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Learn a little about West Africa through these 8 fun facts about Ghana. And don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of the page for exciting activities and games that will help you and your kids learn more!
1. Ghana is a West African country bordering Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Ghana means “Warrior King” in the Soninke language.
2. In the Middle Ages, several kingdoms inhabited Ghana such as the Ashanti Empire. They had an advanced economy based on trading gold, which was found in the area. Ghana was named the Gold Coast by the Europeans, and became a British colony with the same name until it became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.
3. English is the official language in Ghana, but Ghanaians speak over 40 languages throughout its 10 regions! Twi is the most popular Akan language, spoken by about half of Ghanaians. (Listen to Twi here!).
4. Ghana is a tropical country with warm and wet forests to the south with mangroves, acacias, baobabs, shea trees, and mahogany. Most of the country consists of plains and low hills. Lake Volta is the world’s largest man-made lake: it’s 250 miles long and covers 3,283 square miles.
5. Ghana produces the second most cocoa beans in the world. Ivory Coast is No. 1. Cocoa fruits are harvested by hand and pried open with a machete. They are covered with banana leaves and left to ferment for a week, then dried in the sun. Check out these incredible pictures of the Ghanaian cocoa harvest!
6. Elmina Castle, on the coast, is the oldest European building in Sub-Saharan Africa. Built by the Portuguese in 1482 as a trade post for the abundant gold in the region, it was later used to hold enslaved people before taking them to the Americas.
7. Have you ever heard of the tricky spider named Anansi? This West African god frequently takes the form of a tricky spider who is always scheming to get what he wants. It is thought that Anansi was originally found in stories from the Ashanti and Akan people in Ghana, and from there the stories spread through West Africa. During the Atlantic slave trade, the stories crossed the ocean with the slaves through oral tradition. Read and listen to Anansi stories here.
8. There are several famous textiles from Ghana. Kente cloth (kenten means “basket”) is a hand-woven cloth originally from the Ashanti Kingdom. Kente is also made by the Akans in Cote d’Ivoire. The popularity of the colors and patterns of the kente make it one of the most recognizable textiles in Africa. The distinct meaning and symbolism has been ingrained in Ghanian culture for hundreds of years. Once worn by royalty, the wealthy, or other highly respected people, now it is used by everyone, especially for special occasions such as festivals, ceremonies, and holidays. Try this kente cloth kids art project to learn more!
Now that you’ve learned some facts about Ghana, it’s time to have fun! Here are some fantastic opportunities to explore more about Ghanaian culture with your kids.
Play Ampe, a fun, outdoors children’s game from Ghana
Read the true story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah who changed the society of Ghana by empowering those with disabilities.
Listen to Highlife Music from Ghana
Learn about and make a craft inspired by adinkra, traditional print-making on fabric
Read children’s books set in Ghana
Make and eat kelewele: this delicious plantain street food dish from Ghana
This post is part of our series Global Learning for Kids. Each month we will feature a country and host a link party to collect posts about teaching kids about that country–crafts, books, lessons, recipes, etc. It will create a one-stop place full of information about the country.
This month we are learning all about Ghana, so link up below any old or new posts designed to teach kids about Ghana – crafts, books, lessons, recipes, music and more!
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Interesting article! I will be checking out the activities to do with children!