ABOUT GHANA

                                                 

              GHANA FLAG                                                                             COAT OF ARMS           

  

Republic of Ghana 

Ghana is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) 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 King" and is derived from the ancient Ghana Empire.

Ghana was inhabited in pre-colonial times by a number of ancient predominantly Akan kingdoms, including the inland Ashanti Empire, the Akwamu, the Akyem, the Bonoman, the Denkyira, and the Fante among others. Non-Akan states created by the Ga also existed as did states by the Dagomba. Prior to contact with Europeans trade between the Akan and various African states flourished due to Akan's gold wealth. Trade with European states began after contact with the Portuguese in the 15th century, and the British established the Gold Coast Crown colony in 1874 over parts but not all of the country.

The Gold Coast achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, becoming the First sub-Saharan African nation to do so from European Colonialism. The name Ghana was chosen for the new nation to reflect the ancient Empire of Ghana, which once extended throughout much of West Africa.

Ghana is a member of the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, and an associate member of La Francophone. Ghana is one of the largest cocoa producers in the world, and is also home to Lake Volta, the largest artificial lake in the world by surface area.

 

Regions of Ghana 

Ghana is divided into ten regions (capitals in parentheses):

• Ashanti Region (Kumasi)

• Brong-Ahafo Region (Sunyani)

• Central Region (Cape Coast)

• Eastern Region (Koforidua)

• Greater Accra Region (Accra)

• Northern Region (Tamale)

• Upper East Region (Bolgatanga)

• Upper West Region (Wa)

• Volta Region (Ho)

• Western Region (Sekondi-Takoradi)

Culture of Ghana

Ghana is a country of 24 million people, comprising six Ghanaian ethnic groups, and about over 50 other non–Ghanaian ethnic groups. About three native and major Ghanaian languages, with different dialects are spoken in Ghana, but English, the official language of Ghana, is spoken by many. About 52 other languages of non–Ghanaian origin are also spoken in Ghana by the non–Ghanaian ethnic groups. Like most other African nations, Ghana has a rich traditional culture, which differs from one Ghanaian ethnic group to the other.

Social relations

In general, Ghanaian's emphasize communal values such as family, respect for the elderly, honoring traditional rulers, and the importance of dignity and proper social conduct. Individual conduct is seen as having impact on an entire family, social group and community; therefore, everyone is expected to be respectful, dignified and observant in public settings, and in most every aspect of life. Naming ceremonies, puberty initiations, marriage and death are all marked by family ceremonies, and while Ghana has the highest percentage of Christians in West Africa, belief in traditional animist religions is still common. Seasonal festivals serve to bring a whole tribe or clan together in spectacular fashion.

People

On the basis of the Ghanaian nationality law the indigenous people of Ghana and those considered Ghanaians are into six groups. These are the ethnic groups, the Akan, the Ga-Adangbe, the Dagbon, the smaller groups of the Whites, the Sindhi-Indian, and the Lebanese.

Festivals

The celebration of festivals in Ghana is an essential part of Ghanaian culture. Several rites and rituals are performed throughout the year in various parts of the country, including marriage and death. Most of the celebrations are attended by entire villages and are strictly observed by the traditional elders of the respective ethnic groups.

The Panafest is held every summer. It is celebrates Ghanaian roots. People from other African countries, as well as African-Americans with roots in Ghana, often visit the country and celebrate their heritage.

The Homowo Festival-The word "Homowo" literally means hooting at hunger. Traditional oral history tells of a time when the rains stopped and the sea closed its gates. A deadly famine spread throughout the southern Accra Plains, the home of the Ga people. When the harvest finally arrived and food became plentiful, the people celebrated with a festival that ridiculed hunger.

Kobine is a traditional dance and festival unique to the Lawra area of north western Ghana. The dance and the festival named after it are celebrated in September and October to mark the end of a successful harvest.

Music

There are three distinct types of Ghanaian music: ethnic or traditional music, normally played during festivals and at funerals; "highlife" music, which is a blend of traditional and ‘imported’ music; and choral music, which is performed in concert halls, churches, schools and colleges.

Southern Ghanaian music of the Akan and Ga incorporates distinct types of musical instruments with the most popular and well known being:

• Kpanlogo - Carved from a single piece of wood, and covered in skin to create the drum head.

Native Northern Ghanaian music incorporates the following instruments:

• North and Northeastern Ghana is known for talking drum ensembles, goje fiddle and koloko lute music, played by the Gur-speaking Dagomba nations, as well as by the smaller Frafra, Gurunsi, Fulani, Hausa people, Mande-speaking Busanga, and Ligbi peoples.

• Upper - Northwestern Ghana is known for complex interlocking Gyil folk music with double meters. The Gyil is a close relative of the Balafon. The musical traditions of the Mandé-Burkinabé, Bissa-Burkinabé and Dyula and minorities in this area closer resemble those of neighboring Mandinka-speaking areas than those of other Upper-Northwestern groups.

Dance

Ghanaian dance is as diverse as its music. Each ethnic group has their own traditional dances and there are different dances for different occasions. There are dances for funerals, celebrations, storytelling, praise and worship etc. Some of these dances include:

• Adowa - A dance of the Akan people of Ghana. This dance is especially noted for the grace and complexity of the dancers' movements. The drumming is also noted for the complexity of the interlocking rhythms and the two atumpan drums which are used as the lead or master drum. Originally funeral dance music, Adowa is now also performed at annual festivals and social gatherings.

• Azonto - It is performed by both the Akan people and Ga people of Ghana. It is often referred to as "the dance of the youth," Azonto originated from the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Azonto is an expressive dance and music form of the Kpanlogo. Azonto Dance form incorporates complex coordinated body movement and non-verbal communication in a rhythmic fashion in very few one-two timed steps. Just like most sub-Saharan African dances, knee bending and hip movements are rudiments to dancing it. The dance has effectively evolved from a few rudimentary moves to embrace depictions of ironing, washing, driving, boxing, and others. Generally, the dance reflects the creativity and rich sense of humor of the Ghanaian people.

• Kpanlogo - A performed dance by the Ga people of Ghana. It is also often referred to as "the dance of the youth," Kpanlongo started during the wake of Ghana’s Independence as a musical type for entertainment in Accra. Kpanlongo is presently performed at life-cycle events, festivals, and political rallies.

• Klama - It is the music and dance associated with puberty rites of the Krobo people of Ghana. It emphasizes the graceful movement of hands and feet. With small rhythmic steps and heads turned demurely downward, the dancers embody quiet elegance. The different movements of the dance are designed to reveal the beauty of the dancers. Suitors watching from the sidelines will often approach a girl's family after the ceremony and make an offer for her hand in marriage.

• Bamaya - It is performed by the Northern Dagomba people of Ghana. It narrates the legend of a time of great drought. An oracle told the people that the drought was brought about by the manner in which the men were severely repressing and demeaning the women. It further stated that the drought would be relieved only when the men lowered themselves to the role they were imposing on the women by putting on skirts and participating in this dance. When the men did this it began to rain. It is currently performed during harvest time in northwestern Ghana by both Dagbani men and women.

Cuisine

Ghana has diverse traditional dishes from each ethnic group, tribe and clan. Generally, most Ghanaian dishes consist of a starchy portion, and a sauce or soup, with fish, snails, meat or mushrooms.

Arts and Crafts

The AADC (African Arts and Design Centre) is a foundation that celebrates and preserves Ghanaian culture. It is a foundation that is quietly supported by some of the most influential individuals and bodies in Ghana.

Kente Cloth

Kente is one of the symbols of the Ghanaian chieftaincy, which remains strong throughout the country, particularly in the areas populated by members of the culturally and politically dominant Akan tribe. The Akan's chief, known as the Asantehene, is perhaps the most revered individual in the country. Like other Ghanaian chiefs, he wears bright Kente, gold bracelets, rings and amulets, and is always accompanied by numerous ornate umbrellas (which are also a symbol of the chieftaincy itself). Weaving is a highly developed craft, with dozens of standardized and named textile designs. The colors and patterns of the Kente are carefully chosen by the weaver and the wearer.

Adinkra symbols

During the 13th century, the Akan people developed their unique art of adinkra printing. Hand-printed and hand-embroidered adinkra clothes were made and used exclusively by the royalty and spiritual leaders for devotional ceremonies and rituals. Each of the motifs that make up the corpus of adinkra symbolism has a name and meaning derived from a proverb, a historical event, human attitude, animal behavior, plant life, or shapes of inanimate and man-made objects. These are graphically rendered in stylized geometric shapes. The meanings of the motifs may be categorized into aesthetics, ethics, human relations, and religious concepts.

Wood carving

Traditional wood carvings are divided into many branches, each with its own specialists. Among the major products are wooden sculptures and talking-drums (ntumpane).

The famous wooden "stools" are symbolic and ritual objects rather than items of furniture. The ownership of a symbolic carved chair or stool, usually named after the female founder of the matriclan, became the means through which individuals traced their ancestry. These lineages have segmented into branches, each led by an elder, headman, or chief. A branch, although it possesses a stool, is not an autonomous political or social unit. Possession of the ritually important stool is seen as vital, not only to the existence of the elder but to the group as a whole.