History

• Created in 1957 by a merger of Togoland with the British colony Gold Coast, Ghana became the first independent territory in colonial sub-Saharan Africa.
  
  

Political History

• Political turmoil and a series of coups gripped Ghana for decades until Jerry Rawlings came to power in 1981 and stabilized the government. Rawlings banned political parties and calmed the turmoil before approving a new constitution and reinstating political parties in 1992. Rawlings won office in 1992 and again in 1996. Rawlings stayed in power until 2000, when constitutional term limits prevented him from continuing. John Kufuor took over. Kufuor won election again in 2004 before terming out and passing leadership to John Atta Mills.
  
  

Lake Volta

• Ghana is home to the world's largest artificial lake, Lake Volta. Formed by the Akosombo Dam in 1965, Volta has a surface area of 3,275 miles.
  
  

Population

• Ghana has a population of more than 24 million people and has more than 100 different ethnic groups.
  
  

Language

• Though Ghana's official language is English, there are nearly 50 ethnic languages spoken. English is the standard for educational instructions and dominates governmental and business affairs, but many rural Ghanaians speak native African dialects as well.
  
  

Economy

• Though Ghana struggles economically and uses Western financial aid, there are vast natural resources available. Ghana is a major producer of gold and is the second in the world in to The Republic of Cote d'Ivoire in cocoa production.
  
  

Religion

• Ghana is primarily a Christian country. The Central Intelligence agency estimates that 69 percent of the population is Christian, with 16 percent Muslim and 8.5 percent following indigenous beliefs or nothing at all.