Scott Miceli

Humanity and Empathy

Ghana
Amongst all the countries within the borders of Africa, Ghana is perhaps one of the most
notable when referring to development and civil progress. The country was originally two
territories, the British Colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland Trust Territory. In 1957, Ghana
achieved its independence, but underwent various rebellions and coups until 1992, when it had
its first democratic presidency with a written constitution.
Ghana is located in Western Africa, surrounded by Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Togo.
Ghana is very similar to Oregon in size; Oregon being only slightly larger. The country has a
generally tropical climate, with coastal-traits such as moderate temperatures and increased
humidity when nearing the southern coast. Ghana is mostly flat, with an elevated plateau near its
center. There are approximately 26,000,000 Ghanaians inhabiting the country, who speak about
eight different widely-spoken languages and represent approximately three main belief systems.
Most Ghanaians are Christian, at seventy-one percent (US Department of State). The remaining
citizens are mostly Muslim or practice traditional African religions. The economy of Ghana is
growing at an exceptional rate of about seven to fourteen percent in the past decade. Its gross
domestic product is about 83.74 billion dollars. The two main aspects of Ghana's economic
success are its natural resources (mainly mining and oil exporting) and its strategic efforts to use
money efficiently, avoiding corruption.
Ghana's educational efforts are exceptional, ranking twelfth in the world by spending
8.2% of its gross domestic product on educational programs and facilities.
Ghana's constitutional-democratic government is very similar to that of the United States'
government. Its government consists of three branches, the executive, judicial, and legislative
branches, which keep a balance of powers within the government. The government is headed by

President John Dramani Mahama, and his respective appointed officials and cabinet. Ghana's
voting age is also eighteen. One key difference is that in Ghana, the president is elected by the
popular vote, and not an electoral college as in the United States. This can be viewed in multiple
ways, but this system might possibly allow for the people to have more say in the politics that
govern their country. In contrast to many other African countries, Ghana grants women equal
opportunities in government (and all other aspects of society) as men.
Perhaps one of the most engaging and beautiful aspects of Ghana is its rich culture. It has
various traditions including cuisine, festivals, holidays and sports. Most traditional dishes of
Ghana include seafood, for it is exposed to a vast amount of sea on its southern coast. Soups and
stews are also very common, mainly because they're simple ways to include all the various
flavors of Ghana in one dish, such as maize, beans, plantains, vegetables and livestock. Football
is perhaps one of the most influential aspects of Ghanaian culture. Football (which Americans
refer to as "soccer") is a way of life in Ghana. Children grow up playing the sport, and all take
pride in their national squad, which has been fairly successful (however never winning the
championship) in recent FIFA World Championships. An extremely popular festival held in
Ghana is Panafest. Panafest is a celebration of African heritage which is located in Ghana, and
held every other year. All who attend enjoy traditional festivities and foods, but also rejoice in
the development of Africa, especially after countless years of oppression and strife. This idea of
unity through hope and determination in progress is an exceptional representation of why Ghana
and its people are such a beautiful country. Ghanaian culture is enriching and full of the passion
of its people, creating an enormous sense of nationalism as the country develops into an
economically, politically, and socially successful country.