Official Country Name: Republic of Ghana
Capital City: Accra
Population: More than 33.5 million
Official Languages: English
Life expectancy: Male 62 years, female 66 years
Population with access to basic drinking water: 41%
Infant mortality rate: 33 deaths / 1,000 live births
Percentage of children under the age of 5 underweight: 12.6%
Adult literacy rate: Male 84%, female 76%
Religion: Approximately 71% of the population identifies as Christian, 20% are Muslim, 3% hold indigineous or animistic beliefs, and 6% are of another/unspecified religion or none.
Percentage living on less than $2.15 a day: 25.2%
Source: CIA World Factbook, World Bank and 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom by the Office of International Religious Freedom, U.S Department of State
Portuguese explorers first arrived in Ghana in 1471 in search of gold. However, the slave trade soon overtook European interest in gold as plantations expanded and the new world demanded labour.
As a result, the Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, and English built stone fortresses throughout Ghana and monopolised the highly lucrative slave trade. It’s believed that 6.3 million men and women were shipped from West Africa to the Americas as enslaved people - 4.5 million alone between 1701 and 1810.
After the international slave trade was finally abolished in the 1860s, Ghana began to trade cocoa and soon provided half the world’s supply. Ghana is now the second-largest cocoa producer, producing approximately 900 thousand tons per year. Great Britain declared Ghana a crown colony in 1874.
In 1957, Kwame Nkruma founded and led the African independence movement. Under his leadership, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan (and first British) colony to receive full independence.
Ghana’s government endured multiple coups from 1969 to 1981. Since 1981, the government has functioned peacefully under a constitution that allows a president to lead for two, four-year terms through democratic elections.
Art
Ghana has hand-woven colourful fabric called Kente, worn by community chiefs and others for special occasions.
Music
Folklore and pop music are found across Ghana. Highlife, a dance with a strong, syncopated beat, is also popular. Instruments used in music are drums, trumpets, flutes, and other percussion instruments.
Language
English is the official language in Ghana, but there are more than 50 indigenous languages spoken. Twi (most commonly spoken tribal language): Akwaaba (Welcome), Medasse (Thank you), Wo ho te sen? (How are you?), Maakye (Good morning), Maaha (Good afternoon), Maadwo (Good evening)
Sports and Games
Football is a favourite game of most Ghanaians. Volleyball, basketball, tennis, ludo, golf and handball are also popular.
Typical Foods
Popular dishes include Fufu, which is made by pounding cassava and plantain into a sticky paste and eaten with soup. Kenkey is also popular and consists of fermented corn dough boiled in plantain or banana leaves and eaten with soup or sauce. Red, fried, ripe plantains are also eaten with bean sauce.
Primary and junior secondary school education is free and mandatory in Ghana. The government of Ghana has consistently sought to invest in education since the 1980s. As a result, Ghana is believed to have one of the most ambitious education systems in West Africa.
Since 1986, pre-tertiary education in Ghana includes six years of primary education, three years at the junior secondary school, and three years at the senior secondary school level. Students who successfully complete senior secondary school are then eligible for training colleges, polytechnics, and universities, but places are highly competitive.
As of 2020, roughly 265,000 thousand primary-school-aged children in Ghana were not enrolled in education. This is a dramatic increase from 2019 when just 35,000 weren’t enrolled.
Source: statista.com
Approximately 71% of the population identifies as Christian, 20% are Muslim, 3% hold indigineous or animistic beliefs, and 6% are of another/unspecified religion or none.
Citizens are free to practice whatever religion they follow and government at all levels strives to protect this right. Government employees, including the president, are required to swear an oath upon taking office. This can be either a religious or secular declaration, depending on the wishes of the individual.
The government recognises Christian, Muslim and secular holidays throughout the year. Steps are also taken to promote interfaith understanding. Muslim and Christian leaders emphasise the importance of religious freedom and tolerance and there is good communication and coordination between the groups on a range of issues.
Religious and moral education is compulsory in the national public education curriculum. Students cannot opt out of these courses, which incorporate perspectives from Christianity and Islam.
Statistics from the International Religious Freedom Report, released in 2022 by the Office of International Religious Freedom, U.S. Department of State
Did you know?
Male
6 Years old
Ghana
Close
