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TOURISM IN GHANA | Travels to Ghana |
Travel to Ghana
Area: 238.537 kmq
Borders: Ivory Cost, Burkina Faso, Togo
Population: 21 million (44% akan, 16% moshi-dagomba,
13% ewé, 3% ga, 3% gurma, 1% yoruba, 1,5% guan, gonja, dagomba)
Capital: Accra (1,7 million, 2.825.800 in the metropolitan
area)
Languages: english (official), kwa (twi andfanti), gur
(more and dagomba)
Religions: 63% christian, 16% muslim, 21% animist
National holiday: March, 6th
Time: GMT
Telephone access code: 00 233
Money: Cedi
Ghana is a beautiful land of many contrasts sitting on the Gulf of Guinea between Togo and the Ivory Coast with Burkina Faso lying along its northern border. In the south the low lying, sandy coastline is fringed with palm trees and dotted with small saline lagoons, to the east stretch rich grassy plains. Dense verdant rainforests grow in the west and towards the north, after crossing a range of green hills the savannah opens up giving way slowly to the arid Sahel. In the east, Akwapim hill, the highest in the country, runs northwards along the Togolese border. The Volta Rivers – the Black Volta and the White Volta flow into Ghana from Burkina Faso and they join to form Lake Volta, the world’s largest artificial lake.
From Colony to Independence
The rich history of Ghana is strongly linked to the grandeur of the Ashanti Kingdom (which to some extent still exerts its influence today). The Ashanti rose to power at the end of the 17th century and continued to flourish until the 19th century. They prospered and became very powerful due to the lucrative Trans-Atlantic slave trade. During this period the Ashanti capital, Kumasi, was one of the most sophisticated and developed cities in all Africa and many Europeans lived there, working as advisors and administrators. The presence of Europeans in Ghana goes back to the middle of the 15th century when the Portuguese first arrived naming it the Gold Coast. The numerous large forts still standing along the coast are a testament of the time when they were used as warehouses for gold, ivory and slaves. It became a British colony at the end of the 19th century when the Ashanti were finally defeated. Subsequently, in 1957, led by Kwame Nkrumah who changed the country's name to Ghana after one of the great West African empires, it was the first African nation to gain independence. The country became a republic in 1960.
The Animist Peoples
It is difficult to describe the different peoples of Ghana without first going into a brief history of the area. The borders that exist today are a legacy of the colonial period and were marked out according to European political interests, in many cases the borders divide ethnic groups arbitrarily and as a result peoples of the same ethnic background now live in different countries.
The population of southern Ghana has been influenced by Europe since the 15th century and constitutes the majority of the population who mainly live in rural areas. In the north however it is quite a different story – the north was and still is inhabited by several isolated animist peoples of different ethnic origins, who migrated into the rocky, inhospitable territories to escape from all manner of threats, principally slave traders. Their isolation sparked the development of unique forms of architecture as well as allowing the survival of their own ancient traditions, uninfluenced by outsiders. This region is one of the most interesting and captivating, not only in West Africa, but on the whole continent.
The Lobi people inhabit an area situated between Ghana, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. They were once a fierce warrior tribe and have retained a deep sense of pride and independence over the years. Recently they have abandoned hunting and fishing in favour of agriculture. Their houses known, as ‘suhala’, are like small clay fortresses with only one narrow doorway. Carvings with the symbols of their animist beliefs can be seen everywhere in this area. The head of the family is the supreme authority; he is responsible for everything, including the upkeep of the altars and statuettes dedicated to the religion of their ancestors. The Lobi are excellent artists and carve beautiful wooden statues and metal figurines.
The Gurunsi/Kassena are famous for the beauty of the mural decorations which adorn their round clay huts both inside and out. The men build the houses and the women are responsible for painting the frescoes on the walls using natural pigments and brushes of guinea fowl feathers.
The Talensi inhabit a mysterious plateau which they believe it to be the ancient residence of the gods. Here numerous pinnacles rise up and appear as if they were arranged in order. On the side of the highest hill there is a narrow cave in which there is a famous sacred altar. Many pilgrims come here, sometimes travelling great distances. Accompanied by a priest well-versed in the rites and ways of their religion the pilgrim arrives at the cave to pay homage, ask for guidance and help. The Talensi live in fortified clay homes that can house as many as 60 people. Viewed from above, these houses are a labyrinth of narrow passageways and rooms which together create a rather beautiful whole.
Kumasi and the surrounding area constitute the territory of the Ashanti Kingdom, one of the most powerful African empires until the 19th century. The social organisation of the Ashanti people was centred on their King, the Ashantehene. The Ashanti were the lords of the gold trade and even today gold plays an important part in their official ceremonies. They are also excellent craftsmen and artists; their gold jewellery is renowned throughout the whole of West Africa. An unforgettable experience in Kumasi is to attend a typical funeral ceremony, where members of the deceased’s family and their close friends gather. They all dress in the traditional way – wrapped in long swathes of red or black cloth worn like a toga.
The Festival of Akwasidae is also quite stunning – this is a festival which celebrates the beginning of the month which falls every 6 weeks according to the traditional calendar. On this day the Ashantenhene comes out and is greeted by many local chiefs and subjects - even the Ghanaian president sometimes comes to pay homage.
The western region of Ghana, like the central regions of Togo and Benin, is inhabited by the Ewe people, whose economy is mostly based on agriculture and fishing. The Ewe arrived here with a party of immigrants coming from the nearby Yoruba territories in Nigeria and brought their traditional religions with them. Their voodoo religion was exported overseas during the years of the slave trade, and similar religious beliefs are still practised in Brazil and in the Caribbean.
The Portuguese Forts
In Ghana you can still see the ancient castles and forts which were often used during the slave trade period as warehouses for slaves and other merchandise. The castle at Cape Coast, built in the 16th century and subsequently restored and extended, was the seat of the British administration of the Gold Coast until 1877, after which it moved to Christianborg Castle in Accra. A little further to the west is Elmina Castle (El Mina – ‘the mine’), where the first Portuguese established themselves in Ghana in the late 15th century. An excellent restoration has transformed it into a museum bearing witness to the horrors of slavery.
For more informations:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ghana
msn Encarta Ghana
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