National Flag:
Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green, with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; red symbolizes the blood shed for independence, yellow represents the country’s mineral wealth, while green stands for its forests and natural wealth; the black star is said to be the lodestar of African freedom. Note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band
Capital: Accra
Langauges:
Asante 14.8%, Ewe 12.7%, Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%, Dangme 4.3%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.7%, Akyem 3.4%, Ga 3.4%, Akuapem 2.9%, other 36.1% (includes English (official)) (2000 census)
Currency: Cedi
Main Industries:
Mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building.
Did You Know?
- In 1957, Ghana was the first country in Africa to obtain independence from Colonial rule.
- Music, particularly hip-hop, rap music and drumming, is extremely popular.
- Kente cloth is a colorful, hand-woven fabric.
- Ashanti stools resemble the golden stool associated with Ashanti, the dominant tribe.
- Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly twice the per capita output of the poorest countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance.
