An Overview of Ghana
   
* Population:    20,467,747                * Average Life Expectancy:  56.53 years   

* Literacy Rate:     67.1%                   * People Living with HIV/AIDS:  360,000    

*                             GDP Per Capita:    $2,000

Ghana is a West African country on the Gulf of Guinea. Portuguese explorers landed in what is now Ghana in 1471. They found so much gold there that they called it the “Gold Coast.” Later, European merchants came to the Gold Coast to compete for profits in the gold and slave trades. In the late 1800’s the Gold Coast became a British colony. It gained its independence in 1957, the first African colony to do so, and took the name “Ghana,” the name of an ancient African kingdom. In 1960, the people voted to become a republic and elected Kwame Nkrumah president. His "socialist" experiment was a disaster. After his overthrow in 1966, there have been five military regimes and three short-lived civilian governments. The revolutionary military government of Jerry Rawlings eventually opened the way for multi-party elections in 1992. He was democratically returned to power and served as President through two terms (the maximum allowed by constitution), until the elections of December 2000.

Ghana's leading exports are cacao, gold, and timber. After an almost total economic collapse in 1982, they are now making a steady recovery with an average GDP growth of 5% per annum. Average annual income per person is $410.00.

There are about 75 different ethnic groups in Ghana that speak 72 different languages. Primary, secondary, and technical education is government subsidized and most children can attend school until they are about 12 years old. Fifty-three percent of the population (in the cities) can read and write; however, the percentage in the rural areas is quite low. There are five universities plus a large number of teacher colleges and technical institutes.

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Ghana is an agricultural country; 59% of the population is employed in agriculture. Cacao is the principle agricultural export. Ghana also has important mineral deposits, exporting gold, diamonds, and bauxite

In the north, virtually all are subsistence farmers . The terrain is  savannah with gently rolling hills. Although the southern part of the country has enough rain to sustain localized rainforest, the northern areas have two very distinct seasons, rainy and dry. The rainy season lasts from approximately May or June through September or October. During this time it rains every two to four days; the rain can be torrential but usually only lasts one to two hours at a time. The land is lush and green, with temperatures ranging from 70° F at night to maybe 90° F at midday. This is the prettiest season but also when mosquitoes are in greatest numbers. The dry season usually begins in October and continues until about May, during which there is virtually no rain at all. Temperatures can easily surpass 100° F, even reaching 110° and sometimes 115°; the nights remain warm, at times not cooling below 90° F. From approximately late November until late February we experience the Harmatan:  winds blow south from the Sahara, bringing a fine white dust that hangs in the air like fog, often blocking the sun to a significant degree. This dust gets inside your house and will enter any closet or drawer that isn’t airtight.

Ghana is a secular state with religious freedom.  Approximately 69 percent of the country's population is Christian, 16 percent is Muslim, and 9 percent  traditional indigenous religions, 8 percent other religions.  The Muslim population  is located chiefly in the northern part of the country.

 
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