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Country Profile: Ghana
Fact File:CapitalAccraOther CitiesKumasi, Tamale, Tema, Teshie, Cape Coast, ObuasiOfficial languageEnglishDialectsAkan, Dagaare, Wale, Dagbani, Dangme, Ewe, Ga, Gonja, Kasem, Nzema, HausaAreaTotal 238,535 km2Population23,000,000 (2009est)CurrencyGhanaian Cedi |
Overview
Ghana, or the Republic of Ghana is a small country in Western Africa. It borders The Ivory Coast to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The name Ghana was chosen for the new nation to reflect the ancient Empire of Ghana that once extended throughout much of western Africa.
Dialects and Languages
Although English is the official language of Ghana, there are over 250 dialects and languages spoken in Ghana. English however is used in all educational, business and government fields. Native Ghanaian languages are divided into two linguistic subfamilies of the Niger-Congo language family. Languages belonging to the Kwa subfamily are found predominantly to the south of the Volta River, while those belonging to the Gur subfamily are found predominantly to the north. The government also has nine semi-official language dialects, they are Akan, Dagaare/Wale, Dagbani, Dangme, Ewe, Ga, Gonja, Kasem, and Nzema. Hausa is a dialect spoken among Ghana's Muslims, though this is not an official language.
Infrastructure and Economic Situation
Ghana has a tremendous wealth of natural resources and takes full advantage of exporting these resources, they include, gold, timber, cocoa, diamond, bauxite, and manganese. Furthermore, as recently as 2007, oil reserves have been discovered in Ghana and are considered to be some of the largest in all of Africa. Like many other African countries, the main industry of Ghana is agriculture, which accounts for more than half of the nations GDP. Also over 85% of the country's workforce is employed in the Agriculture industry. Because of their economic success, despite being such a small country, Ghana is considered to have one of the most stable economies in Africa.
Communications and Media Freedom
Unlike many countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Ghana has one of the freest media's in the entire world. Laws and legislation passed by the government have allowed for freedom of speech and taken away previous government restrictions and censorship. As one of the most free in all of Africa, Ghana enjoys one of the most vast public information networks in Africa.
Future Outlook
Despite its small size, Ghana will continue to grow and expand its economy, especially in its agriculture industry, as it looks to become an African leader in exports in the years to come. Ghana will build off of its vast and unique culture and heritage to further adapt its free media infrastructure. Furthermore, Ghana has joined its fellow African Union members and undergone research into the renewable energy industry, particularly with wind, solar and hydroelectric.
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