Ghana

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief and drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Ethnic and linguistic groups
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance and other services
- Trade
- Labor and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Cultural milieu
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
History
- Prehistoric era
- Early traditions
  - Trade routes of Islam
  - Migrations
- Contact with Europe and its effects
- Colonial period
- Independence
  - Nkrumah’s administration, the 1966 coup, and the return to civilian rule
  - Series of coups
  - Democratic stability
  - Mahama’s ascent to the presidency and the 2012 election
  - 2015 judicial corruption scandal
  - 2016 election
  - Akufo-Addo’s administration
  - 2020 elections
  - Akufo-Addo’s second term and the 2024 elections
  - Mahama’s return to the presidency

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Map of Ghana showing international boundaries, major cities, rivers, and neighboring countries including Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, and a small section of Benin and Nigeria. The map includes a locator inset highlighting Ghana's position on the west coast of Africa along the Atlantic Ocean.

Whitewashed Cape Coast Castle with rows of black cannons facing the Atlantic Ocean, under a partly cloudy sky in Ghana, West Africa.

Map of West Africa highlighting Ghana in tan, with surrounding countries labeled, including Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Nigeria. The capital city Accra is marked along Ghana's southern coast by the Gulf of Guinea.

Map of Ghana highlighting major physical features, including Lake Volta, the Kwahu Plateau, the Akwapim-Togo Ranges, and national parks such as Mole, Bui, Digya, and Kakum. Surrounding countries-Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, and Togo-are labeled, and a small locator map shows Ghana's position in West Africa.

Aerial view of the Akosombo Dam spanning the Volta River in Ghana, with water flowing from the dam and green hills surrounding the reservoir.

Akwapim-Togo Ranges

A person paddles a wooden canoe on the Volta River in Ghana, with the arched steel suspension bridge at Atimpoku visible in the background.

Crowds of people enjoy the sandy beach and waves at Accra, Ghana, with a small open-air shelter and vendors in the foreground overlooking the Gulf of Guinea.

At a Glance

default image

Ghana: Media

country, Africa

Videos

See a man playing a 'calabash drum'

See a man playing a 'calabash drum'

A calabash drum from Ghana.

Video: Wesleyan Virtual Instrument Museum 2.0 (https://wesomeka.wesleyan.edu/vim2)

Images

Ghana

Flag of Ghana.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Ghana showing international boundaries, major cities, rivers, and neighboring countries including Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, and a small section of Benin and Nigeria. The map includes a locator inset highlighting Ghana's position on the west coast of Africa along the Atlantic Ocean.

Ghana

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Whitewashed Cape Coast Castle with rows of black cannons facing the Atlantic Ocean, under a partly cloudy sky in Ghana, West Africa.

Cape Coast Castle

A view of the Cape Coast Castle, once a principal shipping post of the transatlantic...

©Sura Nualpradid/stock.adobe.com

Map of West Africa highlighting Ghana in tan, with surrounding countries labeled, including Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Nigeria. The capital city Accra is marked along Ghana's southern coast by the Gulf of Guinea.

Ghana

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Ghana highlighting major physical features, including Lake Volta, the Kwahu Plateau, the Akwapim-Togo Ranges, and national parks such as Mole, Bui, Digya, and Kakum. Surrounding countries-Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, and Togo-are labeled, and a small locator map shows Ghana's position in West Africa.

Physical features of Ghana

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Aerial view of the Akosombo Dam spanning the Volta River in Ghana, with water flowing from the dam and green hills surrounding the reservoir.

Akosombo Dam, Ghana

An aerial view of the Akosombo Dam on the Volta River, Ghana.

© Mannuel Narh/Wirestock Creators—stock.adobe.com

Akwapim-Togo Ranges

Akwapim-Togo Ranges

Lush vegetation on mountains around Mount Afadjato in eastern Ghana.

© LOOK-foto—Image Professionals GmbH/Alamy

A person paddles a wooden canoe on the Volta River in Ghana, with the arched steel suspension bridge at Atimpoku visible in the background.

Volta River

A suspension bridge over the Volta River near Atimpoku, Ghana.

© Joe Lapp/Dreamstime.com

Crowds of people enjoy the sandy beach and waves at Accra, Ghana, with a small open-air shelter and vendors in the foreground overlooking the Gulf of Guinea.

Accra, Ghana: Gulf of Guinea

People at the beach at Accra, Ghana, on the Gulf of Guinea.

© Nicolas De Corte/Dreamstime.com

Dense green trees line the banks of the Volta River near Akosombo, Ghana, with forested hills rising in the background.

Forest zone

Trees in a forest along the banks of the Volta River near Akosombo, southern Ghana.

© Omri Eliyahu/Shutterstock.com

A group of Kob antelope (Kobus kob) stands among tall grass and green shrubs in a wooded area of Mole National Park, Ghana.

Northern savanna

A group of Kob antelope (Kobus kob) standing amid the tall grasses and low...

© Dave Primov/Dreamstime.com

Woodland Kingfisher (Halcyon senegalensis) with a bright red bill, blue wings, and gray body perched on a branch amid green foliage in Ghana.

woodland kingfisher

A woodland kingfisher (Halcyon senegalensis) perching on a branch in Ghana.

© Feathercollector/Dreamstime.com

Suspended canopy walkway with netted sides stretches through dense, green rainforest in Kakum National Park, Accra Region, Ghana.

Kakum National Park

Canopy walkway in Kakum National Park, Ghana.

© Golasza/Dreamstime.com

Smiling girl in Ghana wearing colorful traditional clothing and a patterned head wrap, with white body paint and beaded necklaces, holding a painted item.

Ghanaian clothing

A young girl wearing traditional attire, Ghana.

© Aprescindere/Dreamstime.com

Front view of St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica in Kumasi, West Africa, showing its twin towers with pointed spires, arched windows, and central entrance with steps leading up.

St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica, Kumasi, Ghana

A view of St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica, Kumasi, Ghana.

© Stephen Buwert/Dreamstime.com

Larabanga Mosque, Ghana

Larabanga Mosque, Ghana

The Larabanga Mosque, in Ghana, was built in the Sudanese architectural style and...

AdstockRF

Aerial view of Accra, Ghana, showing a mix of modern high-rise buildings, tree-lined streets, and the coastline in the background.

Accra

An aerial view of Accra, the capital of Ghana.

© Kwame Kwegyir-Addo—iStock/Getty Images

Cape Coast, Ghana

Cape Coast, Ghana

Cape Coast, Ghana.

David Ley

A cocoa farmer in a sleeveless shirt holds a machete and displays an open cocoa pod with raw cocoa beans in a plantation in Kumasi, Ghana.

cacao

A cacao farmer using a machete to open a pod of raw cacao (Theobroma cacao)...

© David Snyder/Dreamstime.com

Crowded outdoor scene at Kejetia central market in Kumasi, Ghana, with people, colorful umbrellas, market stalls, and minibuses surrounded by city buildings.

Kejetia market

Shoppers browsing at the Kejetia market in Kumasi, Ghana. It is one of the largest...

© sanjeri—iStock Unreleased/Getty Images

cocoa beans

cocoa beans

A worker tending to commercially grown cocoa beans drying in the sun in central Ghana.

© Francesco Veronesi (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Shea nuts

Shea nuts

A Ghanian woman pouring harvested shea nuts into a bag for storage and shipment to...

Douglas Gritzmacher/USAID in Africa

Stacks of colorful rice sacks with various printed designs and logos are arranged in a marketplace in Ghana.

Rice

Colorful sacks of rice, a food staple of Ghana, are stacked in a marketplace.

© Nancy Haggarty/Dreamstime.com

Akosombo power station in Ghana with large red penstocks and concrete dam structure beside flowing water, supplying electricity to Ghana and Togo.

Akosombo Dam power station

The Akosombo Dam power station on the Volta River, Ghana.

© Golasza/Dreamstime.com

St. George's Castle, also known as Elmina Castle, is a large white stone fortress with red-tiled roofs and palm trees, situated on the coast beside the water in Ghana.

Elmina Castle

A view of Elmina Castle, situated on the Atlantic coast, Elmina, Ghana.

© Renate Wefers/Getty Images

Takoradi Harbour, Ghana

Takoradi Harbour, Ghana

Bauxite loaders at Takoradi Harbour, Ghana.

Photo Research International/Camera Press/Globe Photos

Front view of the Freedom and Justice Arch in Accra, Ghana, featuring a black star on top and inscriptions reading AD 1957 and Freedom and Justice.

Monument to independence

Independence Arch (also called Black Star Gate), inscribed with “AD 1957 ” and “Freedom...

© Steveheap/Dreamstime.com

Nkrumah Memorial Park monument in Accra, Ghana, features a tall, arched stone structure with water pools and wide walkways in a landscaped park setting.

Mausoleum at Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park

The mausoleum, which is the final resting place of Ghana's first prime minister and...

© Jacek Sopotnicki/Dreamstime.com

guinea worm disease

guinea worm disease

A volunteer teaching children how to avoid guinea worm disease (dracunculiasis) in...

The Carter Center/Centers For Disease Control and Prevention

Children sit at wooden desks in a classroom in Savelugu, Ghana, with one boy in a light blue shirt using sign language while others watch or participate.

In the classroom

A deaf student using sign language during a school lesson, Savelugu, Ghana.

© Sjors737/Dreamstime.com

Akua'ba

Akua'ba

An Akan Akua'ba figure, a fertility doll cared for by women who desire successful...

Yale University Art Gallery, Charles B. Benenson, B.A. 1933, Collection (2006.51.306)

Outdoor fruit and vegetable market in Accra, Ghana, with piles of pineapples, watermelons, citrus, and other produce displayed on tables and baskets; women sellers sit behind the stalls.

Produce market

Outdoor produce market, Accra, Ghana.

© Aleksandr Volkov/Dreamstime.com

Waakye, a Ghanaian dish of rice and beans with meat, gari, spaghetti, and a boiled egg, served on a green banana leaf.

Waakye

The traditional Ghanaian fare waakye, made from rice and beans, is cooked...

© Roger/stock.adobe.com

Asante akrafokonmu

Asante akrafokonmu

An Asante akrafokonmu (soul washer's badge), repoussé gold disk c. 18th–19th...

Courtesy of the trustees of the British Museum; photograph, John Webb

Kente cloth

Kente cloth

Cotton and silk kente cloth of the Akan people, from the Asante region of Ghana,...

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Purchase, Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 1972, 1972.56.1, www.metmuseum.org

Kente cloth

Kente cloth

Cotton and rayon kente cloth, plain and supplementary weft weave, probably Ewe culture,...

Photograph by honolulu0919. Honolulu Academy of Arts, purchase, 1987 (5676.1)

Illustration of Ananse the spider from West African folklore, wearing a colorful hat and holding a gourd, as he tricks hornets into flying into the gourd against a backdrop of trees, grass, and distant huts.

Ananse

The trickster Ananse, an important Akan folk character, shown here as a spider luring...

Judie Anderson/Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Asante artifacts

Asante artifacts

Looted Asante artifacts returned on loan from the British Museum and the Victoria...

© Ernest Ankomah/Getty Images

Tamale

Tamale

Multipurpose stadium in Tamale, Ghana.

Jprschaefer

Football on the beach

Football on the beach

Teenagers playing football (soccer) on the beach where the Volta River meets the...

© Back Page Images—REX/Shutterstock.com

Map of western Africa showing the greatest territorial extent of major historical states from the 11th to 16th centuries. The 14th-century Kingdom of Mali is outlined in green, the 16th-century Songhai Empire in purple, and the 16th-century Hausa Bakwai states in red. Major cities, rivers, and regional names are labeled within and around these territories.

Principal kingdoms and peoples of western Africa, 11th–16th centuries

Map showing the principal kingdoms (at their greatest territorial extent) and peoples...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Elmina Castle

Elmina Castle

The fortress of São Jorge de Mina, later known as Elmina Castle, built in 1482 as...

Courtesy of the Universitätsbibliothek, Heidelberg, Ger.

Map of western Africa showing the locations and territorial extents of major kingdoms and peoples from the 17th to 19th centuries. The Hausa Bakwai states are outlined in orange, representing their largest area in the 17th-18th centuries, while the Fulani kingdom is outlined in green, showing its 19th-century peak. Major cities, rivers, and regions such as the Niger and Benue Rivers, the Bauchi Highlands, and the Adamawa Plateau are labeled for context.

Principal kingdoms and peoples of western Africa, 17th–19th century

Map showing the principal kingdoms and peoples of western Africa, 17th–19th century.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Kumasi

Kumasi

The capital of the Asante empire, Kumasi, located on western Africa's Gold Coast,...

From The Countries of the World by Robert Brown, 1876

Map of western Africa in the late 19th century showing areas under French and British control in 1880, and illustrating the advance of French, British, and German colonial forces with dated arrows. French-controlled territory is shaded green and British-controlled territory is shaded purple, with major advances and key cities labeled. Boundaries between mandates established in 1919 are also marked, and an inset locates the region within Africa.

European penetration into western Africa in the late 19th century

Map showing European-controlled territories and advances in western Africa in the...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Africa showing the territorial divisions and colonial possessions by European powers from the late 19th to early 20th century. Countries and regions are color-coded to indicate British, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Belgian, and German control, with independent countries and British-Egyptian condominium also marked. The map highlights the extent and timing of colonization, with most of the continent under European rule except for Ethiopia and Liberia.

Colonization of Africa by European countries

Map showing the colonization of Africa by European countries in the early 1900s....

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Kwame Nkrumah

Kwame Nkrumah

Pres. Kwame Nkrumah, pictured here at the White House, Washington, D.C., March 8...

Abbie Rowe. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston

Ghana's President Jerry John Rawlings, wearing a white shirt and glasses, speaks at a podium with United Nations insignia.

Jerry J. Rawlings

Ghanaian Pres. Jerry J. Rawlings addressing the United Nations Millennium Summit,...

Susan Markisz/UN Photo

John Kufuor

John Kufuor

Ghanaian Pres. John Kufuor, shown here in 2008.

Gregory Jones, U.S. Army/U.S. Department of Defense

John Evans Atta Mills, President of Ghana, wearing a dark pinstripe suit and glasses, smiles in front of a United Nations emblem.

John Evans Atta Mills

Ghanaian Pres. John Evans Atta Mills, shown here in 2009.

Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo

President John Mahama, wearing a white robe, speaks at a podium with Ghana's coat of arms and two microphones during his inauguration in Accra, Ghana.

John Mahama

Pres. John Mahama after taking the oath of office, Accra, Ghana, January 7, 2013.

Pius Utomi Ekpei—AFP/Getty Images

Ghanaian president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo speaks at a podium with the United Nations emblem, addressing the General Assembly in New York City.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

Ghanaian Pres. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo addressing the United Nations General...

Cia Pak/UN Photo

Inauguration of Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang

Inauguration of Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang

Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang (center), the first woman to serve as vice president in...

© Julius Mortsi—ZUMA Press/Alamy

Cape Coast Castle, Ghana

Cape Coast Castle, Ghana

Cape Coast Castle, Ghana.

Juliet Highet/Black Star

Ghana

Ghana

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Audio

National anthem of Ghana

The instrumental version of the national anthem of Ghana.

Interactives

Ghana: Ethnic composition

Ghana: Ethnic composition

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Ghana: Religious affiliation

Ghana: Religious affiliation

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Ghana: Urban-rural distribution

Ghana: Urban-rural distribution

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Ghana: Age breakdown

Ghana: Age breakdown

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Ghana: Major export destinations

Ghana: Major export destinations

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Ghana: Major import sources

Ghana: Major import sources

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Colonization of Africa: Maps, Timeline, Decolonization, & Independence

Colonization of Africa: Maps, Timeline, Decolonization, & Independence

Learn about the colonization of Africa, the process of decolonization that led to...

© Encyclopaedia Britannica

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