Ghana was previously called the Gold Coast, but was renamed Ghana upon independence in 1957, because of indications that the inhabitants were descended from migrants who moved south from the ancient Ghana Empire. Flag of Gold Coast Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Ghana Empire in Africa The Empire of Ghana (existed c. ...

The most southern part of what is today Ghana was divided among a number of tribes, including the Fante and the Ga and the Ewes. To the north was the Ashanti Confederacy that formed in 1670. In certain periods it managed to dominate some coastal areas in what was broadly Fante Land. The far north of Ghana was home to the empires of the cavalry-based peoples of the Sahel, with first the Mali Empire and then the Fulani Empire controlling the area. The Fante are an ethnic group from southern Ghana with some also in the Côte dIvoire. ... Postdlf 19:36, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC) Categories: Possible copyright violations ... The Ewe people are a people of southern Ghana and Togo. ... A shrunken Ashanti Confederacy near the end of its existence in 1896 The Ashanti Kingdom or Confederacy was a powerful state in West Africa in the years prior to European colonization. ... 1670 was a common year beginning on a Saturday in countries using the Julian calendar and a Wednesday in countries using the Gregorian calendar. ... Soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat are commonly known as cavalry (from French cavalerie). ... The location of Sahel in Africa The Sahel (from Arabic ساحل, sahil, shore, border or coast of the Sahara desert) is the boundary zone in Africa between the Sahara to the north and the more fertile region to the south, known as the Sudan (not to be confused with the country... The Mali Empire, c. ... The Fulani Empire was one of the most powerful states in sub-Saharan Africa in the years prior to European colonization. ...

Wikimedia Atlas of Ghana . Image File history File links Wikimedia-logo. ... Image File history File links Gnome-globe. ...

Prior to 1470

The history of Ghana before the last quarter of the 15th century is derived primarily from oral tradition that refers to migrations from the ancient kingdoms of the western Sahel which is now the area of present-day Mauritania and Mali. Also, much of the history is derived from myths told by various tribes in the outlying areas. (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... The Sahelian kingdoms were a series of empires that had many similarities. ...

Contact with Foreigners

The first contact with Europeans was made by the Fante nation of the Gold Coast in 1470, when a party of Portuguese landed and met with the King of Elmina. In 1482, the Portuguese built Elmina Castle, known in Portuguese as Castelo da Mina, as a permanent trading base. The first recorded English trading voyage to the coast was made by Thomas Windham in 1553. During the next three centuries, the English, Portuguese, Swedish, Danes, Dutch and Germans controlled various parts of the coastal areas. World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of Earth; the term continent here referring to a cultural and political distinction, rather than a physiographic one, thus leading to various perspectives about Europes precise borders. ... Events May 15 - Charles VIII of Sweden who had served three terms as King of Sweden dies. ... Elmina is a town on the Atlantic Ocean coast of Ghana, lying west of Cape Coast. ... Events Portuguese fortify Fort Elmina on the Gold Coast Tizoc rules the Aztecs Diogo Cão, a Portuguese navigator, becomes the first European to sail up the Congo. ... St. ... // Events June 26 - Christs Hospital in London gets a Royal Charter July 6 - Edward VI of England dies July 10 - Lady Jane Grey is proclaimed Queen of England - for the next nine days July 18 - Lord Mayor of London proclaims Queen Mary as the rightful Queen - Lady Jane Grey... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ...

British control

Map from 1896 of the British Gold Coast Colony.

In 1806 the Ashanti-Fante War broke out as the Fante were abandoning the allegiance to the Ashanti in favour of the British. This sparked a long series of wars, as the Ashanti tried to minimize European power in the region. (See also Ashanti Invasion of the Gold Coast). Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1076x1632, 314 KB) Map from 1896 of the British Gold Coast Colony (today Ghana). ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1076x1632, 314 KB) Map from 1896 of the British Gold Coast Colony (today Ghana). ... 1806 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Ashanti-Fante War (1806 - 1807) was fought between the Ashanti Confederacy and the Fante Confederacy of present-day Ghana. ... Ashanti Invasion of the Gold Coast in 1814-16, also called Ashanti-Akim-Akwapim War was the expansion of West African Kingdom of Ashanti against alliance of Akim and Akwapim tribes. ...

In 1821, the British Government took control of the British trading forts on the Gold Coast. Curiously in 1835 a group of Afro-Brazilian returned to Ghana, and today they are known as the Tabom People. In 1844 Fanti chiefs in the area signed an agreement with the British, that became the legal stepping-stone to colonial status for the coastal area. The town Cabo Corso was in the hands of the Portuguese before the British took it over and named it Cape Coast. It then became known as the first capital of the Gold Coast. The coronation banquet for George IV 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... | Come and take it, slogan of the Texas Revolution 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Tabom People refers to the Afro-Brazilian community in Accra. ... 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Cape Coast, Ghana. ...

Residents (Cudjoes) of Cape Coast who were part of the Fante Empire were the first to learn the English language, and later taught other people in the Gold Coast. This status endeared the Fantes to the British. It also created a very good relationship between the Fantes in the Gold Coast and the rest of West Africa. Cape Coast had the first English School in the Gold Coast, known as Mfantsipim. The school is now about 150 years old. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Mfantsipim_School. ...

From 1826 to 1900, the British fought a series of campaigns against the Ashantis. In 1902 the British succeeded in establishing firm control over the Ashanti region and making the northern territories a protectorate. British Togoland, the fourth territorial element eventually to form the nation, was part of a former German colony administered by the United Kingdom from Accra as a League of Nations mandate after 1922. In December 1946, British Togoland became a United Nations Trust Territory, and in 1957, following a 1956 plebiscite, the United Nations agreed that the territory would become part of Ghana when the Gold Coast achieved independence. The oldest surviving photograph, Nicéphore Niépce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... Ashanti may mean: Ashanti Confederacy, a powerful state of ancient West Africa Ashanti, a region of Ghana Ashanti people, an ethnic group HMS Ashanti, the name of two Royal Navy warships Ashanti Gold, a gold mining company, now owned by AngloGold Ashanti is also the name of: Ashanti (born 1980... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... British Togoland was a League of Nations Mandate in Africa, formed by the splitting of German Togoland into French Togoland and British Togoland. ... Accra, population 1,970,400 (2005), is the capital of Ghana. ... The League of Nations was an international organization founded after the Paris Peace Conference, 1919. ... Mandate can mean: An obligation handed down by an inter-governmental body; see mandate (international law) The power granted by an electorate; see mandate (politics) A League of Nations mandate To some Christians, an order from God; see mandate (theology) The decision of an appeals court; see mandate (law) The... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... United Nations Trust Territories were the successors of the League of Nations mandates and came into being when the League of Nations ceased to exist in 1946. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ...

The four territorial divisions were administered separately until 1946, when the British Government ruled them as a single unit. In 1951, a constitution was promulgated that called for a greatly enlarged legislature composed principally of members elected by popular vote, directly or indirectly. An executive council was responsible for formulating policy, with most African members drawn from the legislature, and including three ex officio members appointed by the governor. Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ...

A new constitution, approved on April 29, 1954, established a cabinet comprised of African ministers drawn from an all-African legislature chosen by direct election. In the elections that followed, the Convention People's Party (CPP), led by Kwame Nkrumah, won the majority of seats in the new Legislative Assembly. In May 1956, Prime Minister Nkrumah's Gold Coast government issued a white paper containing proposals for Gold Coast independence. The British Government stated it would agree to a firm date for independence if a reasonable majority for such a step were obtained in the Gold Coast Legislative Assembly after a general election. This election, held in 1956, returned the CPP to power with 71 of the 104 seats in the Legislative Assembly. Ghana became an independent state on March 6, 1957, when the United Kingdom relinquished its control over the Colony of the Gold Coast and Ashanti, the Northern Territories Protectorate, and British Togoland. April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Convention Peoples Party is a socialist political party in Ghana, based on the ideas of former President Kwame Nkrumah. ... Kwame Nkrumah with Martin Luther King, Jr. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 6 is the 65th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (66th in Leap years). ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Independence

In subsequent reorganizations, the country was divided into 10 regions, currently subdivided into 110 districts. The original Gold Coast Colony (now Ghana) comprises the Western, Central, Eastern, and Greater Accra Regions, (wherein Cape Coast was the capital, then Gold Coast, and at last Accra became the new national capital), a small portion at the mouth of the Volta River assigned to the Volta Region, the Ashanti area was divided into the Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo Regions; the Northern Territories into the Northern, Upper East, and Upper West Regions; and British Togoland essentially is the same area as the Volta Region. The Western Region of Ghana includes the large cities of Sekondi and Takoradi on the coast, coastal Axim and a hilly inland area including Elubo, that reaches from the Côte dIvoire border in the west, to the Central Region in the east. ... The Central Region is a region of Ghana. ... The Eastern Region is a region of Ghana. ... The Greater Accra Region is one of Ghanas ten administrative regions. ... Cape Coast, Ghana. ... Flag of Gold Coast Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa. ... Accra, population 1,970,400 (2005), is the capital of Ghana. ... The Adome bridge crosses the Volta river south of the Akosombo Dam The Volta is a river in central and western Africa that drains into the Gulf of Guinea. ... The Volta Region is a region of Ghana. ... Ashanti may refer to: The Ashanti people, an ethnic group Ashanti, a region of Ghana Ashanti Shaquoya Douglas, a singer HMS Ashanti, two Royal Navy warships This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Brong Ahafo Region lies in the mid-west of Ghana, between Ashanti Region and the Côte dIvoire Border. ... The Northern Region is a region of Ghana. ... The Upper East Region of Ghana is located in the northeastern corner of the country and bordered by Togo to the north and east. ... The Upper West Region of Ghana is located in the northwestern corner of the country and bordered by Burkina Faso to the north and west. ...

On 6 March 1957, Ghana was declared independent and Nkrumah (now hailed as 'Osagyefo' or 'victorious leader') accepted the role of Prime Minister. After independence, the CPP government under Nkrumah sought to develop Ghana as a modern, semi-industrialized, unitary socialist state. The government emphasized political and economic organization, endeavoring to increase stability and productivity through labor, youth, farmers, cooperatives, and other organizations integrated with the CPP. The government, according to Nkrumah, acted only as "the agent of the CPP" in seeking to accomplish these goals.

The CPP's control was challenged and criticized, and Prime Minister Nkrumah used the Preventive Detention Act (1958), providing for detention without trial for up to 5 years (later extended to 10 years). On July 1, 1960, a new constitution was adopted, changing Ghana from a parliamentary system with a prime minister to a republican form of government headed by a powerful president. In August 1960, Dr. Nkrumah was given authority to scrutinize newspapers and other publications before publication. Meanwhile, Ghana became a charter member of the Organization of African Unity in 1963. This political evolution, continued into early 1964, when a constitutional referendum changed the country to a one-party state, with Nkrumah as Life President. July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in U.S. English), is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ... In a broad definition, a republic is a state or country that is led by people whose political power is based on principles that are not beyond the control of the people of that state or country. ...

On February 24, 1966, the Ghanaian Army and police overthrew Nkrumah's regime with the help of the American CIA^{[citation needed]}. Nkrumah and all his ministers were dismissed, the CPP and National Assembly were dissolved, and the constitution was suspended. The new regime cited Nkrumah's flagrant abuse of individual rights and liberties, his regime's corrupt, oppressive, and dictatorial practices, and the rapidly deteriorating economy as the principal reasons for its action. February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ...

Post-Nkrumah Politics

The leaders of the February 24 coup established the new government around the National Liberation Council (NLC) and pledged an early return to a duly constituted civilian government. Members of the judiciary and civil service remained at their posts and committees of civil servants were established to handle the administration of the country.

Ghana's government returned to civilian authority under the Second Republic in October 1969 after a parliamentary election in which the Progress Party, led by Kofi Busia, won 105 of the 140 seats. Until mid-1970, the powers of the chief of state were held by a presidential commission led by Brigadier Akwasi Afrifa. In a special election on August 31, 1970, former Chief Justice Edward Akufo-Addo was chosen president, and Dr. Busia became prime minister. This article needs to be wikified. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... Edward Akufo-Addo (1906 - 1979) was a Ghanaian political figure. ...

Faced with mounting economic problems, Prime Minister Busia's government undertook a drastic devaluation of the currency in December 1971. The government's inability to control the subsequent inflationary pressures stimulated further discontent, and military officers seized power in a bloodless coup on January 13, 1972. January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

The coup leaders, led by Col. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, formed the National Redemption Council (NRC) to which they admitted other officers, the head of the police, and one civilian. The NRC promised improvements in the quality of life for all Ghanaians and based its programs on nationalism, economic development, and self-reliance. In 1975, a government reorganization resulted in the NRC's replacement by the Supreme Military Council (SMC), also headed by now-General Acheampong. Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong (?-1979) was a Ghanaian political and military leader. ... Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic or Revvoyensoviet (Революционный Военный Совет, Реввоенсовет) was the supreme military authority of Soviet Russia. ...

Unable to deliver on its promises, the NRC/SMC became increasingly marked by mismanagement and rampant corruption. In 1977, General Acheampong brought forward the concept of union government (UNIGOV), which would make Ghana a non-party state. Perceiving this as a ploy by Acheampong to retain power, professional groups and students launched strikes and demonstrations against the government in 1977 and 1978. The steady erosion in Acheampong's power led to his arrest in July 1978 by his chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo, who replaced him as head of state and leader of what became known as the SMC-2. Lt. ...

Akuffo abandoned UNIGOV and established a plan to return to constitutional and democratic government. A Constitutional Assembly was established, and political party activity was revived. Akuffo was unable to solve Ghana's economic problems, however, or to reduce the rampant corruption in which senior military officers played a major role. On June 4, 1979, his government was deposed in a violent coup by a group of junior and non-commissioned officers--Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC)--with Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings as its chairman. June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... For the Smashing Pumpkins song, see 1979 (song). ... Jerry John Rawlings (born 1947) is a longtime Ghanaian politician who served as the countrys president twice. ...

The AFRC executed eight senior military officers, including former chiefs of state Acheampong and Akuffo; established Special Tribunals that, secretly and without due process, tried dozens of military officers, other government officials, and private individuals for corruption, sentencing them to long prison terms and confiscating their property; and, through a combination of force and exhortation, attempted to rid Ghanaian society of corruption and profiteering. At the same time, the AFRC accepted, with a few amendments, the draft constitution that had been submitted, permitted the scheduled presidential and parliamentary elections to take place in June and July, promulgated the constitution, and handed over power to the newly elected president and parliament of the Third Republic on September 24, 1979. September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Smashing Pumpkins song, see 1979 (song). ...

The 1979 constitution was modeled on those of Western democracies. It provided for the separation of powers among an elected president and a unicameral parliament, an independent judiciary headed by a Supreme Court, which protected individual rights, and other autonomous institutions, such as the Electoral Commissioner and the Ombudsman. The new president, Dr. Hilla Limann, was a career diplomat from the north and the candidate of the People's National Party (PNP), the political heir of Nkrumah's CPP. Of the 140 members of parliament, 71 were PNP. Hilla Limann (December 12, 1934–January 23, 1998) was the President of Ghana from September 24, 1979 to December 31, 1981. ... The Peoples National Party (PNP) was the ruling party in Ghana during the Third Republic (1979-1981). ...

The PNP government established the constitutional institutions and generally respected democracy and individual human rights. It failed, however, to halt the continuing decline in the economy; corruption flourished, and the gap between rich and poor widened. On December 31, 1981, Flight Lt. Rawlings and a small group of enlisted and former soldiers launched a coup that succeeded against little opposition in toppling President Limann. December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The PNDC Era

Rawlings and his colleagues suspended the 1979 constitution, dismissed the president and his cabinet, dissolved the parliament, and proscribed existing political parties. They established the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC), initially composed of seven members with Rawlings as chairman, to exercise executive and legislative powers. The existing judicial system was preserved, but alongside it the PNDC created the National Investigation Committee to root out corruption and other economic offenses, the anonymous Citizens' Vetting Committee to punish tax evasion, and the Public Tribunals to try various crimes. The PNDC proclaimed its intent to allow the people to exercise political power through defense committees to be established in communities, workplaces, and in units of the armed forces and police. Under the PNDC, Ghana remained a unitary government.

In December 1982, the PNDC announced a plan to decentralize government from Accra to the regions, the districts, and local communities, but it maintained overall control by appointing regional and district secretaries who exercised executive powers and also chaired regional and district councils. Local councils, however, were expected progressively to take over the payment of salaries, with regions and districts assuming more powers from the national government. In 1984, the PNDC created a National Appeals Tribunal to hear appeals from the public tribunals, changed the Citizens' Vetting Committee into the Office of Revenue Collection and replaced the system of defense committees with Committees for the Defense of the Revolution.

In 1984, the PNDC also created a National Commission on Democracy to study ways to establish participatory democracy in Ghana. The commission issued a "Blue Book" in July 1987 outlining modalities for district-level elections, which were held in late 1988 and early 1989, for newly created district assemblies. One-third of the assembly members are appointed by the government.

Under international and domestic pressure for a return to democracy, the PNDC allowed the establishment of a 258-member Consultative Assembly made up of members representing geographic districts as well as established civic or business organizations. The assembly was charged to draw up a draft constitution to establish a fourth republic, using PNDC proposals. The PNDC accepted the final product without revision, and it was put to a national referendum on April 28, 1992, in which it received 92% approval. On May 18, 1992, the ban on party politics was lifted in preparation for multi-party elections. The PNDC and its supporters formed a new party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to contest the elections. Presidential elections were held on November 3 and parliamentary elections on December 29 of that year. Members of the opposition boycotted the parliamentary elections, however, which resulted in a 200 seat Parliament with only 17 opposition party members and two independents. April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... May 18 is the 138th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (139th in leap years). ... The National Democratic Congress is a name used by various political parties throughout the word. ...

The Constitution entered into force on January 7, 1993, to found the Fourth Republic. On that day, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings was inaugurated as President and members of Parliament swore their oaths of office. In 1996, the opposition fully contested the presidential and parliamentary elections, which were described as peaceful, free, and transparent by domestic and international observers. In that election, President Rawlings was re-elected with 57% of the popular vote. In addition, Rawlings' NDC party won 133 of the Parliament's 200 seats, just one seat short of the two-thirds majority needed to amend the Constitution, although the election returns of two parliamentary seats face legal challenges. January 7 is the seventh day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

See also

• History of Africa
• History of West Africa