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Facts and Statistics: Ghana Warrior King
Facts and Statistics: Ghana Warrior King
Facts and Statistics: Ghana Warrior King
Warrior King
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Capital: Accra
Climate: tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands
Population: 25,758,108 (2014 est.)
Ethnic Make-up: Akan 45.3%, Mole-Dagbon 15.2%, Ewe 11.7%, Ga-Dangme 7.3%, Guan 4%, Gurma 3.6%, Grusi
2.6%, Mande-Busanga 1%, other tribes 1.4%, other 7.8% (2000 census)
Religions: Christian 68.8% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 24.1%, Protestant 18.6%, Catholic 15.1%, other 11%), Muslim
15.9%, traditional 8.5%, other 0.7%, none 6.1% (2000 census)
Government: constitutional democracy
Ghanaian literature is traditionally based on oral literature as most histories and stories were passed on by
spoken word through song, poetry and folktales. Most of these stories are still accessible, and contemporary Ghanaian
writers have found ingénue ways to channel new and traditional ways of telling stories into their books. Below are some
of the writers you should pay attention to when it comes to Ghanaian literature.
Ayi Kwei Armah is probably the most distinguished African writer in terms of stylistics. In
his debut novel, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born, he employs language creatively to
build elaborate detail about post-colonial Ghanaian society. He provides brave and well-
thought-out criticism of his society, which requires the reader to react. In Ayi Kwei Armah’s
prose, expect to find fiction that challenges you as a reader and exposes you to critical
subtleties that form a picture of Ghana life.
Ama Ata Aidoo. From a young age, she has demonstrated the ability to write expertly
with poetry, prose and drama. She seamlessly switches between these genres to
whichever she feels would allow her to express her ideas best. Her primary focus are
women’s issues and gender as she uses her work to bring to light the matters that affect
contemporary Ghanaian women. Her award-winning novel, Changes is a fierce piece of
fiction that exposes people to the different facets of Ghanaian women. This book is an
excellent way to introduce yourself to her impressive work.
Kofi Awoonor. Ghanaian culture is rooted in oral tradition and it is no coincidence that
Ghanian writers exhibit excellent mastery over poetry. Kofi Awoonor, a student and
admirer of the traditional poetics of the ewe, known as “Halo” (songs of abuse), marries
this with other writing influences in producing his work. As such, his poetry carries a rich
mixture of different styles as he employs language tools such as imagery and metaphor to
celebrate the past and reconstruct the future. Awoonor and his legacy continue to be a
pillar of modern African poetry.
Taiye Selasi represents the new wave of African writers who are challenging notion with
beautiful and elegant language. Her critically acclaimed debut novel, Ghana Must Go, is a
masterful display of style as she writes in way that reminds her readers of poetry. Her mixed
ancestry also allows her to be adventurous; she shows how this exposure to different cultures
and stories has allowed her to analyse her society. Be prepared to be riveted by the pages
of her work as her plot development thoroughly thrills you.
Yaa Gyasi, similar to Taiye Selasi, is taking a place on coffee table and bookshelves across
the world. Her work has the flavour of the cosmopolitan, fast-paced zest of the modern world,
while rooted in the illustrious history of the past. Reading her debut novel, Homegoing, the
reader will certainly fall in love with her amazing writing skills as well as relish the texture she
weaves into her story. Writers like Yaa Gyasi represent the future of Ghanaian Literature; a
fresh and exciting wave of crisp story telling.
The People
There are over 100 ethnic groups living in Ghana. The largest are Akan, Moshi-Dagbani, Ewe, and Ga. The
Ashanti tribe of the Akan are the largest tribe and one of the few societies in West Africa where lineage is traced
through the mother and maternal ancestors. Once famous for the luxury and wealth of their rulers, they are now more
well known for their craft-work such as hand-carved stools, fertility dolls, and ‘kente’ cloth. Kente cloth is made cotton
and is woven in bright, narrow strips with complex patterns.
The Family
Family is a very strong bond in Ghana and is the primary source of identity, loyalty and responsibility. Family
obligations take precedence over pretty much everything else in life. Individuals achieve recognition and social standing
through their extended family. An interesting cultural variation among the Akan, or Ashanti and Fanti people, is that
affiliation within the clan is through women. Mothers have a higher status as in their point of view people get their blood
from mothers.
It is important for Ghanaians to maintain dignity, honour, and a good reputation. The entire family shares any
loss of honour, which makes the culture a collective one. In order to protect this sense of face there is a need to
maintain a sense of harmony; people will act with decorum at all times to ensure they do not cause anyone
embarrassment.
Hierarchy
Ghanaian society is hierarchical. People are respected because of their age, experience, wealth and/or
position. Older people are viewed as wise and are granted respect. In a group one can always see preferential
treatment for the eldest member present. With respect comes responsibility and people expect the most senior person
to make decisions that are in the best interest of the group
When talking to an older person, a Ghanaian must not gesture with his left hand. In fact, anything done with the
left hand is considered rude. Nevertheless, some people write or do things with the left hand because that hand is
stronger than the right. They never use the left hand to eat or gesture, however.
Ghanaians are indirect communicators. They take care not to relay information in any way that could cause issues.
This includes delivering bad news, turning down an invitation or refusing a request. Ghanaians want to protect face as
well as maintain harmonious relationships.
Ghana is often described as a land of festivals, music and
traditional dances. Most communities, clans and tribes have annual
celebrations.
The Handshake
More than a symbol of greeting, this elaborate meeting of palms, thumbs and forefingers begins as a regular
handshake then, before the two people withdraw hands, their palms slide together until their middle fingers are touching
and then they turn their hands so that the palms are glimpsed before bringing together thumb and forefinger for the
signature click at the end. A handshake to symbolise friendship and ease can be confusing at first, but it is simple, fun
and is a great indicator of showing good spirit and familiarity to a fellow human.
Neon-pink chickens
Out by Shai Hills, the tourists flock to see the baboons in all their familial glory, living wild in the open at the
edge of the savannah preservation. What is not seen so often though, is the scourge these monkeys can be to the
local community that lives nearby. Theft is the most common problem – of anything: foodstuffs, personal items and the
most irritating, terrorising farmers’ livestock, such as chickens. To combat this, the locals hit on an ingenious plan:
spraying the chickens a non-natural neon pink. It turns out the baboons won’t go near them in this hue. Strange and
very wonderful!
Flexible timekeeping
Sometimes it drives you mad, other times it makes you laugh, it just depends on what sort of mood you are in
when a Ghanaian plays fast and loose with time. ‘I’m almost there’ more often means they are nowhere nearby and
you should expect a wait of at least half an hour. When given a meeting time, always add half an hour or an hour, even
for a business meeting. ‘I’m coming’, could mean ‘I haven’t even left yet’ and when you do eventually meet, especially
in business, it’s best to go with the flow, knowing that most meetings will run over and end at a natural point and no
one will check their watches. Ghanaians are essentially laid-back people, making for a more gentle approach to life but
this can be very frustrating for the Western-minded person steeped in efficiency.
The main islands within the lake are Dodi, Dwarf and Kporve. Digya National Park lies on part of the lake’s
west shore.The lake is formed by the Akosombo Dam, which was originally conceived by the geologist Albert Ernest
Kitson in 1915, but whose construction only began in 1961 with completion in 1965. Because of the formation of Lake
Volta, about 78,000 people were relocated to new towns and villages, along with 200,000 animals belonging to them.
About 120 buildings were destroyed, not including small residences, as over 3,000 square miles (7,800 km2) of territory
was flooded.