Officially the Republic of Ghana, Ghana is a country in West Africa bordered by the Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, Togo in the east and the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean in the south. Accra is the capital and most populated city. Ghana is the 32nd largest country on the African continent, as well as Africa’s biggest gold producer and 2nd largest cocoa producer. Ghana has been ranked as Africa’s 2nd most peaceful country by the Global Peace Index and its people are known for their friendly and welcoming demeanor.
On March 6, 1957, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African nation to become independent of European colonization. Kwame Nkrumah, the first Prime Minister of Ghana, then later its first President, was the first African head of state to promote the concept of Pan-Africanism. Nkrumah merged the teachings of Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Jr. and the naturalized Ghanaian scholar W. E. B. Du Bois into the formation of 1960s Ghana.
Ghana has a rich and diverse cultural history. Music and dance are part of everyday life in Ghana and can be heard and seen everywhere. Ghana is also known for its beautiful cloths and handicrafts produced at local villages. Ghanaian fashion includes traditional and modern styles created out of Adinkra cloth, Kente cloth, and Ankara fabric made of Dutch wax textiles. Wood carvings, glass and clay beads, and gold weights are also fabricated.
Ghana’s popular tourist attractions include Independence Arch, Independence Square, Nkrumah Memorial Park, Labadi Beach, Cape and Elmina Slave Castles, Kakum National Park, Wli Waterfalls, Aburi National Gardens, Manhyia Palace Museum and the Kumasi National Cultural Center. Ghana also hosts numerous festivals including Panafest, Chale Wote, Afrochella, and the Adae Festival, held every 6th Sunday at the Asante palace.
