Cool facts on Ghana

The coolest 25 facts about Ghana you’ve ever heard

1. The name Ghana means “Warrior King” referring to the kingdom of the Ghana Empire in West Africa, which at the time was in the western Sudan savannah region (modern southern Mauritania and Mali). The Sahara desert surrounded it from the north and rainforests from the south. It also had easy access to Senegal and Niger rivers. Major trade for the empire was of iron, gold, copper and ivory.  
   
   
2. Name of the capital “Accra ” from Akan word ‘Nkran’ means “ants.” The name refers to soldier ants that once surrounded the city. The name of Accra in the Ga Language is Ga or Gaga which. It also refers to ‘Nkran’. 
   
   
3. Some citizens of Ghana honour the deceased with ‘fantasy coffins’. They make coffins in the most various shapes, coffee beans, cars, animals etc. Creatively built coffins represent what the deceased loved or was associated by during his/her life. 
   
   
4. A widow wears black adrinkra cloth for one year after the passing of her husband.  
   
   
5. Ghanaians refer to Lake Bosumtwi as a sacred place. It does not have outlets or inlets and depends entirely on rainfalls. 
   
   
6. Ghanaians give names based on the day of birth.  
   
   
7. Ghana was the first of the sub-Saharan colonies to gain independence from Britain in 1957.  
   
   
8. Wli Waterfall is not only the highest in Ghana but also in West Africa.  
   
   
9. The most popular sport in Ghana is football (or soccer). 
   
   
10. Freedom of worship and religion are protected by the constitution of Ghana. School teaching programs include religion tolerance as part of the program. 
    
    
11. Ghanaians speak over 40 languages across the country. English is the official language among the African languages. 
    
    
12. Ghana is the 2nd largest producer of cocoa beans in the world, following Ivory Coast, which is the 1st. 
    
    
13. Lake Volta is the largest manmade lake in the world - covering 3,6% of the country’s total area.  
    
    
14. Elmina Castle is the oldest European building in sub-Saharan Africa. 
    
    
15. North and South of Ghana have different seasons. The Rainy season in the north runs from April to October. In the south the rainy season hits twice - from April - June and then once again September - October.  
    
    
16. Ghana is Africa’s second largest producer of gold. 
    
    
17. Farmers living nearby Shai Hills sometimes spray chickens bright neon pink to deter the baboons, living wild in the area, from stealing them. 
    
    
18. Ghana successfully launched its first satellite GhanaSat-1 in 2017.  
    
    
19. Akan people practice a matriarchal system of heritage. Men still hold the major positions of power in society. For example, if a king and his sister inherit the royal status from their mother, the king will take the throne, however, later the throne will be inherited by his sister’s son, not his son. 
    
    
20. Within fishing communities funerals are usually organised on Tuesdays, especially if the person was fisher himself. Tuesdays are considered being sacred days when fishermen are prohibited from fishing by the sea god. 
    
    
21. The currency unit in Ghana - the cedi - comes from a local word meaning a cowry shell. Cowry shells (from sea snails) once were used as money in Ghana. 
    
    
22. There are six national parks, 23 nature reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas across the country. Just to give you a small insight into Ghana’s wildlife, there are over 650 butterfly species in the Kakum National Park alone. The wildlife variety is mind-blowing - elephants, hippos, crocodiles, hyenas, antelopes, monkeys, marine turtles, butterflies and not to forget over 700 identified bird species. 
    
    
23. In Ghana, besides the national government, there is an additional system of tribal government. 
    
    
24. The largest market in West Africa is in Ghana. It’s called Kejetia Market in Kumasi. You will find literally everything there - from local crafts to fruits, meats and anything you can imagine. It covers around 172, 197 square meters. 
    
    
25. The legendary Pan African leader Marcus Garvey and Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League inspired the black star in Ghana’s flag.