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Ghana, known as West Africa's Gold Coast during the colonial era, is better known for its lovely beaches, lively nightlife, good roads, variety of landscapes and friendly people than for dramatic scenery or wild animals. But these assets make Ghana a safe and fascinating introduction to West Africa.

Although it was once a center of the slave trade, Ghana became the first modern African country to win its independence—giving it a head start in nation-building. Ghana's people are well-educated, and it has good schools, a thriving press and one of the highest economic growth rates on the continent. Moreover, Ghana has managed not merely to retain a strong sense of national identity and pride but actually to boost its economy and infrastructure.

Ghana is also home to a fascinating variety of historical and cultural sites, the best known of which—ironically—are the European-built castles and forts along the coast. Just as interesting, however, are the ancient mud mosques found in the north (especially Larabanga), the more secular adobe architecture of Sirigu and Wa, the kente-weavers and fetish shrines of Ashanti, and the traditional villages of the eastern highlands.

Other notable sights include the likes of Boabeng-Fiema, with its troops of colobus and mona monkeys, and the sacred crocodiles of Paga, whose caretakers feed them by hand.

Geography

Ghana's land is diverse. The coast has palm-lined beaches amid many natural harbors. There are thick forests (and gold reserves) in the center of the country. Lake Volta, a vast, man-made reservoir surrounded by lush hills and waterfalls, dominates the eastern part of the country. In the north, dry grasslands and rolling hills make up the landscape.

Ghana is bordered by Cote d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east and the Gulf of Guinea to the south.

History

The country has been inhabited for at least 10,000 years. Today, there are more than 50 distinct ethnic groups within its borders, but most are descended from four main groups: the Mole-Dagbani—Islamic people in northern Ghana; the Ga-Adangbe—who settled in the east around Lake Volta; the Ewe—based in the same area as the Ga-Adangbe; and the Akan—the largest group, who are concentrated in the center of the country. All of these groups traded kola nuts, ivory and, especially, gold with other ancient societies in West and North Africa.

It was gold that lured Portuguese explorers to Ghana's coast in 1471. They built several forts along the coast, leasing small slices of land from local chiefs and securing access to the region's profitable gold trade. The Portuguese were eventually usurped by the Dutch, who built their own fort at Moree in 1612 and used it as a base from which to launch a series of attacks on the various Portuguese forts—the last of which was captured in 1642. Although Europeans acquired slaves in neighboring Togo, Benin and Nigeria, it wasn't until the 1690s, when Britain embarked on a campaign to wrest control of the coast from the Dutch, that the main export of Ghana switched from gold to human beings.

Some of the old forts, such as those in Cape Coast and Elmina, were converted to slave dungeons—captives were incarcerated annually on their way to the New World. The slave trade was formally abolished by the British government in 1807, but an illicit trade out of West Africa continued for at least 50 years after this. In 1874, the Gold Coast was formally proclaimed a British colony, one which initially stretched no more than 30 mi/50 km inland. Ashanti, in the center of present-day Ghana, was annexed to the Gold Coast in 1902, and the far north was incorporated a few years after that, but the country took its present shape in 1956, with the incorporation of British Togoland (present-day Volta Region).

In 1957, the Gold Coast became the first colonized African country to achieve independence, led by the charismatic Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and it was renamed Ghana after a legendary medieval kingdom centered on present-day Mali. Nkrumah's example inspired many nationalist movements across the continent. But the great man suffered an equally great fall when his rule became increasingly repressive and he was overthrown by his countrymen. Following Nkrumah's departure, a series of coups led to the rise and fall of several corrupt and authoritarian regimes.

One coup leader was different, however. Flight Lt. Jerry Rawlings led one uprising and then amazed observers by carrying out his promises and stepping down within six months. Corruption continued unabated, however, and Rawlings mounted another coup in 1981. This time he held power until stepping down peacefully in 2000.

In his 19-year term, Rawlings and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) party moved the government from a military dictatorship to a parliamentary democracy and strengthened the economy, providing Ghana with a reasonably good foundation. In the general election of 2000, the NDC was defeated by John Kufuor's National Patriotic Party (NPP), the first democratic change of power to take place in the country since 1957.

Snapshot

Ghana's main attractions are traditional culture, European-built forts and slave castles, game and forest reserves, cocoa and coffee plantations, beaches and friendly people.

Travelers will enjoy Ghana if they are interested in West Africa and have some experience traveling in developing countries.

Potpourri

If you're looking for absolute zero, literally, head for Cape Three Points (about 60 mi/100 km southwest of Cape Coast). Known as the "Land Nearest Nowhere," it's close to the spot in the Atlantic where zero latitude, zero longitude and zero altitude meet.

Vestiges of ancestor worship remain, most commonly manifested by offerings of food and drink to the deceased. One printed advertisement bills a local schnapps as "The drink the living and the dead like best!"

Two characteristically Ghanaian verbs that are useful to know are dash (meaning to tip or bribe—usually, it's a combination of the two) and chop (meaning to eat). Hence "Dash me something" means "Give me some money" and "You chop?" means "Would you like to eat?"

Most residents will overwhelm you with kindness. If you ask directions from passersby, they will more likely than not escort you to your destination.

In the southeastern part of Ghana, young girls (always virgins) are still sold to religious leaders as slaves to atone for serious crimes committed by members of their families. The tradition is rooted in the belief that punishment should be communal rather than individual. Some estimates put the number of trocosi (the Ewe word for the slave girls) as high as 10,000.

Inaugurated in 1966, Akosombo Dam is a clay-and-rock construction that measures 1,214 ft/370 m across and 407 ft/124 m from top to bottom. It hems in Lake Volta, which is the most expansive artificial lake in the world, with a surface area of roughly 2.1 million acres/850,000 hectares, a length of 248 mi/400 km and a shoreline measuring almost 3,100 mi/5,000 km.

Slogans painted on the sides of trucks in Ghana run the gamut from philosophical musings and professions of love and faith to political messages and enigmatic babble.

Boxing is a popular sport in Ghana. The country has produced a number of world champions, all from the same small neighborhood—the densely populated Bukom district in Accra.

The African gray parrot, considered the most intelligent bird in the world, is making a comeback in Ghana's forests since export of the species was banned in 1986.

Soccer ("football") is popular in Ghana, and the national team, known as the Black Stars, has an excellent record in the biannual Africa National Cup. It has won the title four times, a feat bettered only by Egypt and equaled by Cameroon. Try to see a match at Accra's municipal stadium; it's a great way to meet locals.