Beach in Ghana Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beach_with_palms_Ghana.jpg Author: Erik Kristensen
Ghana is a country in West Africa. Covering 235,535 sq km (92,098 sq mi), Ghana is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north and Togo to the east. The country has a coastline facing the Gulf of Guinea to the south.
Ghana is today a constitutional presidential republic. It has a population of 24.5 million (2011 estimate). Its capital and largest city is Accra. The official language of the country is English.
Ghana is on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+0), the same time zone as the United Kingdom. Traffic is however driven on the right side, the opposite from the United Kingdom. The phone IDD code here is +233. The official currency is the Ghana cedi. The electricity is 240V/50Hz using UK plugs.
The Independence Arch in Accra, Ghana Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Independence_Arch_-_Accra,_Ghana1.jpg Author: George Appiah
In 2010 Ghana had a nominal GDP of $31.2 billion and a per capita nominal GDP of $1,318. Its per capita GDP at purchasing power parity is $1,600.
Different ethnic groups have settled in Ghana by the 16th century, when the Portuguese - the earliest European power - arrived at the coast. Elmina Castle was built by the Portuguese in 1481. They were joined in 1598 by the Dutch, who also built forts in Komeda and Kormantsi, gradually capturing Portuguese positions in Ghana. By the mid-17th century, the English, Danes and Swedes were also trading in Ghana.
The Dutch pulled out of Ghana in 1874 and was replaced by the British. Under the British, the area was known as the Gold Coast. Ghana gained independence from Britain on 6 March, 1957.
Fishing boats at Cape Coast, Ghana Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ghana_Cape_Coast_03.jpg Author: Erik Kristensen
Planning your visit to Ghana
Visitors are required to get a visa in their home country before leaving for Ghana. The main gateway to Ghana is the Kotoka International Airport (ACC) in Accra. It receives regular flights from New York City, Atlanta, London Heathrow and London Gatwick, among others. KLM and Lufthansa also has regular scheduled flights to Accra.
Ghana ratified the World Heritage Convention on 4 July, 1975. As of August 2010, it has two World Heritage Sites, both in the cultural category. Ghana also has another six sites on the World Heritage Tentative List.
Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.