Free Essay

Ghana

In: Historical Events

Submitted By valeriamcks
Words 466
Pages 2
The history of Ghana goes far back into the 13th centuShry. The Republic of Ghana was formerly known as Gold Coast until midnight March 6th 1957, when it was liberated from the hands of the British. The name Ghana was derived from the ancient Mali empire which was also known as the Ghana Empire of West Africa. Ghana was the title of the Kings who ruled the kingdom which was then controlled by Sundiata Keita, founder of the Mali Empire in 1240 AD.
It is believed that the ancient people migrated from the Ghana Empire, which is several hundred miles to the northwest of the Country Ghana.
This is the southern part of today Mauritania and the western side of Mali.
The history of Ghana has gone through a series of metamorphosis with lot of theories from academics and ancient tales. Many books about the history of Ghana have minimal conflicting issues pertaining to the origin of Ghanaians.
Bottom line, they all arrive at the same point making the history of Ghana very reliable when it comes to the people and places.
ARRIVAL OF THE WHITES
The Portuguese were the first white merchants to arrive in Gold Coast in the 15th century to trade mainly in Gold, Diamonds, Ivory, just to name a few and most importantly Slaves.
In 1842, a year after their arrival, built the first castle in Gold Coast, called the Elmina Castle (Sao Jorge da Mina) and a second one also known as Fort st. Anthony at Axim, a small fishing town in the Western Region.
The Dutch joined them in 1598 for the same results or rewards and more. They also built forts at Komenda and Kormantsi all in the central region. By 1637, the Dutch had enough power to stop the Portuguese from monopolizing business by overthrowing them and taking possession of their two Castles. Cape-coast castle court yard. Other Europeans who joined this "wheels of fortune" in the Gold Coast were the British, Danes and the Swedes.
The Danes built one of the most important Castles, the Osu Christiansborg Castle in Accra in 1661, which is now the "White House" of the President of Ghana.
The Swedes also built the Cape Coast Castle which was used as a Slave depot to "store" slaves awaiting to be loaded into the next available ship to Europe. This castle was taken over by the British in 1665.
The competition for Gold, ivory and slaves was so intense that, the Gold Coast had the highest concentration of European military warfare outside Europe.
Due to this fact, out of the 110 forts and castles built in West Africa, 100 them can be found on the coastal areas of Ghana. The British took over the Southern part when the Dutch withdrew in 1874.

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Transportation in Ghana

...Local Transportation in Ghana There are a lot of options for travel within Ghana. Sadly, not all drivers are licensed. Use your judgment on the condition and appearance of the vehicle and the operator before using any mode of transportation. Insurance and registration stickers are displayed in the front windscreen of all vehicles in Ghana, allowing easy verification that the vehicle is current. Most road accidents in Ghana are caused because of tires that are in poor condition. Taxis All taxis have orange corners. Some are comfortable, with law-abiding drivers and air conditioning for an extra fee. Others are filthy death traps with unlicensed drivers. Use your judgment on the condition and appearance of the car and driver before using a taxi. Passing taxis that you flag on the street are referred to as "dropping" taxis, and they will take you directly to your destination. There are also dropping taxis that wait for passengers at various locations, but taking a parked dropping taxi is always more expensive than flagging a taxi that is driving by. When a taxi stops, greet him through the open car window and ask how he is doing. After a proper greeting, tell him where you are going and determine that he knows the destination. When he tells you to "get in", your reply should be "How much?" Always negotiate with the taxi driver before you get into the taxi. Otherwise you will pay double the rate, or more. See our tips on Paying for Things. ...

Words: 1297 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Woolworth in Ghana

...Sherry He 301187162 Sherry He 301187162 Individual Assignment Woolworths in Ghana Individual Assignment Woolworths in Ghana Executive Summary This report analyzes the current marketing strategies of Woolworths in Ghana from four perspectives: products, price, project and promotion. Also, it will briefly mention the company’s successful marketing strategy in other African countries. According to what Woolworths has accomplished in Ghana, the recommendations in this report are generated based on the findings and analyses of Ghana environment. In particular, Ghana’s social, political, legal and economic factors will be presented as they relate to the commercial atmosphere. The recommendations, which are meant to help Woolworths define its future development, are as follows: • Seek more opportunities in Ghana and open more Woolworths C&GM stores in Accra. • Utilize social media to build strong brand awareness among Ghanaians. • Maintain positive, healthy relationships with the government of Ghana for further development. Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Company Description and Current Marketing Strategy Analysis 4 Company Description and Analysis 4 Scope and Limitations 5 Description of Current Marketing Strategy of Woolworths 5 Product 5 Place 6 Promotion 6 Price 6 Market/Business Environment Analysis and Recommendations 8 Economic 8 Social 9 Political 10 Legal 10 Reference...

Words: 1975 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Sanitation in Ghana

...REPUBLIC OF GHANA THE BUDGET STATEMENT AND ECONOMIC POLICY of the GOVERNMENT OF GHANA for the 2015 FINANCIAL YEAR presented to PARLIAMENT on WEDNESDAY, 19TH NOVEMBER 2014 by SETH E. TERKPER Minister for Finance on the Authority of HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA Theme: “Transformational Agenda: Securing the Bright Medium Term Prospects of the Economy ’’ THE 2015 BUDGET STATEMENT AND ECONOMIC POLICY ~ ii ~ Theme: “Transformational Agenda: Securing the Bright Medium Term Prospects of the Economy ’’ For copies of the Statement, please contact the Public Relations Office of the Ministry: Ministry of Finance Public Relations Office New Building, Ground Floor, Room 001/003 P. O. Box MB 40 Accra – Ghana The 2015 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana is also available on the internet at: www.mofep.gov.gh ~ iii ~ Theme: “Transformational Agenda: Securing the Bright Medium Term Prospects of the Economy ’’ ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ABFA ACLP ADR AFCON AfDB AIDS AML AMSECs APR ATMA AVIC BACs BDS BIEPC BoG BOP bopd bps BR BRICS BSPs BVDs Annual Budget Funding Amount Ascertainment and Codification of Customary Law Project Alternative Dispute Resolution African Cup of Nations African Development Bank Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Anti-Money laundering Agricultural Mechanization Services Enterprise Centres Annual Progress Report Accra-Tema Metropolitan Area Accra Visitor Information Centre Business Advisory Centres...

Words: 63016 - Pages: 253

Premium Essay

Ghana

...Presentation Outline: Ghana, October 28, 2013 James Giberson An examination of Ghana's historical development and subsequent fate. What was responsible for the downfall of the kingdom? The Birth of Ghana The kingdom of Ghana was established in what is today West Africa in modern day Senegal and Mauritania (Not in what is present day Ghana) It lay between the Niger and Senegal river in what is today the dry desert of Sahel Ghana arose around the year 300 A.D. However, there is evidence that might suggest that it was earlier In this point of history the land was fairly fertile Indigenous people were able to collect wild cereals and domesticate cattle How Trade Changed the Region Being on the west coast of Africa previously, it was difficult to the reach the region having to cross large amounts of desert This was changed by the domestication of the camel Camels were able to go much farther and travel with an increased amount of freight used for trading purposes The increased trade brought better technology to the region such as iron metallurgy It led to an expansion in tools and weaponry As trade increased it brought a major population boom along with it With the merchants traveling from the east, along with them came ideals from the East The merchants brought the study of Islam with them and the entire region became immersed in it Gold With the increase in iron technology, along...

Words: 745 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Traditional Ensemble in Ghana

...Traditional Ensembles Some Traditional Ensembles in Ghana • Kete • Adowa • Kundum • Atsiagbekor • Agbadza • Gahu • Borborbor • Kolomashie • Gome • Sekyi • Takai • Adzewa • Apatampa • Gabada etc In this presentation, I will talk about only two of them. That is Apatampa and Atsiagbekor. APATAMPA Apatampa, an ensemble performed by the Fantis has the same history as Adzewa. It is believed to have been created by women of No 2 Asafo Company of Cape Coast for their recreational and entertainment needs. However, its performance now is not limited to only the women of this company. Membership is open to all, although usually daughters replace their mothers as members of local Apatampa ensembles. Although Apatampa started as an ensemble, played by only females, males joined when they were recruited to play the instruments used in the ensemble. Instrumental set up: castanet, pati, Tamalen (frame drum), Adaka (wooden box). Performance organization: Instrumentalist sit with singers standing behind the instrumentalists. Dancers dance in files. Occasions for performance: Funerals of members, durbars, festivals, etc. ATSIAGBEKOR The dance is performed mostly by the Ewe communities in Ghana. During the period of inter-tribal wars, Agbekor dance was performed to incite people for war. When inter-tribal war subsided Agbekor becomes an object of art and other dances developed out of the Agbekor dance. One of these dances is the Atsiagbekor is performed as an art...

Words: 385 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Ghana Empire Research Paper

...as Ghana. The Ghana Empire was believed to be founded around the time of A.D 200. Nobody is really sure on the exact time Ghana was founded. The citizens of Ghana ruled their empire as representatives of the Republic. The empire’s property, travelers, and traders were heavily protected by their state of government. In 1203, Soso conquered Ghana’s capital and many Ghanian states as well. Soso defeating Ghana caused empires to join together. The cities Walata, Timbuktu, Saleh, Kumbi, and Awdaghust were all covered by Ghana’s government. Ghana`s government covered many cities in the empire. Although it had its boundaries. The government covered the whole kingdom and had boundaries....

Words: 456 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Ghana Association of Microfinance Companies

...Ghana Association of Microfinance Companies (G.A.M.C) Integrity, Accountability and Commitment What we do To fulfill its vision, GAMC provides the following services to its members: Information Disemination GAMC acts as the first point of call to its members and stakeholders to access a wide range of information on Microfinance within and outside Ghana. Capacity Building In keeping with GAMC's objective to strengthen Microfinance operations among members' institutions and build capacity within the sector as a whole, GAMC facilitates and coordinates training programs, targeting MFI's staff and Management at various levels and Board members. Supervisory and Monitoring also serve as a supervisory and monitoring body for its members to ensure that they stay within the regulated framework of the Central Government. Advocacy and Lobbying GAMC lobbies government, at various levels, to influence it in the development of an enabling environment such as formulation of appropriate legal and regulatory framework, Microfinance development policy and national capacity building programmes. Resource Mobilization In collaboration with government and other Stakeholders, GAMC mobilize resources on behalf of its members to support them with on-lending funds at competitive rate to ensure profitability, for implementation of human resources development programs, infrastructure development and support as well as other programs and interventions ...

Words: 297 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Doctor

...Highway, North Ridge, Accra Opposite Accra High School. | Colina Life Ghana Ltd.... NowSaham Life Insurance Ghana Ltd. | Mr. Tawiah Ben-AhmedCEO | P. O. Box AD 190Tel : 0302 224299,264552,Fax :0302-228047Location : 4th Floor Sethi Plaza near Adabraka Police Station Kwame Nkrumah Avenuee-mail : tbenahmed@groupecolina.com | Donewell Life  Insurance Company | Mr. E. Diamond Addo General Manager | P. O. Box GP2136, Accra 763321, 763266,  Fax:763147 E-mail:info@donewellinsurance.com www.donewellinsurance.com 2nd floor F33/1 Carl Quist Street, Kuku Hill Osu RE | Enterprise Life  Assurance Company     Esich Life Assurance Company Limited | Mr. C. C. Bruce Jnr. Chief Executive Officer     Mr. Richard Adu-Marfo Chief Executive Officer | Private Mail Bag, General Post Office Accra, Ghana Tel. 677074, 677078 Fax: 677073 Enterprise House, 11 High Street e-mail info@elacghana.com P.O.Box CT 8309, cantonments, Accra Tel.: 0302 201980/1 Location: 2nd Ring Link, North Ridge Residential Area. Opposite IC Securitiesemail: info@esichlife.comwebsite: www.esichlife.com | Express Life Insurance Ltd.... NowPrudential Life Insurance Ghana Ltd. | Mr. Emmanuel N. A. AryeeManaging Director | P. O. Box AN 10476, Accra-North, Ghana Tel. 0302  252487, 028 9555580 Location: No. 35 North Street, Opposite Hobats Clinic, Tesano, AccraEmail: customerservice@prudential.com.ghWebsite: www.prudential.com.gh | Ghana Life  Insurance Company | Mr. Ivan A. Avereyireh Chief Executive Officer...

Words: 700 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Jukes of Jap

...All about Japan Japan formally Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally "[the] State of Japan") is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is often referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun". Japan is a stratovolcanic archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku, which together comprise about ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with over 126 million people. Honshū's Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents. Japan first appears in written history in the Chinese Book of Han. According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, the most powerful kingdom on the archipelago during the 3rd century was called Yamataikoku. Buddhism was first introduced to Japan from Baekje of Korea, but the subsequent development of Japanese Buddhism was primarily influenced by China. Despite early resistance, Buddhism was promoted by the ruling class and gained widespread acceptance beginning in the Asuka period (592–710). Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is...

Words: 639 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

The Role of Kwame Nkrumah in Pan-Africanism

...DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY AND AFRICAN STUDIES FOURAH BAY COLLEGE UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE Module: History of Pan-Africanism (HIST 417) First Semester, 2008 Instructor (Lecturer): Dr. (Professor) Alusine Jalloh Name: Josephus J. Ellie Final Year, History and Politics Research Paper (Term Paper) Topic: “The Role of Kwame Nkrumah in Pan-Africanism” Table of Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. Key Factors that Influenced Nkrumahs’ Pan – African Motives 6 3. Nkrumah’s Roles in Organizing Key Pan-African Events 8 3.1 Nkrumah’ Contributions to the 5th Pan-African Conference 8 3.2 Nkrumah in promoting African Unity 10 4. Nkrumah’s Writings and Pan-Africanism 15 5. Conclusion 16 6. References 17 Introduction There is no one way to define Pan-Africanism. What constitutes Pan-Africanism, what one might include in a Pan-African movement often changes according to whether the focus is on politics, ideology, organizations, or culture? Pan-Africanism actually reflects a range of political views. At a basic level, it is a belief that African peoples, both on the African continent and in the Diaspora, share not merely a common history, but a common destiny. This sense of interconnected pasts and futures has taken many forms, especially in the creation of political institutions. One of the earliest manifestations of Pan-Africanism...

Words: 3968 - Pages: 16

Free Essay

Herbal Medicine Producers Target American Market

...The Ghana National Traditional Healers Association in collaboration with regulatory bodies is working assiduously to open up its market share to capture the international community, particularly the USA, by June 2015. According to the Association, a consultancy firm has revealed that the African community in places like Maryland and Washington D.C., both in the USA, holds herbal medicines from Ghana in high esteem, hence its [Ghana National Traditional Healers Association] keen interest to penetrate those markets to augment foreign exchange earnings from non-traditional exports. The dream has been rekindled by a 30-day intensive “Training in Quality Herbal Products Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship for Improved Productivity and Competitiveness” for a selected 100 practitioners, Baffour Agyapong, Brong Ahafo Regional Association Chairman, has told the B&FT in an interview. The training workshop was facilitated by the Department of Herbal Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), with sponsorship from the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) and Skills Development Fund (SDF). He said the training has bequeathed to practitioners the needed technical know-how to produce herbal medicines that meet international standard conformity: including bottling; label requirements such as ingredients, dosage, batch numbers, undesirable effects, clinical particulars among others. “Hitherto, some practitioners were collecting...

Words: 417 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Shadow of the Sun: Book Review

...Shadow of the Sun Essay Political, Social, and Economic The Shadow of the Sun displays many aspects that were political, social, and economic. The book presented a political view when Kapuscinski stated that colonialism reigned in Africa (1844-45) during which several European states divided the whole continent among themselves, and this persisted until Africa won its independence. Ghana was the first country to win its independence south of the Sahara. Kwame Nkrumah Osagyeto the Prime Minister of the country helped them gain it. He was a young activist who received education from Europe and America and when he returned he put together political parties with some World War II combatants as well as the young, and at a rally he issued a war cry: Independence now. Ten years later Ghana was independent and Accra became the center of all movements, ideas and activities for the entire continent. Each social group in Africa has its own distinct culture, beliefs, and languages. Africans believe in the coexistence of three different yet related worlds. They also apprehended time differently, they believed that a mysterious energy circulates through the world, and if it draws near and fills us up, it will give us the strength to set time into motion-something will start to happen. They lived in small groups, clans, and tribes. Living and moving in small groups allowed them to flee danger more easily and survive. The family is always large with several dozen people, the husband,...

Words: 1620 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Shadow of the Sun: Book Review

...Shadow of the Sun Essay Political, Social, and Economic The Shadow of the Sun displays many aspects that were political, social, and economic. The book presented a political view when Kapuscinski stated that colonialism reigned in Africa (1844-45) during which several European states divided the whole continent among themselves, and this persisted until Africa won its independence. Ghana was the first country to win its independence south of the Sahara. Kwame Nkrumah Osagyeto the Prime Minister of the country helped them gain it. He was a young activist who received education from Europe and America and when he returned he put together political parties with some World War II combatants as well as the young, and at a rally he issued a war cry: Independence now. Ten years later Ghana was independent and Accra became the center of all movements, ideas and activities for the entire continent. Each social group in Africa has its own distinct culture, beliefs, and languages. Africans believe in the coexistence of three different yet related worlds. They also apprehended time differently, they believed that a mysterious energy circulates through the world, and if it draws near and fills us up, it will give us the strength to set time into motion-something will start to happen. They lived in small groups, clans, and tribes. Living and moving in small groups allowed them to flee danger more easily and survive. The family is always large with several dozen people, the husband,...

Words: 1620 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Kwame Nkurumah

...encourages the solidarity of Africans world wide.It is based on the belief that unity is vital to economic, social, and political progress and aims to “unify and uplift” people of African descent. The ideology asserts that the fate of all African peoples and countries are intertwined. At its core Pan-Africanism is “a belief that African peoples, both on the continent and in the Diaspora, share not merely a common history, but a common destiny” The largest Pan-African organization is the African Union. Kwame Nkrumah “I’m not African because I was born in Africa; I’m an African because Africa’s born in me.” Kwame Nkrumah Early Life Education Kwame Nkrumah, was born in approximately 1909 in the town of Nkroful, in the Nzima region of present-day Ghana. His father was a goldsmith by trade and kept many wives, although Kwame Nkrumah was his mother’s only child. His early education was conducted at local missionary schools, and his aptitude enabled him to attend the Government Training College in Accra in 1926. At the Government Training College, Nkrumah was trained to become a teacher and graduated in 1930 (Adi, 2003: 144). He worked as a teacher for five years and although during this time period he also contemplated a move into the priesthood. In 1935 Nkrumah decided to take his studies abroad. After a shorter stint in the Gold Coast’s colonial overseer, Great Britain, Nkrumah traveled to the United States to further his education. He first completed undergraduate studies at Lincoln University...

Words: 2337 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Slavery in the Chocolate Industry Case Study

...whether they are supported by good reasons or poor ones.” In a nut shell ethics is what individuals and the society view as being right or wrong. The case "Slavery in the Chocolate Industry" discusses labor exploitation in the chocolate industry. It specifically addresses the cocoa beans grown on farms in West Africa, especially the Ivory Coast and Ghana, which make up close to half of the world's chocolate. The cocoa farmers of these nations, rely on slaves to harvest their beans, and in some cases, enslavement of young males. The plight of the enslaved children was publicized around the world in September 2000 when True Vision, a British television company, took videos of slave boys on several Ivory Coast farms and broadcast a documentary in Britain and the United Sates. In 2002, the Chocolate Manufactures Association and the World Cocoa Foundations along with major producers signed an agreement to establish a system of certification to certify use of “slave free” cocoa beans. There are many ethical issues raised in this case, let’s commence with the systemic ethical issues such as Slavery. In Ivory Coast and Ghana two countries who are major cocoa bean producers the cocoa farmers rely on slaves to harvest their beans and in some case, enslaves young males. The children where even being sold, in 2001 Human Rights report estimated that about 15000 children from...

Words: 1087 - Pages: 5