Capital: Accra
Population: 27.043.093 (2014)
Currency: Ghana Cedi
Religion: Christianity (the majority)
official language: English
The republic of Ghana, formerly known as the Gold Coast, is a coastal country in tropical West Africa. In 1957, Ghana declared its independence as the first black African country south of the Sahara. Its historical journey begins 40,000 years ago and tells the story of culture change, slavery, and colonial battles. Presently, Ghana’s illiteracy rate is among the lowest in West Africa, but it shows all the other characteristics of a third world country, among which is high birth and death rates, low gross national product, and poor health conditions. As for politics, Ghana is a presidential constitutional democracy with a parliamentary multi-party system of twenty registered parties. According to Oppong (2002), religious beliefs are very important in Ghana, as Christianity is the leading religion though some minorities claim no spiritual ties. In education, Ghanaian educational system is divided in three parts: basic education, secondary cycle, and tertiary education. In fact, the language policy formulated in this domain is very functional. A Ghanaian language is used as a medium of instruction from primary one untill primary three and English is studied as a core subject during this stage. While from primary four through university, English is used as the instructive language, and a Ghanaian language is studied as a core subject during this stage. As for ethnicity, one of the most important characteristics of Ghana is its rich multilingual nature. According to Dzameshie (1988), it has between forty-five and sixty indigenous languages with several dialects. The major ones are Akan, Nzema, Ewe, Ga, Dagaare, and Dagbani. However, only eleven languages are officially recognized by the government. Currently, English is the official and national language of the state and is widely used in politics, media, business, and may function as a lingua franca. For so many Ghanaians, it is a symbol of prestige and literacy.
From "Ghana" (p. 19 and 47) by Oppong, J. (2008). Chelsea House Publishers. Retrieved from
http://m.booksee.org/book/1069685
http://m.booksee.org/book/1069685
Samir Bakhbach, Spring 2017