Ghana

Ghana (/ˈɡɑːnə/ (listen)), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa.^[9] It spans the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with the Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Togo in the east.^[10] Ghana covers an area of 238,535 km² (92,099 sq mi), spanning diverse biomes that range from coastal savannas to tropical rain forests. With over 31 million people, Ghana is the second-most populous country in West Africa, after Nigeria.^[11] The capital and largest city is Accra; other major cities are Kumasi, Tamale, and Sekondi-Takoradi.

The first permanent state in present-day Ghana was the Bono state of the 11th century.^[12] Numerous kingdoms and empires emerged over the centuries, of which the most powerful were the Kingdom of Dagbon in the north^[13] and the Ashanti Empire in the south.^[14] Beginning in the 15th century, the Portuguese Empire, followed by numerous other European powers, contested the area for trading rights, until the British ultimately established control of the coast by the late 19th century. Following over a century of colonization, Ghana's current borders took shape, encompassing four separate British colonial territories: Gold Coast, Ashanti, the Northern Territories and British Togoland. These were unified as an independent dominion within the Commonwealth of Nations on 6 March 1957, becoming the first colony in sub-Saharan Africa to achieve sovereignty.^[15][16][17] Ghana subsequently became influential in decolonisation efforts and the Pan-African movement.^[18]

Ghana is a multinational state, home to a variety of ethnic, linguistic and religious groups;^[19] while the Akan are the largest ethnic group, they constitute only a plurality. The vast majority of Ghanaians are Christian (71.3%), with close to a fifth being Muslim and a tenth practicing traditional faiths or reporting no religion.^[3] Ghana is a unitary constitutional democracy led by a president who is both head of state and head of government.^[20] Since 1993, it has maintained one of the freest and most stable governments on the continent, and performs relatively well in metrics of healthcare, economic growth, and human development.^[18] Ghana consequently enjoys significant influence in West Africa,^[21] and is highly integrated in international affairs, being a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Group of 24 (G24) and the Commonwealth of Nations.^[22]

The etymology of the name Ghana means "Strong Warrior King" and was the title accorded to the kings of the medieval "Ghana" Empire in West Africa, not to be confused with today's Ghana, as the empire was further north in modern-day Republic of Mali, Senegal, southern Mauritania, as well as in the region of Guinea.^[23] Ghana was known for its large gold usage, and hence was named the Land of Gold^[24] by the Arabs during the Trans-Saharan trades.

Most of what is now Ghana was inhabited in the Middle Ages and the Age of Discovery by different ethnic groups.

The earliest known kingdoms to emerge in modern Ghana were the Mole-Dagbani states.^[25] The Mole-Dagomba came on horseback from present-day Burkina Faso under a single leader, Naa Gbewaa.^[26] With their advanced weapons and based on a central authority, they easily invaded and occupied the lands of the local people ruled by the Tendamba (land god priests), established themselves as the rulers over the locals, and made Gambaga their capital.^[27] The death of Naa Gbewaa caused civil war among his children, some of whom broke off and founded separate states including Dagbon, Mamprugu, Mossi, Nanumba and Wala.^[28][29]