According to countryaah, the Republic of Ghana is located on the west coast of Africa with neighboring countries Togo, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. It is one of the few countries on the west coast of Africa where it has been reasonably stable for years and therefore a lot safer than most countries in this part of Africa. Despite this and the fact that Ghana is rich in natural resources and a large part of the country consists of fertile agricultural land, a large part of the population lives below the poverty line.
The name Ghana comes from the Ghanaian Empire that was located here approximately from the eighth to the eleventh century AD. After the fall of this empire, the country split into several states that were later united under the Ashanti conference. Europeans first set foot in Ghana at the end of the fifteenth century. During this period, the coast of Ghana and its neighboring countries was nicknamed the Gold Coast. The Dutch built their first trading posts here at the end of the sixteenth century. These remained in their possession until the end of the nineteenth century. After this, the trading posts had lost their value due to the abolition of slavery. From the beginning of the twentieth century, present-day Ghana came under British rule. The area became a British colony under the name British Gold Coast.
In 1957, the country lost its colonial status and was renamed Ghana. Ghana was the first colonized country in Africa to regain its independence. This led to a number of rapidly succeeding military and civilian regimes, particularly in the 1970s. All this eventually led to the democracy that Ghana is today.
Despite the fact that Ghana is a fairly safe holiday destination, few tourists go to this African country. This is mainly due to the unrest in neighboring countries such as Ivory Coast and Liberia and Sierra Leone. This has a deterrent effect on travelers.
Sights
There are few special places of interest in Ghana. The country does have many kilometers of beautiful sandy beaches. On these sandy beaches or near them, several fortresses were built from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century by European rulers who mainly used them for the slave trade. The most beautiful beaches in Ghana can be found in the towns of Busua and Dixove. In addition, the remains of the Ashanti culture are worth a visit. In the hills near the capital Accra there are several beautiful national parks. Several beautiful waterfalls can be found in these parks. The most famous landmark in the country is probably Lake Volta with the associated Akosomobo Dam. In terms of surface area, this is the largest lake in the world in terms of volume, it is ahead of three other lakes. The special thing about this lake is that it was created by human hands.
In the northern part of Ghana it is possible to go on safaris. Elephants, antelopes, baboons and chimpanzees live here. In the coastal areas, several species of sea turtles can be found that lay their eggs on the beaches of Ghana. Ghana’s best-known national parks are Bobrir Forest Reserve, Kakuam National Park, Mole National Park, and Lake Bosumtwi. The village of Nzulezo deserves a special mention. This village is located in the freshwater lake Amansuri and is completely built on stilts. This village can only be reached by an hour-long canoe trip through the wetlands of Amansuri.
UNESCO
There are two inscriptions on the UNESCO World Heritage List in Ghana. These include the Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra and the Central and Western regions. This inscription consists of a number of European castles, fortresses and trading posts that were built on the coast of Ghana from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century. This concerns a total of eleven buildings, many of which were built by the Dutch. Not much remains of many of these fortresses than a ruin. These fortresses were mainly used for the slave trade.
The second inscription is the traditional Ashanti buildings. This ethnic group lives in the south of Ghana in the Ashanti region. This is where the traditional Ashanti buildings can be found. These buildings are the last material remnant of the Ashanti civilization that played a major role in this part of Africa until the eighteenth century.
Climate
There will be two climate types in Ghana for the tropical climate and the steppe climate. Most of Ghana has a tropical savanna climate. The southwestern coastal area also has a tropical monsoon climate. Here the average annual rainfall is much higher than in the other parts of Ghana. The northern part of Ghana, especially in the coastal region with Burkina Faso, has a warm steppe climate. The average temperatures here are a lot higher than in the other parts of the country. The average precipitation figures in this part of Ghana are much lower than in the rest of the country.
The average annual daytime temperature in Ghana is around thirty degrees Celsius. In the evening and night the average temperature will be about six to seven degrees lower. The north of the country is slightly warmer than the southern part of the country.
The northern part of Ghana has one rainy period that is a lot less intense than the two rainy periods that occur in the southern part. The rainy season in the north lasts from May to the end of September. The rainy periods in the south last from April to July and from the beginning of September to the end of October. June is generally the wettest month of the year in the coastal region.
Geography
Ghana is located on the west coast of Africa and has land borders with Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Togo. To the south, the country borders the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. The landscape of Ghana mainly consists of a low plain with a plateau in the central part. Near the capital Accra are two foothills of two ridges. These ridges possess the richest farmland in the country. Cocoa is mainly grown here. To the north of this Ghana mainly consists of Savannah. This is the poorest and least accessible part of Ghana. The highest mountain in the country can be found near the border with Togo. The Afadjato is 880 meters high near this mountain are two beautiful waterfalls, the Tagbo Falls and the Wli Falls.
Ghana has the largest water basin in the world in surface area, Lake Volta. The lake has a total area of more than 8,500 square kilometers. The lake was created after the construction of the Akosombo Dam, also known as the Volta Dam. This dam was built to serve as a hydroelectric power station for the aluminum industry. Nearly 100,000 Ghanaians had to relocate for the construction of the dam and the lake. The lake is mainly fed by the White Volta and Oti Rivers. From the lake, the water flows through the Volta River to the Gulf of Guinea.
The country’s capital, Acrra, is the country’s largest and most important city. Other cities of significance in Ghana are the port city of Tema, Kumasi, Sekoni-Takoradi, ho, Sunyani, Cape Coast and Tamale. Most of these cities can be found in the southern part of the country.
Travel advice
The travel advice for Ghana has been on vigilance for some time now. This is mainly due to the serious crime that occurs here. Western tourists are regularly involved in this. In addition, within the country, there are some ethnic differences regarding the leadership of the country. This is leading to unrest, especially in the northern part of the country. These unrest often go hand in hand with violence.
If you are a European visiting the country then it is wise not to travel after sunset and if you unexpectedly have to travel, do so with a local guide. Robberies are particularly common on the “Tema Highway”. These robberies are often accompanied by a lot of violence and sexual offenses. The condition of the roads in Ghana is very bad and they are also poorly or not lit.
Travel documents
To be able to visit Ghana you must be in possession of a passport that is valid for at least six months on the date of departure from Ghana. In addition, you must apply for a visa at the Ghanaian Embassy in The Hague. In order to apply for this visa, you must be in possession of four passport photos, a four signed application form, a bank guarantee, an invitation, a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever and an online payment for the application. In addition, you must be in possession of a return or onward ticket. Applying for a visa will normally take four to five days, but it can be longer. A visa for Ghana is normally valid for three months
A vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory if you travel to Ghana and you must also be in possession of a cholera stamp. This only if you enter Ghana by land. In addition, it is wise to take vaccinations against hepatitis B, rabies, typhoid fever and tuberculosis. Malaria occurs in Ghana, so take malaria pills with you, sleep under a mosquito net and make sure you have enough DEET.
Info table
| Capital city | Accra |
| Phone (country code) | 233 |
| Internetdomein | .gh |
| Language(s) (official) | Engels |
| Language(s) (colloquial) | English and several indigenous languages that all belong to the Niger-Congo languages |
| Religion(s) | Islam, Christianity and nature religions |
| Time zone(s) | UTC+1 |
| Time difference summer | in Ghana time runs parallel with the Netherlands |
| Time difference winter | in Ghana it is 1 hour earlier than in the Netherlands |
| Daylight Saving Time Control | nee |
| Currency | Naira |
