Ghana. Music plays an important role in the culture and heritage of Ghana. The culture and heritage generally encompasses festivals, music. dance and cuisine of Ghana. The music of Ghana has many varied styles of traditional and modern music. The most well known genre to have originated in Ghana is Highlife, which was very famous among the youths of late 1990s and incorporated Hip – Hop influence to establish a new hybrid genre known as Hiplife.
Tourism
Ghana is one of the most economically successful countries of West – Africa. It has a lot to offer to its visitors. Since it comprises of relatively a small area and the transport is good by African standards, you will have an enjoyable tour in Ghana.
Your trip will probably start with Accra, the capital of the country. The city has a good number of museums and a number of colorful markets. It is a wise idea to start with Accra since the distances are not too big and Accra is the travel hub of the country.
Ghana also has a number forts and beeches. The coast towns like Elmina, coast Shama and Dixcove are some of the hot spot on the coasts. The history of slave trading becomes alive in these forts. You will find history looming large at these museums and between the walls. At times, you can even feel the presence of the slaves and their souls in these forts.
The main tourist attraction in the north is probably Mole national park. At Mole you can usually see an African elephant in the dry season. There are also olive baboons and warthogs that hang around motel. The most important thing about this park is that you can visit it on foot. Standing there and watching elephant and other kinds of animals rather than sitting in some kind of jeep makes your experience all the more real.
Log on to countriesandcapitals for further information on Ghana and its capital city, Accra.
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