The culture of Ghana is in many reflective of its rich traditions, its interesting history and the fusion of all the different people that make it a nation today.

GHANA - AN OVERVIEW

We cannot possibly appreciate the culture of a country without having some introduction to the country itself.

Ghana is a sub-Saharan African country, situated on the Western Coast of Africa. With a population of a little over 23 million, and a per capita GDP of over US $ 3000 on a purchasing parity basis, Ghana is not very different from other third world countries in Africa. Historically, it is named after the medieval Ghana Empire that thrived around 500 km north of the present day Ghana in Thirteenth century. In modern times, it has been known as the 'Gold Coast' due to the discovery of Gold there in fifteenth century. It was colonised by Portuguese, and later by British. Arguably, the country has the longest contact with Europeans, especially Britain, among the countries of the region.

PEOPLE & ETHNICITY

Ghana is a multicultural, multiethnic society with over a hundred separately identifiable ethno-linguistic groups. The important ones include AKAN, EWE, MOLE-DAGBANE, GUAN, and GA-ADANGBE. While ethnic tensions are not unknown and sporadic inflammation of rivalry and violence also occur, by and large, the heterogeneous society of Ghana has been living in peace.

The largest group consists of ASHANTI tribe from Akan. These are one of the few matrilineal tribes of West Africa, and carry on with many of the traditions associated with Ashanti kingdom of eighteenth century. These people speak TWI dialects and their language is rich in proverbs and euphemism, which are considered a sign of sophistication and wisdom. English is the official language and also the medium of instruction in most Academic institutions.

Most of settlements in Ghana were agrarian, but now there are many thriving and expanding cities. While no part of Ghana is homogenous, there is some kind of North-South divide that exists between people of the North, who are less well off, less educated, and mainly follow Islam, and the people of South Ghana who are comparatively better off in economic and educational terms, use English more often and have adopted Western practices and culture to a greater extent.

RELIGION, RITUALS & FESTIVITIES

Religion influences culture in a way that the two cannot be separated. In Ghana, the religious faiths include Christianity, Islam and traditional African

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