Ghana Facts for Kids

Ghana which means “Warrior king” is also known as the Republic of Ghana, it is located in the West African sub region, along the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Togo to the east, Burkina Faso to the north, the gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean to the south and Côte d’Ivoire to the west.

Ghana Facts for Kids

The total land area of Ghana is 238,567 sq km (92,497 sq miles) and the capital city of the country is Accra which is also the largest city.
The total population of the country is 27,499,924 (est. in 2017).
The official language of the country is English.
Ghana gained independence from the United Kingdom on March 06, 1957.
The national anthem is “God bless Our Homeland Ghana”.
The national animal is the golden eagle and the country’s symbol is the Black Star.
The people of Ghana are called Ghanian with the country’s religion being Christianity and Islam with small fraction of other religions.
The currency used is called the Ghana Cedi (GHS).
The natural resources of the country include Timber, fish, Bauxite, Hydropower, Rubber, salt, manganese, silver, limestone, gold and industrial diamonds.
The major industries are food production, light manufacturing, mining, cement, lumbering, petroleum, small commercial ship building and aluminum smelting.
The country makes $13.75 billion (est. in 2017) on exportation of timber, bauxite, manganese ore, aluminum, tuna, cocoa, horticultural products, oil, gold and diamonds while it spends $12.68 billion (est. in 2017) on importation of foodstuffs, capital equipment and refined petroleum.
Ghana doesn’t have a problem with polygamous families as in the country, polygamy is completely legal and a man can marry as many wives as he pleases. This act though, is done by the rich as they have the financial backing to should the burden.
Widow’s inheritance traditional practices are still very common in Ghana, where a woman after her husband dies must marry the living brother or family member and he will be the one to take responsibility for all the children left behind and the properties of the late brother.
Hospitability is a big part of the Ghanaian culture and they proud themselves at being welcoming to everyone and displaying good manners and respect in every situation as well as to everyone.

With the variety of culture and traditional found in Ghana with different ethnic groups, the most popular Akan has its religious practices based on ancestral involvement combined with beliefs in different gods, goddesses and spirit.
Harvest seasons have always been followed by a celebratory ceremony as it is common practice in the country. Other celebratory ceremonies include the age ceremony for a girl which can take place before or after her birth.

Before being called Ghana, during the Medieval Empire of West Africa; it was Wagadugu. Some people living in Ghana have ancestors from the medieval Ghana, most likely the people from northern Ghana.
Before 1957, Ghana was named the Gold Coast because the rivers Ankobra and Volta were known to have gold in them. The british and Portuguese knew about the gold and tried to explore the region with vested interest in 1482.
Ghana is considered one of the leading nations in Africa pin meeting the MDG (Millennium Development Goals) because of its decline in poverty level compared to other countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa. Even with this, the country is not considered a middle income earning country because the politics in the region is not really stable.
Agriculture is the major source of job in Ghana and most people are either farmers or help with farm tools and equipment. Cocoa is the major source of income among the crops grown in Ghana and most of Ghanaian foods are a reflection of its rich agriculture and the country’s history and they are known to love hot spicy foods as they add chilies and red pepper to most of their dishes. The common food for Ghanaians is fufu which includes boiled cassava, plantains and yams rolled into a ball.
The largest open air market in West Africa is in Kumasi, Ghana. You can buy anything there from garments, fabric and clothes.
Ghanaians are known to like brightly colored clothing, most times made of silk. They love to dance, eat and play the drum. They celebrate a dancing festival every year and the celebrating are known to attend without letting their fame and wealth get to their daily lives.