GENERAL
INFORMATION
LOCATION:
Ghana
is located on the West Coast of Africa, along the Gulf of
Guinea, and is boarded by Cote d'ivoire, Togo and
Burkina Faso. The Country covers an area of 238, 305km.
Ghana is the first African country south of the Sahara to
achieve independence. This was in 1957. The colonial power
was Britain. The Portuguese were the first to arrive and
they they named the place where they settled as the Gold
Coast. This became the name of the country till independence
when it was changed to Ghana. British were not the first
Europeans to arrive in Ghana but they were the last to leave.
The capital of Ghana was moved from Cape Coast to Accra
by the British in 1876. Before it could adopt the motto
of "One people, one nation, one destiny," The oldest traces
of sedentary habitation in Ghana date back 30,000 or 40,000
years along the coast, notably near Tema.
ECONOMY:
Ghana
is one of the most developed countries in tropical Africa.
The GNP per capita is above average for western Africa.
Ghana's economy is based mainly on agriculture and mining.
Agriculture accounts for nearly half GDP and employs over
50% of the work force. Main export crop is cacao. Coffee,
palm products, and tropical fruits are exported in small
quantities. Agricultural products include cassava, yams,
corn, sorghum, and rice. Goats and sheep are the principal
livestock reared. Timber is an important export. Fishing
is important to the domestic market.
Mineral exports, chiefly gold, manganese, diamonds, and
bauxite, account for a large part of the country's earnings.
Petroleum is extracted in small quantities offshore between
Saltpond and Cape Coast, and exploration in other areas
is under way. Industry, mining, and construction, accounting
for about one-seventh of the GDP and employing about one-eighth
of the work force.
Manufacturing is dominated by import-substitution industries
producing food products, beverages, tobacco, textiles, timber
and wood products, refined petroleum, vehicles, chemicals
and pharmaceuticals, cement, and metals. Electricity is
generated almost entirely from hydroelectric plants, mainly
the Akosombo Dam on the Volta River.
CAPITAL:
Accra,
the capital city of Ghana is on the Greenwich Meridian (zero
line of longitude) with a population of 3.1 million.
CLIMATE:
Northern
Ghana has a rainy season from about April to October. The
rest of the year is hot and dry with temperatures
up to 38oC. In southern Ghana the rains last from April
to June and again from September to October.
Generally temperatures are between 21o and 32oC.
AIRPORT:
Kotoka
International Airport is situated 12km from Accra city centre.
Domestic Airports are located at Kumasi,
(Ashanti Region), Sunyani, (Brong Ahafo Region) Tamale,
(Northern Region). Hotel shuttle buses and taxis
are available.
