The name Ghana actually means ‘Warrior King’. It was the name selected for the country, after the United Kingdom granted it independence in 1957, because it reflected the Empire of Ghana which had formerly reigned over much of Western Africa.  These days Ghana reaches nowhere near these heights of empire it once enjoyed, with its 23million strong population sharing 92,098 square miles of land. Current President John Evans Atta Mills was sworn in on the 7th of January this year- an event which went largely unmarked in the wider world because of the attention being focused on another presidential inauguration two continents away; his election is testament to the constitutional democracy which Ghana has had since 1992.

Amazingly, over 250 languages and different dialects are spoken in Ghana.  English is still the official language, a legacy of the U.K’s rule there, yet many others flourish too, often based on the geography, with different ones being spoken depending on whether one is north or south of the Volta River.  

Their currency, always a vital piece of information when travelling to any country, is the Cedi, and whilst the country is relatively well off in relation to many other of its West African neighbours, it is still fairly reliant on international monetary and industrial help.  
Ghana’s intense natural beauty hides a legacy of what has often been quite a violent history; the 15th Century St. George’s Castle, for example, sits as a reminder of European domination of Africa and its later involvement in the slave trade.

Ghana celebrates Easter and May Day much the same as we would over here in Britain, however there are even more national holidays over there, and perhaps it would be good to time your visit to coincide with one. March 6th is Ghanaian Independence Day, May 25th is African Union Day, whilst the first of June is Republic Day (Yes, I’m jealous of all these extra holidays too).  December 1st is given over to Farmers Day, and this is followed up by the regular holidays on the 25th and 26th to celebrate Christmas.

Obviously, as Christmas has been mentioned, the main religion in Ghana is Christianity, although there are a significant number, around 15%, of people who follow Islam, whilst many others still follow traditional religions. If you’re thinking of striking it lucky whist your there, Gold and Diamonds are two of Ghana’s main natural resources.