The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa which borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The word Ghana means "Warrior King," and was the source of the name "Guinea" (via French Guinoye), which has been used to refer to the West African coast (reflected in the Gulf of Guinea).
Ghana was inhabited in pre-colonial times by a number of ancient predominantly Akan Kingdoms, including the Akwamu on the eastern coast, the inland Ashanti Empire and various Fante and, also non Akan states like the Ga and Ewe along the coast and inland. Trade with European states flourished after contact with the Portuguese in the 15th century, and the British established a Crown colony, Gold Coast, in 1874.
The Gold Coast achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, becoming the first Sub-Saharan African nation in West Africa to do so and the name Ghana was chosen for the new nation to reflect the ancient Empire of Ghana, which once extended throughout much of west Africa. Ghana is a member of many international organisations including the Commonwealth of Nations, the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union and the United Nations. Ghana is the second largest producer of cocoa in the world and is also home to Lake Volta, the largest artificial lake in the world. Ghana is also very well known in the football world. On October 16, 2009, it became the first African nation to win the FIFA U-20 World Cup by defeating Brazil 4-3 in a penalty shootout.
West African countries. Pro Gulf of Guinea. Old name "Gold Coast." Area 23 90 million square kilometers. Population 16,940,000 (1994). Accra. Low-lying central basin, the country's total area of Walt 43%. Located in the tropics, most of tropical steppe climate. Agriculture dominates the economy. Cocoa production and exports highest in the world. Timber, gold, diamonds are an important export commodity.
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