Flag of Ghana (Source » Wikimedia)

Flag of Ghana (Source » Wikimedia)

Republic of Ghana

Facts

  • Population » 25.5 million
  • Languages » English, African languages including Akan, Ewe
  • Religions » Christianity, indigenous beliefs, Islam
  • Life expectancy » 64 years (men), 66 years (women)
  • Currency » Ghanaian Cedi (GHS) (XE)
  • Internet TLD » .gh

Geography

  • Area » 238,533 sq km (92,098 sq miles)
  • Located in Western Africa.
  • Bordered by the Cote d’Ivoire in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, Togo in the east, the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean in the south.
Map of Ghana

Map of Ghana (Source » France)

Maps

Tourism

National Parks

  • Lake Bosomtwe Biosphere Reserve (Web / UNESCO) » borders one of six meteoritic lakes in the world.  The southernmost section of the site overlaps the northern section of the Bosomtwe Range Forest Reserve creating a combination of forest, wetland and mountain ecosystems. The biosphere reserve sustains 35 tree species, including some used for timber. The site is also home to a great diversity of wildlife and a human population of over 50,000 inhabitants whose main economic activities are farming, fishing and tourism, as the lake is a major national tourist destination. The area is widely used for research, especially on climate change, as well as environmental education for schools and universities.
  • Mole National Park (Map) – Ghana’s largest wildlife refuge. At 4840 sq km (1869 sq miles), Mole National Park is the largest of Ghana’s seven protected areas. It’s also the oldest, first established in 1958. Located in the country’s northwest Savannah region – easily accessible from Tamale Airport – Mole is one of Ghana’s most sought-after spots for wildlife watching.  (Lonely Planet)
  • Kakum National » one of Ghana’s most visited. The park is home to dozens of mammal species, including spot-nosed monkeys, six types of duiker and Ghana’s densest population of forest elephants (the smaller cousin of African savanna elephants). Yet the bulk of this wildlife is elusive, often camouflaging itself from onlookers among the greenery of Kakum’s vast rainforest. (Lonely Planet)
  • Kyabobo National Park is not easy to reach

Overlanding

  • Drive » Right side
  • Lots of dirt/mud roads
  • Terrain » Plains and scrubland, rainforest, savanna

Ports

  • Tema (Wikipedia), is the biggest of the two seaports in Ghana, is a major seaport on the African west coast, one of the largest container ports in all of Africa.

Notes

  • Previously known as the Gold Coast
  • Ghana means “Warrior King” in the Soninke language.
  • Lake Volta is the largest artificial reservoir in the world based on surface area.
    • It is contained behind the Akosombo Dam which generates a substantial amount of Ghana’s electricity.
    • Lake Volta is completely within the country of Ghana and has a surface area of 8,502 square kilometres
    • The Akosombo Dam produces 912 MW of electricity for the country, as well as for export to Togo, Benin, and other nearby countries.
  • Ghana’s chief export is cacao (wikipedia).

Climate

  • The climate in Ghana is typically tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north.
  • The terrain: mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area.
  • For Accra in January the daily average maximum temperatures is 32°C with the average minimum 24°C, while in June the average maximum is 30°C with a minimum of 24°C. The wettest month for Accra is June with an average of 143.9mm of precipitation falling while the driest month is January with 7.7mm falling.

Safety and Security

  • Various governments advises it’s citizens to exercise a high degree of caution in Ghana due to crime.
  • New Zealand states » Terrorist attacks are possible in Ghana. There is a heightened risk of terrorist attacks in the northern areas of Ghana which border neighbouring countries, particularly Burkina Faso, where armed groups and militias are active. (as of May 2023)

Health

  • Vaccination recommendations – Includes Yellow Fever
  • Health care is inadequate outside Accra (the Capital)

Government Advice

Several governments advise their citizens to take extra precautions due to high crime rates.

Posts

Media

Resources

This page was updated September 9, 2023