DESTINATION GHANA

Environment

The south-western area of Lake Volta is the site of the massive Kujani Game Reserve/Digya National Park, Ghana's largest protected area, which is known for its hippos, water buck, crocodiles and manatees. North-west of the lake is Ghana's best known national park, the Mole Game Reserve, where you can see lions, leopards and over 300 species of bird. Outside of these and a few other parks and reserves, you're unlikely to run into much of Ghana's wildlife, mostly because inroads to the outback are so limited. While you're here, though, keep your eyes peeled for signs of antelope, wild boar, forest elephant, the occasional big cat, a few species of monkey and interesting bird life.

While Ghana's average temperatures show little variety - floating between 25°C (75°F) and 29°C (84°F) - it's the thick humidity that you'll remember. There are three rainfall zones. Along the coast (including Accra), the rainfall is light and the rainy season lasts from April until June with a short spell in October. In the interior forests, the rains are heavier and last longer. In the north, the weather becomes drier, with only one rainy season, which lasts from May to September.

History

After the demise of slavery, the British took over the forts to use as customs posts, signing treaties with many of the local chiefs. The Ashanti profited handsomely from the arrangements, and their capital, Kumasi, began to take on all the trappings of a European city. The British grew increasingly uneasy with the tribe's wealth and influence, and when in 1873 the Ashanti refused to give up Kumasi, the British sacked the city and declared the Gold Coast a crown colony. Violent Ashanti resistance continued until 1900, when the tribe attacked the British fort at Kumasi, losing the battle but almost entirely destroying the city in the process.

The British set out to make the Gold Coast a showcase African nation, allowing few Europeans to settle or even be employed there. Cocoa exports became the backbone of the economy, followed by gold, timber, manganese, bauxite and diamonds. By WWI, the Gold Coast was the most prosperous colony in Africa, with the best schools and civil service, a cadre of enlightened lawyers and a thriving press. Still, anti-British sentiments ran deep.

In the late 1920s, a number of political parties dedicated to regaining African independence began to emerge. In 1947, Kwame Nkrumah, the American-educated secretary general of the country's leading party, broke away from the group to form the Convention People's Party (CPP), aimed at the common person and pushing the slogan 'Self Government Now'. The CPP was an overnight sensation, and in 1949 Nkrumah brought the country to a halt by calling a national strike. The British responded by throwing him in prison, only to release him two years later after his party had won three general elections in his absence.

Independence finally came in 1957, making Ghana - the name chosen by Nkrumah after the first great empire in West Africa - the first black African nation to win freedom from its colonisers. For Ghana, it was the beginning of almost 25 years of economic decline. Nkrumah borrowed heavily to finance the country. His most grandiose project, the Akosombo Dam on the Volta River, didn't bring the electrification and irrigation programmes it promised for more than a decade. By 1966, Ghana was US$1 billion in debt. Nkrumah's excesses and the rampant corruption among his officials led to a popular army coup that same year.

Between 1966 and 1981, Ghana suffered through six corrupt and incompetent governments, five of them military and each fostering resentment among Ghanaians. In May 1979, in the midst of serious food shortages, a group of young military officers led by Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings staged another coup and began a series of 'house cleaning' operations that resulted in the sentencing and execution of several senior officers and former heads of state. Three months later, Rawlings' Armed Forces Revolutionary Council passed the reins to a civilian government following general elections, only to forcibly retake control two years later. Rawlings has been the head of state ever since.

Military rule was formally brought to an end with the inauguration of the Fourth Republic on 9 January 1993, which was preceded by the adoption of a new constitution allowing political parties the freedom to organise. Popularly re-elected in 1996, President Rawlings' rule has seen Ghana's still-shaky economy move increasingly toward stabilisation and the country itself solidify its commitment to democracy. With the appointment of Ghanaian Kofi Annan as UN secretary general, national hopes are high that Ghana - a country with a wealth of human and natural resources - will again take on a leading role in Africa.

Economic Profile

Culture

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.

Ghana has the highest percentage of Christians in West Africa, but the belief in traditional animist religions is still extremely common. Though each ethnic group has its own set of beliefs, there are some common threads. Though they all accept the existence of a Supreme Being (as well as reincarnation), the Creator is considered to be too exalted to be concerned with the affairs of humans. There are a host of lesser deities whose moods can be swayed through sacrifices, and ancestors are often deified as well. There are no great temples or written scriptures; beliefs and traditions are handed down through word of mouth. The Ewé, for example, have over 600 deities to turn to in times of need. Many village celebrations and ceremonies take place in honour of one or more deities.

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 (course 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.

Events

Facts for the Traveller

Visas: All visitors are required to have a visa, except for citizens of countries belonging to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Health risks: Cholera, malaria, yellow fever, bilharzia (schistosomiasis)
Time: GMT/UTC
Electricity: 220V/240V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric (see conversion table)

Money & Costs

• Budget meal: US$1-3
  
• Moderate restaurant meal: US$3-10
  
• Top-end restaurant meal: US$10 and upwards
  

• Budget room: US$5-15
  
• Moderate hotel: US$15-35
  
• Top-end hotel: US$35 and upwards

Ghana is among Africa's costlier destinations, though travel here is still very cheap by western standards. Travellers intent on stretching their cedis to the limit can easily get by on less than US$10 per day, staying in decrepit hotels and eating all meals from street vendors. A moderate hike in standards might bring the total to US$20 per day, including comfortable bedding, running water and regular restaurant meals. Luxury items like air conditioning and fine French cuisine are available only in the big cities, and you should plan on spending at least US$50 per day for the experience.

The best currencies to bring to Ghana are US dollars, French francs, deutschmarks and British pounds; other currencies - even Canadian dollars and Japanese yen - exchange at extremely unfavorable rates. There are foreign exchange bureaus (Forex) in all the major towns and cities, but many outside Accra won't accept traveller's cheques. Forex bureaus tend to give better rates for large-denomination bills than banks do, but otherwise bank rates are slightly better. A few banks give cash withdrawals against Visa and MasterCard, minus a commission and a fee for the approval telex.

When to Go

Attractions

Accra is famous throughout West Africa for its vibrant nightlife, especially its dance clubs, which centre around Nkrumah Circle. Rasta togs and dreadlocks usually mark the entrance to the hippest spots. Accra's beaches are another big draw, but the best ones are all a few kilometres outside of town. Coco Beach, east in Nungua, is accessible by tro-tro, but the nicest ones to the west all require private transport.

Coastal Forts & Villages

A small, vibrant fishing village about 20km (13mi) west of Cape Coast, Elmina has both a fort and a castle. St George's Castle (1482) was built high on a rocky peninsula by the Portuguese when they discovered the area's richness in gold and ivory. The Dutch captured the castle in 1637 and built Fort St Jago (1652), several hundred metres away, to protect it. Both were expanded when slaves replaced gold as the major object of commerce, and tours of the buildings will leave you with a deep impression of how miserably the slaves were treated.

Kumasi

Off the Beaten Track

Activities

Getting There & Away

Ships connect Tema, 25km (16mi) east of Accra, with ports in Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon and South Africa. By land, there are buses, taxis, tro-tros (minibuses) and pickup trucks that run between Ghana and Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and Togo. Border formalities for travellers with visas are usually minimal; greasing a palm or two may speed things up. Watch your pockets at crowded border posts.

Getting Around

Ghana's road network is in decent shape, though there are some badly potholed stretches between Kumasi and Tamale, and almost all secondary roads are unsealed. You're bound to run into an occasional police checkpoint, though they're usually just angling for a 'dash' (the ubiquitous kickback). Car rental is expensive but available in Accra. Otherwise, most Ghanaians get around in taxis, tro-tros (minibuses) and mammy wagons (generally some sort of converted pickup truck).

Government-run buses connect most major towns and some smaller ones, but their service ain't what it used to be and it's usually better to travel with any of the private bus companies. A comfortable but slow railway system connects Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi in a single-track triangle. Only sleepers need to be booked in advance.

Recommended Reading

• Ghana - A Travellers' Guide by Jojo Cobbinah is good for a quick dose of interesting cultural tidbits.
• No worries! is published by the North American Women's Association and targets its practical information about life in Accra toward long-term visitors.
• The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah is a sharp, sardonic observation of corrupt post-independence politics masquerading as an engaging novel.
• This Earth, My Brother is Kofi Awoonor's first and best-known novel, telling the story of a young African lawyer who works within the confines of the judicial system inherited from the British.
• Amu Djoleto's Hurricane of Dust tells the story of a petty thief and supporter of the revolution who falls afoul of the regime and pays dearly for it.
• Changes: A Love Story by Ama Ata Aidoo is a contemporary novel about a modern Ghanaian woman's life in Accra.
• The Fall of the Asante Empire: The Hundred-Year War for Africa's Gold Coast by Robert B Edgerton offers an anthropologist's view of the century-long conflict between the British and Ghana's Ashanti people.
• The Politics of Reform in Ghana, 1982-1991 by Jeffrey Herbst and Smadar Lavie provides a scholarly look at Ghana's recent political history.

• West Africa
• Africa on a shoestring