8th Period: Team Amazing

Country: Ghana


History:
Overview-

Ghana was the title of the kings who ruled the kingdom. It was controlled by Sundiata in 1240 AD, and absorbed into the larger Mali Empire. (Mali Empire reached its peak of success under Mansa Musa around 1307.)

Before March 1957 Ghana was called the Gold Coast. The Portuguese who came to Ghana in the 15th Century found so much gold between the rivers Ankobra and the Volta that they named the place Mina - meaning Mine. The Gold Coast was later adopted to by the English colonisers. In 1482, the Portuguese built a castle in Elmina. Their aim was to trade in gold, ivory and slaves. In 1481 King John II of Portugal sent Diego d'Azambuja to build this castle.


In 1945 a conference was held in Manchester to promote Pan African ideas. This was attended by Nkrumah of Ghana, Azikwe of Nigeria and Wallace Johnson of Sierra Leone. The India and Pakistani independence catalysed this desire. Sir Alan Burns constitution of 1946 provided new legislative council that was made of the Governor as the President, 6 government officials, 6 nominated members and 18 elected members. The executive council was not responsible to the legislative council. They were only in advisory capacity, and the governor did not have to take notice. These forces made Dr J.B. Danquah to form the United Gold Coast Conversion (UGCC) in 1947. Nkrumah was invited to be the General Secretary to this party. Other officers were George Grant (Paa Grant), Akuffo Addo, William Ofori Atta, Obetsebi Lamptey, Ako Agyei, and J Tsiboe. Their aim was Independence for Ghana. They rejected the Burns constitution
Information provided by: 54

Concise Historical Timeline:
EARLY HISTORY


ca. 10,000 B.C. Earliest recorded probable human habitation within modern Ghana at site on Oti River.
ca. 4000 B.C. Oldest date for pottery at Stone Age site near Accra.

FORMATIVE CENTURIES

ca. A.D. 1200 Guan begin their migrations down Volta Basin from Gonja toward Gulf of Guinea.
ca. 1298 Akan kingdom of Bono (Brong) founded. Other states had arisen or were beginning to rise about this time.
1471-82 First Europeans arrive. Portuguese build Elmina Castle.
1482 - Portuguese set up trading settlement.
1500-1807 Era of slave raids and wars and of intense state formation in Gold Coast.
1697-1745 Rise and consolidation of Asante Empire.
1874 - British proclaim coastal area a crown colony.

NINETEENTH CENTURY

1817 - 1821: Two ambassadors were sent to Kumasi to discuss peace with King Osei Bonsu. This failed.
1823 - 1824: In Asante Denkyira war, Sir Charles Macarthy and his Fante allies supported the Denkyiras. Marcathy was killed.
1831: George Maclean signed treaty with the Asantes. 600 ounces of Gold kept for the Asantes. Two princes sent to Britain. Returned after 6 years in 1842.
1843-44 British government signs Bond of 1844 with Fante chiefs.
1863: Battle of Bobikuma. Britain defeated
1873-1877: Kofi Karikari invaded Southern and coastal areas. Major General Sir Garnet Woseley with British expedition forces defeated the Asantes. Treaty of Fomena in 1874. Asante forced to recognize the Independence of all states south of the Pra River.
1873-74 Last Asante invasion of coast. British capture Kumasi.
1874 Britain establishes Gold Coast Colony.
1878 Cocoa introduced to Ghana.

TWENTIETH CENTURY -Pre Independence

1900: First Africans appointed to colony's Legislative Council. Arnold Hodgson went to ask for the golden stool. The Asantes were infuriated. Yaa Asantewaa, the queen mother of Edwiso (Ejisu) led attack on the British Fort in Kumasi.
1902: Northern Territories proclaimed a British protectorate.
1914-18: Gold Coast Regiment serves with distinction in East Africa.
1919: German Togo becomes a mandate under Gold Coast administration.
1924: Nana Agyemang Prempeh I returned . Died in 1931.
1925: Constitution of 1925 calls for six chiefs to be elected to Legislative Council. Guggisburg Constitution
1939-45 Gold Coast African forces serve in Ethiopia and Burma.
1947 United Gold Coast Convention founded.
1948 Nii Kwabena Bone II--an Accra chief organised the boycott of Europen and Syrian, Lebanese goods.
28 Feb 1948: Ex-servicemen marched on Christianborg Castle to hand petition to the governor about their poor conditions. The order was given and 3 laid dead. UGCC was held responsible and its officers were detained. (The dead were sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe, and Private Odartey Lamptey). The six detained were Kwame Nkrumah, Obetsebi Lamptey, Ako Adjei, Ofori-Atta, Dr Danquah and Akuffo Addo. Mr Aiken Watson was appointed by the British Government to look into disturbances. He recommended a new constitution. Mr J Cousey headed this committee.
1951 New constitution leads to general elections. Convention People's Party wins two-thirds majority.
First General election . CPP won 34 seats , UGCC --3. Kwame Nkrumah who was in prison for positive action, won the seat in central Accra, and was released to become the leader of Govt business, and Prime Minister on 21 March 1952.
1954 New constitution grants broad powers to Nkrumah's government. 104 elected representatives. CPP --72 seats, Northern People's Party (NPP) - 15, Independents - 11, and others - 6.
1957 British Colony of the Gold Coast becomes independent Ghana on March 6.

TWENTIETH CENTURY -Post Independence

1958 Entrenched protection clauses of constitution repealed; regional assemblies abolished; Preventive Detention Act passed.
1960 Plebiscite creates a republic on July 1, with Nkrumah as president.
1964 Ghana declared a one-party state. Completion of Akosombo Dam.
1966: Feb 24 - While Nkrumah is in China, army stages widely popular coup. National Liberation Council(NLC), led by General Joseph Ankrah, comes to power. Russian and Chinese technicians expelled.
1969: General Ankrah is replaced by Brigadier Akwasi Afrifa in April, a new constitution is introduced and the ban on party politics is lifted the following month. .
1972 Lieutenant Colonel Ignatius Acheampong leads a military coup in January that brings National Redemption Council to power.
1975: The NRC is replaced by the Supreme Military Council (SMC) also led by Acheampong.
July 5 Acheampong forced to resign by fellow officers; General Frederick Akuffo takes over.

TWENTIETH CENTURY -Rawlings Era
1979: The ban on party politics is lifted and 16 new parties are subsequently registered.
May - A coup staged by junior officers of the armed forces, led by Flt-Lt Jerry Rawlings, fails on 15 May and he is subsequently imprisoned.
June 4 - Junior officers stage Ghana's first violent coup. Armed Forces Revolutionary Council formed under Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings.
1981: Rawlings stages second coup, December 31. Provisional National Defence Council established with Rawlings as chairman.
1985 National Commission for Democracy, established to plan the democratization of Ghana's political system, officially inaugurated in January.
1988-89: Elections for new district assemblies begin in early December and continue through February 1989.
1991: Provisional National Defence Council announces its acceptance, in May, of multipartyism in Ghana. June deadline set for creation of Consultative Assembly to discuss nation's new constitution.
1992: National referendum in April approves draft of new democratic constitution. Formation and registration of political parties becomes legal in May.
1993: Ghana's Fourth Republic inaugurated January 4 with the swearing in of Rawlings as president.
1994: One thousand people are killed and a further 150,000 are displaced in the Northern Region following ethnic clashes between the Konkomba and the Nanumba over land ownership.
Late 1994- Ghana hosts peace talks for warring factions early 1995 of Liberian civil war.
1995 President Rawlings pays official visit to the United States March 8-9, first such visit by a Ghanaian head of state in more than thirty years.
Government imposes curfew in Northern Region as renewed ethnic violence results in a further 100 deaths.
1996: Jerry Rawlings re-elected president for second and last term

21st CENTURY

2000: Presidential and Parliamentary elections took place on 7 December 2000. Opposition leader John Kufuor polled 48.4% of the vote, not enough to win the first round. John Atta Mills scored 44.8% with the five other parties scooping the remaining votes. In parallel parliamentary elections, the NPP achieved a majority taking 99 seats. NDC took 92, PNC 3, Convention People's Party 1, independents 4. The Presidential run-off between Kufuor and Mills took place on 28 December 2000. Kufuor won taking 57% of the votes cast.

2001: Kufuor is Sworn in as the new president in January 7.
May 26 - 126 people are killed at the Accra Sports staduim in a soccer match
June - Government scraps public holiday celebrating Rawling's military coup in an effort to wipe out the legacy of his rule. Thousands march in Accra to protest against statement by Rawlings that army may turn against government.
June - Floods hit Accra causing 10 deaths and 100,000 to flee their homes.
Information provided by: 54
Geography:
Ghana- means: warrior king
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo

Water
3.5% water
Lake Volta – world’s largest artificial lake
Tributary rivers Oti & fram
Volta River
539 km of coast line

Cities
Accra- 3,096,784
Kumasi- 2,604,909
Tamale- 390,730
Capital: Accra- 70% manufacturing here
3,096,784
Golden Jubilee House- presidential palace

Population
23,837,000
258.8 people per sq. mile
100 ethnic groups

Land
92,098 square miles
Slightly smaller than Oregon
Highest point: Mount Afadjato - 885 m
Wet and dry seasons only

Regions
Ashanti – capital: Kumasi
Brong Ahafo – capital: Sunyani
Central – capital: Cape Coast
Eastern – capital: Koforidua
Greater Accra – capital: Accra
Northern – capital: Tamale
Upper east – capital: Bolgatanga
Upper West – capital: Wa
Volta – capital: Ho
Western – capital: Sekondi-Takoradi

Resources:
Gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone

Information provided by: 52

Culture:

Language: The main language of Ghana is English even though there are 47 languages in Ghana.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

 Religion: Religious tolerance in Ghana is very high. The main religions in Ghana are: Christianity, Islamic, Traditional religion, and Hinduism. Christianity is the most popular religion throughout Ghana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Ghana

Cooking & Recipes: Yam Foo Foo --

Note: Foofoo is a ubiquitous and much-beloved staple through most of West Africa, whether topped with a fiery Palava sauce (or Shoko) or served as the bland accompaniment to a main dish. Foofoo is traditionally made with cassava, but it can be prepared as well with everything from rice, yams, and plantains to instant mashed potatoes!

Ingredients: 2 lb yams 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp butter

1. Place the yams in cold, unsalted water, bring to a full boil, and cook 25 minutes, or until soft.

 2. Remove the yams, cook, and peel. Mash with the other ingredients.

 3. Place in a food processor, and run briefly to remove lumps. DO NOT PUREE! (If a processor is not available, go directly to step 4.)

 4. Remove foofoo to a bowl, and beat with a wooden spoon or wire whisk until smooth. The foofoo should have a sticky, slightly resilient consistency.

5. Shape the foofoo into balls with your hands, and serve warm.

http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Miscellany/Recipes_from_12913.html

Music: In this song, Ghanaians sing about how they love peace. Through out the song they sing “We love peace.” This song as about the recent elections in 2008. There was violence throughout the elections and then they sang about how they wanted peace and how that was what they needed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg_LK9mllQQ

Art & Craft: Ghana is full of women and men who like to make bracelets, necklaces, etc. Some of the people do it for a living. Agriculture is how Ghana employs over half of its population. Agricultural crops, including yams, grains, cocoa, oil palms, kola nuts, and timber, form the base of Ghana's economy.

Some of the main exports of Ghana are:

•  Bauxite
•  Cocoa Beans and Products
•  Copra
•  Cut Flowers
•  Diamonds, cut

Food ingredients

• Fruit
• Gold
• Manganese
• Refrigeration compressor lubricants
• Tea and coffee
• Timber
• Tuna
• Aluminum

http://www.akoma-trade.com/index.php?file=export_guides
http://countrystudies.us/ghana/77.htm

Information provided by: 53 

Important People:

Albert Adu Boahen – Ghana’s most renowned historian. A consultant to UNESCO. He is author of the monographs Mfantsipim and the Making of Ghana: A Centenary History 1876-1976, for which he won the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa in 1997.

Fritz Kwabena Poku – Ambassador of Ghana to the US. He was a member of ministerial delegations to meetings and conferences of the British Commonwealth, the United Nations, the African Union and ECOWAS and has served in various capacities in his diplomatic career.

Mrs. Theodosia Salome – Designed the Ghana flag.
Abedi "Pele" Ayew – A famous Ghana football player who played for teams in Switzerland, Germany, Italy and most famously France where he helped Marseille win the 1993 UEFA Champion’s League. As a 17-year old he had helped Ghana win the Nations Cup.

· 67 international caps for Ghana
· 50 Bundesliga appearances and two goals (1860 München)
· 1992/1993 Champions League winner (Olympique Marseille)
· African Player of the Year (1991, 1992 and 1993)


Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu - Is a Member of Engineering Staff with the Mechanical & Robotic Technologies Group at JPL. He was a member of the Mars rover missions.
Information provided by: 51

Current Issue:
Our issue is the disappearing forests in Ghana.

Solution Letter:

Dear Donald G. Teitelbaum,


The current issue of disappearing forests in Ghana is a major crisis. The forests in Ghana were once lush and full of trees. Now, they are disappearing fast. The forests are disappearing at a rate of 1.9% a year. (http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/geography/nature.php) Ghana is the third largest export of cocoa in the world. There was a Conservation Law made in 1988, but illegal logging still continues. The officials must crack down on the major exporters of logs, thus scaring the little ones.

The Eucalyptus trees in Ghana are also disappearing. This is a factor in the Koalas becoming extinct again. Koalas keep going in and out of endangerment. At the moment their endangered status is “secure.”

I respect you and your countries effort to secure the forests from being taken away. I strongly encourage you to enforce the Conservation law protecting the exportation of raw logs. Also, it would be good for you to come up with other exports like farming goods instead of farming only cocoa. Thank you for taking some of your time to read this letter.

Sincerely,

Students at WCHS


51, 52, 53 and 54

Mailing Address from the United States

Section Name: Ghana, Accra
US Dept. of State
2020 Accra Place
Washington, DC
20521-2020