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Ghana - People & Society
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Photo: Penny Tweedie/Oxfam |
Ghanaians come from six main ethnic groups: the Akan (Ashanti and
Fanti), the Ewe, the Ga-Adangbe, the Mole-Dagbani, the Guan, and
the Gurma. Fifty per cent of the population are Christian, 32 per
cent are animist, and 13 per cent are Muslim.
Southern Ghana is the economic centre of the country, with resources
such as gold and timber, a growing industrial base, and cocoa plantations
which supply the main export crop. Much of the political power is
in the south, as is the Ghanaian capital, Accra.
Northern Ghana is the poorest part of the country. People in the
northern regions suffer high levels of malnutrition, and of infant
and maternal deaths. It is hard to grow enough to eat, and environmental
factors, such as drought, soil erosion, and fertile land becoming
desert, are making life in northern Ghana increasingly difficult.
Sport
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Photo: Toby Adamson/Oxfam |
Ghanaians are passionate about their national Black Star football
team. Ghanaian footballer Tony Yeboah is very well known in the
UK as he played for Leeds United. Kim Grant used to play for Luton
Town and Millwall. Arthur Wharton, who came to the UK from Ghana
in 1882 and lived there until he died in the 1930s, was Britain’s
first black professional footballer.
Ghana lies at the heart of a region which has led sub-Saharan African
culture since the first millennium BC in metal-working, mining,
and sculpture. Ashanti people are famous for their hand-woven ceremonial
Kente cloth. Other crafts
are wood carving, and the making of brass figures, basket-weaving,
and drum-making.
Music
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Photo: Penny Tweedie/Oxfam |
Ghana can be described as a land of festivals, music, and traditional
dances. There is hardly any community, clan, or tribe which lacks
an occasion to celebrate annually. There are three main types of
music: ethnic or traditional music, normally played during festivals
and at funerals; 'highlife' music, which is a blend of traditional
and ‘imported’ music; and choral music, which is performed
in concert halls, churches, schools and colleges.
Introduction
|| History
|| Geography
& Environment
People &
Society || Factfile
|| Oxfam in Ghana
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