27 499 924 people are living in Ghana, a country stretching over 92 098 sq mi/ 238 533 km² (4.61% water). The star on the flag signifies African liberation. [246], Contemporary Ghanaian fashion includes traditional and modern styles and fabrics and has made its way into the African and global fashion scene. Official language: English. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples It has an economic plan target known as the "Ghana Vision 2020". The Prime Meridian passes through Ghana, specifically through the industrial port town of Tema. Meaning of Ghana. Many Ghanaian films are co-produced with Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry, and some are distributed by Nigerian marketers. Nana Akufo-Addo won the Presidency in the Ghanaian general election held on 7 December 2016, defeating incumbent John Mahama. Definition of ghana in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. It has successfully tracked and communicated with several (amateur) radio satellites in orbit including the International Space Station, receiving slow-scan TV images on 18 and 20 December 2014. [171] Ghana is ranked 2nd on continental Africa and 7th globally in cyber warfare, cyberterrorism, cyber crime, and internet crime.[172]. Ghanaian skier, Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, nicknamed "The snow leopard", became the first Ghanaian to take part in the Winter Olympics, at the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,[278] taking part in the slalom skiing. [243], Banku (akple) is a common Ghanaian starchy food made from ground corn (maize),[243] and cornmeal based staples, kɔmi (kenkey) and banku (akple) are usually accompanied by some form of fried fish (chinam) or grilled tilapia and a very spicy condiment made from raw red and green chillies, onions and tomatoes (pepper sauce). [294] The attractions and major tourist destinations of Ghana include a warm, tropical climate year-round, diverse wildlife, waterfalls such as Kintampo waterfalls and the largest waterfall in west Africa, Wli waterfalls, Ghana's coastal palm-lined sandy beaches, caves, mountains, rivers, and reservoirs and lakes such as Lake Bosumtwi and the largest man-made lake in the world by surface area, Lake Volta, dozens of forts and castles, World Heritage Sites, nature reserves and national parks. In 1970, I Told You So was one of the first Ghanaian films to receive international acknowledgement and received great reviews from The New York Times. a calendar of principal events from 3000 BC to AD 1973, Part 1973, Rowman & Littlefield, 1975, Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi, "The 2008 Freedom House Survey: Another Step Forward for Ghana.". [246] Kente is the most famous of all the Ghanaian cloths. These ships were carrying thousands of kilograms of cocaine, with a street value running into billions of Ghana cedis. 94. [121][131] These fabrics are mostly designed to mirror various African culture and traditions. Ghanaian dance is as diverse as its music, and there are traditional dances and different dances for different occasions. A state in West Africa, primarily famous for its fauna, Beaches and old forts. [146][147] The real estate market investment perspective and attraction comes from Ghana's tropical location and robust political stability. [24], Ghana was inhabited in the Middle Ages and the Age of Discovery by a number of ancient predominantly Akan kingdoms in the Southern and Central territories. [253] In the 1990s a new genre of music was created by the youth incorporating the influences of highlife, Afro-reggae, dancehall and hiphop. In this section of this article, we will discuss each of these parts along with their symbolic meanings. [194][195], In 2010, there were relatively more females (53.0%) than males (40.5%) with primary school and JSS (junior secondary school) / JHS (junior high school) as their highest level of education. Climate change in Ghana is impacting the people in Ghana in several ways as the country sits at the intersection of three hydro-climatic zones. Project data. 2000 BC), but these societies, based on fishing in the extensive lagoons and rivers, have left few traces. [296], The World Economic Forum statistics in 2010 showed that out of the world's favorite tourist destinations, Ghana was ranked 108th out of 139 countries. Current lyrics. [180] The Ghanaian education system from kindergarten up to an undergraduate degree level generally takes 20 years. [141][142] Ghana has the 9th largest reserves and the 9th largest production rate of diamonds in the world. Nation in western Africa bordered to the north by Burkina Faso, to the east by Togo, to the south by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the west by the Ivory Coast. [98][100], Drug cartels are using new methods in narcotics production and narcotics exportation, to avoid Ghanaian security agencies. [151][152] Tema Harbour is Africa's largest manmade harbour and Takoradi Harbour along with Tema harbour in Ghana handles goods and exports for Ghana. Some believe that Ghana is a compound word [Ga-na] which means “warrior king” which is a word derived from Ouagadougou. However, in West Africa – mainly Ghana where there was an already established market for cloths and textiles – the client base grew and it was changed to include local and traditional designs, colours and patterns to cater to the taste of the new consumers. [57], As a result of the Ghanaian presidential election, 2016,[62] Nana Akufo-Addo became President-elect and was inaugurated as the fifth President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana and eighth President of Ghana on 7 January 2017.[63]. Nyarota, Geoffrey; Against the Grain; pp. Official name: The Republic of Ghana. He was sworn in on 7 January 2017.He also won the 2020 election and was subsequently sworn in on 7th January 2021. [20] In his book Shake Hands with the Devil, Canadian Forces commander Roméo Dallaire highly rated the GAF soldiers and military personnel. [200], The University of Ghana has seen a shift of its traditionally best students to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Skirt and Blouse is a Ghanaian electoral term used to describe the phenomenon whereby electorates vote for a presidential or parliamentary candidate of […] km). [64] It lies between latitudes 4°45'N and 11°N, and longitudes 1°15'E and 3°15'W. [246] The term kente has its roots in the Akan word kɛntɛn which means a basket and the first kente weavers used raffia fibres to weave cloths that looked like kenten (a basket); and thus were referred to as kenten ntoma; meaning basket cloth.