Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
elections that were again considered free and fair. At much the same time, the appoint-
ment of Ghanaian Kofi Annan as UN secretary-general boosted national morale.
After eight years of Rawlings and the NDC (the constitution barred Rawlings from
standing for a third term in the 2000 presidential elections), his nominated successor and
former vice-president, Professor John Atta Mills, lost to Dr John Kufuor, leader of the
well-established New Patriotic Party (NPP). Some fun-loving members of Accra's grow-
ing middle class say his biggest legacy is the creation of the Accra Mall, a shiny shopping
mall on the outskirts of town, complete with the country's first multiscreen cinema. Under
the Kufuor administration, primary-school enrolment increased by 25% and many of
Ghana's poor were granted access to free health care.
The 2008 election was widely regarded as a test of Ghana's ability to become a modern
democracy. Atta Mills won by a slim margin and, despite the tensions with NPP competit-
or Nana Akufo-Addo, the election passed without serious violence.
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People of Ghana
Ghana's population of 25 million makes it one of the most densely populated countries in
West Africa. Of this, 44% are Akan, a grouping that includes the Ashanti (also called
Asante), whose heartland is around Kumasi, and the Fanti, who fish the central coast and
farm its hinterland. The Nzema, linguistically close to the Akan, fish and farm in the
southwest. Distant migrants from present-day Nigeria, the Ga are the indigenous people of
Accra and Tema. The southern Volta region is home to the Ewe.
In the north, the Dagomba heartland is around Tamale and Yendi. Prominent neigh-
bours are the Gonja in the centre, Konkomba and Mamprusi in the far northeast, and,
around Navrongo, the Kasena. The Sisala and Lobi inhabit the far northwest.
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Religion
Ghana is a deeply religious country and respect for religion permeates pretty much every
aspect of life, from hilarious sideboards ('Jesus Loves Fashion', 'If God Says Yes Snack
Bar') to preachers on public transport and street corners, ubiquitous religious celebrations
such as funerals, and the wholesale takeover of Ghana's airwaves by God (and his work-
ers) on Sunday.
