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Ghana is one of the five African nations along the northern coastline of the Gulf of Guinea. It is bordered on the west by Cote d'Ivore, on the north by Burkina Faso, and on the east by Togo. The country consists mostly of low-lying savannah regions, with a central belt of forest. Ghana's distinguishing geographic feature is the Volta River, on which was built the Akosombo dam in 1964. The damming of the Volta created the enormous Lake Volta, which occupies a sizeable portion of Ghana's southeastern territory.
Lake Volta is also the site of Kujani National Park, though Ghana's best-known park is Mole, located in the north. Unfortunately, neither Lake Volta nor the river itself have yet been developed for touring--although lake cruises are offered, the great majority of water traffic consists of cargo ships.
Rainfall is fairly heavy, particularly from April through September.
Accra
Accra is a city that has managed to escape the overblown fate of many other world capitals. Though it was once a major center of the gold and slave trade for four different empires, its tree-lined streets have the same intimate feeling that comes with the word town.
Accra is an excellent place to meet locals and buy native Ghanaian art and craftwork, especially at the Arts Centre. Visitors here can find practically anything: sculptures, game-skin drums, exotic beads, and superb examples of the colorfully expressive Kente cloth. The Makola Market, also abundant in goods and bargains, is a fine place to experience a true West African bazaar.
Mole National Park, which extends over 500 sq. km., is a fairly basic but eminently inexpensive destination for wildlife enthusiasts. The game population is abundant, and includes elephants, various species of antelope, an abundant and diverse bird population, monkeys and crocodiles, and even a small number of lions. Unlike many other wildlife reserves in Africa, Mole offers visitors the opportunity to drive or walk throughout the park at very reasonable costs. The only place to stay is the park hotel, which offers excellent views out over the surrounding parkland.
The Coastal Forts
Ghana's role as a focus of the gold, ivory, and slave trade resulted in the construction of an entire string of colonial forts along its coastline, and many remain as picturesque legacies of that era. The forts at Dixcove, Elmina, Cape Cove, and Apam are all open to tourists, and some even offer accommodation and meals. While the forts are reason enough to tour the coast, the area's outstanding beaches are an equally compelling attraction.
Kumasi
This major city was the capital of the Ashanti empire, and it continues to serve as the cultural center of the Ashanti people. Although the historic city was destroyed almost a century ago, modern Kumasi contains a good cultural center and museum as well as the modern palace of the Asantehene.
The Craft Villages
In the region surrounding Kumasi are four settlements known as the craft villages. They are the towns of Ahwiaa, Ntonso, Kurofuforum, and Bonwire, and their inhabitants have been the royal artisans for the Asantehene for generations.
Each craft village has a particular claim to artistic fame. Bonwire is the capital of the Kente cloth, while Ntonso boasts the Adinkra cloth. Ahwiaa produces outstanding carved figures, including Ghana's traditional fertility doll, and Kurofuforum specializes in the casting of brass.
Culture
The Ashanti tribe of the Akan are the largest tribe in Ghana and one of the few matrilineal societies in West Africa. Once renown for the splendour and wealth of their rulers, they are most famous today for their craft work, particularly their hand-carved stools and fertility dolls and their colourful kente cloth. Kente cloth is woven in bright, narrow strips with complex patterns; it's usually made from cotton and is always woven outdoors, exclusively by men. The Ewe also weave kente cloth, and their more geometrical patterns contain symbolic designs handed down through the ages. Kente cloth is only worn in the southern half of the country and - as distinct from other forms of traditional weaving - is reserved mainly for joyous occasions.
Unlike virtually all other West Africans, Ghanaians do not use masks, although this is not to say they don't believe in supernatural powers and the fetishes used to invoke them. Rather, in Ghana this is most often accomplished using wooden or clay statuettes, often placed on altars in fetish houses. Fetish dolls in particular are treated like magical items, and women who want to ensure themselves beautiful, healthy children can be seen carrying the dolls around on their backs, with only the dolls' flat, fat heads protruding from their slings. In all sculpture, gender is very important, and body parts - especially the head, buttocks, breast and navel - are exaggerated in size.
Soups, which are more like sauces, are the mainstay of Ghanaian cuisine. They're usually fairly thick broths and are eaten with a starch. Popular stews include groundnut, garden egg, fish, bean leaf and forowe, a fishy brew with tomatoes. Other main courses are jollof rice, a paella-like dish with meat; kyemgbuma, crabs with cassava dough, meat and potatoes; and gari foto, eggs, onions, dried shrimp and tomatoes accompanied by gari (coarse manioc flour). Another ubiquitous staple is fufu, which consists of cassava, yam, plantain or manioc that has been cooked, pureed and mashed into a ball. Kelewele, a spicy dessert of fried plantains seasoned with chilli pepper and ginger, is a popular street-stall item, as is askenkee, a cool, white, nonalcoholic beverage made of corn. Pito (millet beer) is the booze of choice in the north, while palm wine is more popular in the south.
Last edited by Anna (6:29, 06 January 2006)
traveling time.
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by abigail on 21 September 2006
best to travel in summer