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Short History on West Africa and Gold Coast
West Africa as known to the ancients Voyages of the Phoenicians The Periplus of Hanno Extent of his voyage Expeditions of Eudoxus of Cyzicus Traces of Phoenicians on the Gold Coast. IT is a well-authenticated historical fact that frequent voyages were made from the Mediterranean along the Western Coast of Africa, both by the Phoenicians and the Egyptians, many hundred years before the Christian era ; but considerable difference of opinion as to the extent of these voyages prevails, and it is not generally held that they were pushed far south as the Gold Coast. |
There seems, however, fair ground for supposing that that part of Western Africa was not entirely unknown to the ancients, though it must be confessed the whole subject is involved in great obscurity. S T one of the writings of the Phoenicians, the greatest maritime people of antiquity, have been transmitted to us ; but the numerous colonies which they established on the shores of the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic beyond the Straits of Gibraltar, attest the extent of their early voyages. Some of these colonies were founded between 1200 and 800 B.C.
(from the book" HISTORY OF THE GOLD COAST OF WEST AFRICA. 1883)
(from the book" HISTORY OF THE GOLD COAST OF WEST AFRICA. 1883)
Ghana's Geography
- Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and TogoGeographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references: Africa Area:
total: 238,540 sq km
land : 230,020 sq km
water: 8,520 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
total: 2,093 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km
Coastline: 539 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf : 200 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Terrain: mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m
Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber
Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops : 7%
permanent pastures: 22%
forests and woodland: 35%
other: 24% (est.)
Irrigated land: 60 sq km (est.)
Natural hazards: dry, dusty, harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts
Environment - current issues: recent drought in north severely affecting agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment - international agreements: party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note: Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake; northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)
Harmattan in Ghana, Temeratures - Travel Advise
The Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind. It blows south from the Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March (winter). The temperatures can be as low as 3 degrees Celsius.
The name comes from or is related to an Akan cognate. In Ghana ery often with more intensenty in the last four days of February and the first three days of March.
On its passage over the desert it picks up fine dust particles (between 0.5 and 10 micrometres).
In some countries in West Africa, the heavy amount of dust in the air can severely limit visibility and block the sun for several days, comparable to a heavy fog.It can even break the trunk of the pine trees, growing in that region, through their dryness.
The Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind. It blows south from the Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March (winter). The temperatures can be as low as 3 degrees Celsius.
The name comes from or is related to an Akan cognate. In Ghana ery often with more intensenty in the last four days of February and the first three days of March.
On its passage over the desert it picks up fine dust particles (between 0.5 and 10 micrometres).
In some countries in West Africa, the heavy amount of dust in the air can severely limit visibility and block the sun for several days, comparable to a heavy fog.It can even break the trunk of the pine trees, growing in that region, through their dryness.
The effect caused by the dust and sand stirred by these winds is known as the Harmattan haze, which costs airlines millions of dollars in cancelled and diverted flights each year, and risks public health by increasing meningitis cases. Esp. in Northern Ghana and Burkina Faso. Most of the year dry lands.
The interaction of the Harmattan with monsoon winds can cause tornadoes. Humidity drops to as low as 15 percent and can result in spontaneous nosebleeds for some. The wind can cause severe crop damage
The interaction of the Harmattan with monsoon winds can cause tornadoes. Humidity drops to as low as 15 percent and can result in spontaneous nosebleeds for some. The wind can cause severe crop damage
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The best time to visit Ghana is during the dry months from November to April. Ghana is hot and humid year round, but slightly less so during these months. The dry season also means less mosquitoes and some of the secondary roads will also be in better shape.
The drawback of the dry season is that the "harmattan" kicks in, especially in the north of Ghana. The harmattan is a hot wind that carries Saharan sand, making it dusty and therefore not ideal for photographers looking for clear shots. The rainy seasons in the center and southern regions usually last from April - June and September - November. The drier northern region experiences its rains from March - September. More about -- Ghana's climate and average temperatures. Best Time to Visit Ghana's Beaches Ghana boasts some lovely beaches, especially on the Western coast. While it is hot year round, the best time to visit the beach is from October through April, there is slightly less humidity during this time of year and less mosquitoes. Make sure that you are mosquitoprotected at anytime of year to avoid getting malaria. Always be careful of rip tides when swimming, Ghana's coast is notorious for them. |
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National Parks
Mole National Park in the north of the country. The best time to visit is during the dry season from January to March. Roads are in better condition and the animals are not so widely dispersed, but rather concentrated around permanent water holes. This makes it much easier to spot them.
Kakum National Park - all year round, near Cape Coast.
Best Time to Visit Ghana's Colonial and Slave-Trade Sites
All forts and castles are built on the coast (only Kumasi Fort is located in Kumasi, Ashanti region of Ghana). Best time for a visit is all year round.
Ghana's Average Temperatures
Ghana is hot and relatively humid year round with average temperatures hovering around 27 - 30 Celsius Accra on Ghana's southern coast and up to 32 - 43 Celsius in Northern Ghana. (Tamale & Bolgatanga) (day time). If you can afford a hotel with ac and/or a pool it's worth it.
The climate of Ghana is tropical, but temperatures vary with season and elevation. Except in the north two rainy seasons occur, from April to July and from September to November. In the north the rainy season begins in April and lasts until September. Annual rainfall ranges from about 1,100 mm (about 43 in) in the north to about 2,100 mm (about 83 in) in the southeast. The harmattan, a dry desert wind, blows from the northeast from December to March, lowering the humidity and creating hot days and cool nights in the north. In the south the effects of the harmattan are felt in January. In most areas the highest temperatures occur in March, the lowest in August.
The average annual temperature is about 26oC (about 79oF).
Annual Rainfall: 736.6mm / 29"
Temp January: 27 Sunny skys Feb 28 ---" - March 28 ---" --- April 28 light rains May 27 heavy rains June 26 " July 25 light rains August 24 Scattered showers September 25 " October 26 Sunny skies November 27 ---"--- December 28 Sunny skies (dry)
Tropical and humid;
Whole country: average low: 20,5C (69F), average high 26C (79F).
Accra: average daily temperature is 30C (86F).
The coolest time of year is between June and September when the main rainfall occurs. Variations in temperature both annually and daily are quite small. The minimum teperature is around 23C (73F). warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north.
Mole National Park in the north of the country. The best time to visit is during the dry season from January to March. Roads are in better condition and the animals are not so widely dispersed, but rather concentrated around permanent water holes. This makes it much easier to spot them.
Kakum National Park - all year round, near Cape Coast.
Best Time to Visit Ghana's Colonial and Slave-Trade Sites
All forts and castles are built on the coast (only Kumasi Fort is located in Kumasi, Ashanti region of Ghana). Best time for a visit is all year round.
Ghana's Average Temperatures
Ghana is hot and relatively humid year round with average temperatures hovering around 27 - 30 Celsius Accra on Ghana's southern coast and up to 32 - 43 Celsius in Northern Ghana. (Tamale & Bolgatanga) (day time). If you can afford a hotel with ac and/or a pool it's worth it.
The climate of Ghana is tropical, but temperatures vary with season and elevation. Except in the north two rainy seasons occur, from April to July and from September to November. In the north the rainy season begins in April and lasts until September. Annual rainfall ranges from about 1,100 mm (about 43 in) in the north to about 2,100 mm (about 83 in) in the southeast. The harmattan, a dry desert wind, blows from the northeast from December to March, lowering the humidity and creating hot days and cool nights in the north. In the south the effects of the harmattan are felt in January. In most areas the highest temperatures occur in March, the lowest in August.
The average annual temperature is about 26oC (about 79oF).
Annual Rainfall: 736.6mm / 29"
Temp January: 27 Sunny skys Feb 28 ---" - March 28 ---" --- April 28 light rains May 27 heavy rains June 26 " July 25 light rains August 24 Scattered showers September 25 " October 26 Sunny skies November 27 ---"--- December 28 Sunny skies (dry)
Tropical and humid;
Whole country: average low: 20,5C (69F), average high 26C (79F).
Accra: average daily temperature is 30C (86F).
The coolest time of year is between June and September when the main rainfall occurs. Variations in temperature both annually and daily are quite small. The minimum teperature is around 23C (73F). warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north.
John D. Mahama - President of Ghana, since 2012
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In 1960 roughly 100 linguistic and cultural groups were recorded in Ghana. Although later censuses placed less emphasis on the ethnic and cultural composition of the population, differences of course existed and had not disappeared by the mid-1990s. The major ethnic groups in Ghana include the Akan, Ewe, Mole-Dagbane, Guan, and Ga-Adangbe.
Ashanti Tribe The Ashanti tribe of the Akan ethnic group are the largest tribe in Ghana and one of the few matrilineal societies in West Africa. Once renown for the splendour and wealth of their rulers, they are most famous today for their craft work, particularly their hand-carved stools and fertility dolls and their colourful kente cloth. Kente cloth is woven in bright, narrow strips with complex patterns; it’s usually made from cotton and is always woven outdoors, exclusively by men. The village is a social as well as an economic unit. Everyone participates in the major ceremonies, the most frequent of which are funeral celebrations which typically last several days. Attendance at funerals is normally expected from everyone in the village and expenditure on funerals is a substantial part of the household budget. The Ashanti are noted for their expertise in a variety of specialized crafts. These include weaving, wood carving, ceramics, and metallurgy. Of these crafts, only pottery-making is primarily a female activity; the others are restricted to male specialists. Even in the case of pottery-making, only men are allowed to fashion pots or pipes representing anthropomorphic or zoomorphic figures. They are living mainly within the Ashanti region, but also on costal Ghana. Spoken language is TWI. The Ashanti kingdom was heavy involved in the slave trade, as they invaded often parts of [now] Northern Ghana, and captured people of other tribes, which where then sold to the European traders directly or to the Fanti and Ga tribes. They again sold or exchanged the northeners then to the European slave traders. |
The Ewe Tribe
The Ewe are a people located on the southeast corner of Ghana, east of the Volta River, in an area now described as the Volta Region. The Ewe are a people of southeastern Ghana, Togo and Benin. They speak the Ewe language, and are related to other speakers of Gbe languages such as the Fon and the Aja of Togo and Benin. The Ewe have developed a complex culture around drumming. Ewe believe that if someone is a good drummer, it is because they inherited a spirit of an ancestor who was a good drummer. Music and dance are a force in cementing social feeling among members of an Agbekor society. The Ewes make up about 11% of the Ghaian population.
Also, the Ewe are well know, as the Ashante people, to make good Kente. The cloth is woven in bright, narrow strips with complex patterns; it’s usually made from cotton and is always woven outdoors, exclusively by men.
The now Volta region was once [till officialy 1921], part of German Togoland, and was then divided into French an British Togoland.
Fante Tribe
The Fantes, part of the Akan ethnic group are mainly located in the south western coastal areas (Cape Coast) of Ghana. The Fantes are the second largest members of the Akan ethnic group with a population of about 3.100,000.
Ga-Adangbe Tribe
The Ga-Adangbe people inhabit the Accra Plains. The Adangbe are found to the east, the Ga groups, to the west of the Accra coastlands. Although both languages are derived from a common proto-Ga-Adangbe ancestral language, modern Ga and Adangbe are mutually unintelligible. The modern Adangbe include the people of Shai, La, Ningo, Kpone, Osudoku, Krobo, Gbugble, and Ada, who speak different dialects. The Ga also include the Ga-Mashie groups occupying neighborhoods in the central part of Accra, and other Gaspeakers who migrated from Akwamu, Anecho in Togo, Akwapim, and surrounding areas.
Ga people are also known, to have invented the "Fantasy Coffins" of Ghana.
Gaun Tribe
The Guan are believed to have begun to migrate from the Mossi region of modern Burkina around A.D. 1000. Moving gradually through the Volta valley in a southerly direction, they created settlements along the Black Volta, throughout the Afram Plains, in the Volta Gorge, and in the Akwapim Hills before moving farther south onto the coastal plains. Some scholars postulate that the wide distribution of the Guan suggests that they were the Neolithic population of the region. Later migrations by other groups such as the Akan, Ewe, and Ga-Adangbe into Guan-settled areas would then have led to the development of Guan-speaking enclaves along the Volta and within the coastal plains.
The subdivisions of each group share a common cultural heritage, history, language, and origin. These shared attributes were among the variables that contributed to state formation in the precolonial period. Competition to acquire land for cultivation, to control trade routes, or to form alliances for protection also promoted group solidarity and state formation. The creation of the union that became the Asante confederacy in the late seventeenth century is a good example of such processes at work in Ghana's past.
Ethnic rivalries of the precolonial era, variance in the impact of colonialism upon different regions of the country, and the uneven distribution of social and economic amenities in postindependence Ghana have all contributed to present-day ethnic tensions. For example, in February 1994, more than 1,000 persons were killed and 150,000 others displaced in the northeastern part of Ghana in fighting between Konkomba on one side and Nanumba, Dagomba, and Gonja on the other. The clashes resulted from longstanding grievances over land ownership and the prerogatives of chiefs. A military task force restored order, but a state of emergency in the region remained in force until mid-August.
Although this violence was certainly evidence of ethnic tension in the country, most observers agreed that the case in point was exceptional. As one prolific writer on modern Ghana, Naomi Chazan, has aptly observed, undifferentiated recourse to ethnic categories has obscured the essential fluidity that lies at the core of shared ties in the country. Evidence of this fluidity lies in the heterogeneous nature of all administrative regions, in rural-urban migration that results in interethnic mixing, in the shared concerns of professionals and trade unionists that cut across ethnic lines, and in the multi-ethnic composition of secondary school and university classes. Ethnicity, nonetheless, continues to be one of the most potent factors affecting political behavior in Ghana. For this reason, ethnically based political parties are unconstitutional under the present Fourth Republic.
Despite the cultural differences among Ghana's various peoples, linguists have placed Ghanaian languages in one or the other of only two major linguistic subfamilies of the Niger-Congo language family, one of the large language groups in Africa. These are the Kwa and Gur groups, found to the south and north of the Volta River, respectively. The Kwa group, which comprises about 75 percent of the country's population, includes the Akan, Ga-Adangbe, and Ewe. The Akan are further divided into the Asante, Fante, Akwapim, Akyem, Akwamu, Ahanta, Bono, Nzema, Kwahu, and Safwi. The Ga-Adangbe people and language group include the Ga, Adangbe, Ada, and Krobo or Kloli. Even the Ewe, who constitute a single linguistic group, are divided into the Nkonya, Tafi, Logba, Sontrokofi, Lolobi, and Likpe. North of the Volta River are the three subdivisions of the Gur-speaking people. These are the Gurma, Grusi, and Mole-Dagbane. Like the Kwa subfamilies, further divisions exist within the principal Gur groups.
Any one group may be distinguished from others in the same linguistically defined category or subcategory, even when the members of the category are characterized by essentially the same social institutions. Each has a historical tradition of group identity, if nothingelse, and, usually, of political autonomy. In some cases, however, what is considered a single unit for census and other purposes may have been divided into identifiable separate groups before and during much of the colonial period and, in some manner, may have continued to be separate after independence.
No part of Ghana, however, is ethnically homogeneous. Urban centers are the most ethnically mixed because of migration to towns and cities by those in search of employment. Rural areas, with the exception of cocoa-producing areas that have attracted migrant labor, tend to reflect more traditional population distributions. One overriding feature of the country's ethnic population is that groups to the south who are closer to the Atlantic coast have long been influenced by the money economy, Western education, and Christianity, whereas Gur-speakers to the north, who have been less exposed to those influences, have came under Islamic influence. These influences were not pervasive in the respective regions, however, nor were they wholly restricted to them.
The Ewe are a people located on the southeast corner of Ghana, east of the Volta River, in an area now described as the Volta Region. The Ewe are a people of southeastern Ghana, Togo and Benin. They speak the Ewe language, and are related to other speakers of Gbe languages such as the Fon and the Aja of Togo and Benin. The Ewe have developed a complex culture around drumming. Ewe believe that if someone is a good drummer, it is because they inherited a spirit of an ancestor who was a good drummer. Music and dance are a force in cementing social feeling among members of an Agbekor society. The Ewes make up about 11% of the Ghaian population.
Also, the Ewe are well know, as the Ashante people, to make good Kente. The cloth is woven in bright, narrow strips with complex patterns; it’s usually made from cotton and is always woven outdoors, exclusively by men.
The now Volta region was once [till officialy 1921], part of German Togoland, and was then divided into French an British Togoland.
Fante Tribe
The Fantes, part of the Akan ethnic group are mainly located in the south western coastal areas (Cape Coast) of Ghana. The Fantes are the second largest members of the Akan ethnic group with a population of about 3.100,000.
Ga-Adangbe Tribe
The Ga-Adangbe people inhabit the Accra Plains. The Adangbe are found to the east, the Ga groups, to the west of the Accra coastlands. Although both languages are derived from a common proto-Ga-Adangbe ancestral language, modern Ga and Adangbe are mutually unintelligible. The modern Adangbe include the people of Shai, La, Ningo, Kpone, Osudoku, Krobo, Gbugble, and Ada, who speak different dialects. The Ga also include the Ga-Mashie groups occupying neighborhoods in the central part of Accra, and other Gaspeakers who migrated from Akwamu, Anecho in Togo, Akwapim, and surrounding areas.
Ga people are also known, to have invented the "Fantasy Coffins" of Ghana.
Gaun Tribe
The Guan are believed to have begun to migrate from the Mossi region of modern Burkina around A.D. 1000. Moving gradually through the Volta valley in a southerly direction, they created settlements along the Black Volta, throughout the Afram Plains, in the Volta Gorge, and in the Akwapim Hills before moving farther south onto the coastal plains. Some scholars postulate that the wide distribution of the Guan suggests that they were the Neolithic population of the region. Later migrations by other groups such as the Akan, Ewe, and Ga-Adangbe into Guan-settled areas would then have led to the development of Guan-speaking enclaves along the Volta and within the coastal plains.
The subdivisions of each group share a common cultural heritage, history, language, and origin. These shared attributes were among the variables that contributed to state formation in the precolonial period. Competition to acquire land for cultivation, to control trade routes, or to form alliances for protection also promoted group solidarity and state formation. The creation of the union that became the Asante confederacy in the late seventeenth century is a good example of such processes at work in Ghana's past.
Ethnic rivalries of the precolonial era, variance in the impact of colonialism upon different regions of the country, and the uneven distribution of social and economic amenities in postindependence Ghana have all contributed to present-day ethnic tensions. For example, in February 1994, more than 1,000 persons were killed and 150,000 others displaced in the northeastern part of Ghana in fighting between Konkomba on one side and Nanumba, Dagomba, and Gonja on the other. The clashes resulted from longstanding grievances over land ownership and the prerogatives of chiefs. A military task force restored order, but a state of emergency in the region remained in force until mid-August.
Although this violence was certainly evidence of ethnic tension in the country, most observers agreed that the case in point was exceptional. As one prolific writer on modern Ghana, Naomi Chazan, has aptly observed, undifferentiated recourse to ethnic categories has obscured the essential fluidity that lies at the core of shared ties in the country. Evidence of this fluidity lies in the heterogeneous nature of all administrative regions, in rural-urban migration that results in interethnic mixing, in the shared concerns of professionals and trade unionists that cut across ethnic lines, and in the multi-ethnic composition of secondary school and university classes. Ethnicity, nonetheless, continues to be one of the most potent factors affecting political behavior in Ghana. For this reason, ethnically based political parties are unconstitutional under the present Fourth Republic.
Despite the cultural differences among Ghana's various peoples, linguists have placed Ghanaian languages in one or the other of only two major linguistic subfamilies of the Niger-Congo language family, one of the large language groups in Africa. These are the Kwa and Gur groups, found to the south and north of the Volta River, respectively. The Kwa group, which comprises about 75 percent of the country's population, includes the Akan, Ga-Adangbe, and Ewe. The Akan are further divided into the Asante, Fante, Akwapim, Akyem, Akwamu, Ahanta, Bono, Nzema, Kwahu, and Safwi. The Ga-Adangbe people and language group include the Ga, Adangbe, Ada, and Krobo or Kloli. Even the Ewe, who constitute a single linguistic group, are divided into the Nkonya, Tafi, Logba, Sontrokofi, Lolobi, and Likpe. North of the Volta River are the three subdivisions of the Gur-speaking people. These are the Gurma, Grusi, and Mole-Dagbane. Like the Kwa subfamilies, further divisions exist within the principal Gur groups.
Any one group may be distinguished from others in the same linguistically defined category or subcategory, even when the members of the category are characterized by essentially the same social institutions. Each has a historical tradition of group identity, if nothingelse, and, usually, of political autonomy. In some cases, however, what is considered a single unit for census and other purposes may have been divided into identifiable separate groups before and during much of the colonial period and, in some manner, may have continued to be separate after independence.
No part of Ghana, however, is ethnically homogeneous. Urban centers are the most ethnically mixed because of migration to towns and cities by those in search of employment. Rural areas, with the exception of cocoa-producing areas that have attracted migrant labor, tend to reflect more traditional population distributions. One overriding feature of the country's ethnic population is that groups to the south who are closer to the Atlantic coast have long been influenced by the money economy, Western education, and Christianity, whereas Gur-speakers to the north, who have been less exposed to those influences, have came under Islamic influence. These influences were not pervasive in the respective regions, however, nor were they wholly restricted to them.
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