Travel To Ghana – West Africa
The capital of Ghana is Accra. It is situated at the Atlantic coast about 25 km west of the Greenwich Meridian. The current population of Accra is estimated to exceed one million and is in all probability far closer to two million.
Kumasi is the second largest city in Ghana and used to be the former capital of the Ashanti Empire and modern capital of the synonymous administrative region. The population is between half and one million people. The ten largest towns in Ghana, in approximate descending order of population, are Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Tema, Takoradi (excluding Sekondi), Cape Coast, Koforidua, Sunyani, Obuasi and Ho.
As a former British colony, English is the official language and is widely spoken throughout Ghana. In addition to English, over 30 other languages are spoken.
In tropical Ghana, temperatures average a pleasant 21 deg. C (70-90 deg. F). The rainy season is from June to July and again from September to October. The rain, which cools and freshens the air, does not deter tourists.
Natural Resources: Gold, Diamonds, Bauxite, Manganese, fish, timber, oil Agriculture: Cocoa, Coconuts, Coffee, Light Manufacturing, Fishing, Aluminum
With 60% Christian, 15% Muslim, 25% traditional African religions, Ghana has the highest percentage of Christians in West Africa. However, the belief in traditional animist religions is still extremely common.
The Ashanti people are noted for their expertise in a variety of specialized crafts. These include weaving, wood carving, ceramics, and metallurgy. Of these crafts, only pottery-making is primarily a female activity; the others are restricted to male specialists. Weaving is a highly developed craft, with dozens of standardized and named textile designs, Kente cloth being one of the most notable forms of weaving.
Ghana is located at the center of the world, that is on the Greenwich Meridian and the Equator which is in her territorial waters. Another way to think about location is flight time from other places. You can be in Ghana 9 hrs after take off from New York on Ghana Airways; 6 ½ hrs after leaving London on Ghana Airways, British Airways, KLM, Alitalia, Lufthansa or Swissair; 6 hrs after leaving Johannesburg on South African Airways. Click here to see a map of Ghana.
The Ghanaian currency is called ‘Cedis.’ It can be approximately converted as 8100 cedis = $1 (USD), or 8006 cedis=Euro 1 (European Currency). But for a more accurate conversion, visit Oanda.com and perform a conversion for ‘Ghanaian Cedis.’
Passport and visa are required, along with evidence of Yellow Fever vaccination.