Ghana

Accra serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Ghana, positioned in Western Africa. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Kumasi, Tamale — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Accra developed from a collection of colonial trading forts — British, Dutch, and Danish — into a sprawling metropolitan capital where the Makola Market's organised chaos, the artistic quarter of Labadi, and the beach towns of Kokrobite reveal a city navigating the gap between its colonial inheritance and its aspirations as a model of West African democratic governance.

With a population of approximately 32.4M, Ghana is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The official language is English, which reflects the country's cultural heritage and connects it with a wide international community. Internationally, Ghana is reached via the dialling code +233. Ghanaians led African independence — Kwame Nkrumah's 1957 declaration of independence from Britain was the first in sub-Saharan Africa and inspired independence movements across the continent — with the peaceful democratic transitions since 1992 making Ghana one of the continent's most stable and admired political models.

Ghana spans 238,533 km², in the Western Africa subregion of Africa. Geographically centred around 8.0°N, 2.0°W, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Africa convention.

The official currency is the Ghanaian cedi (₵), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Ghana's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.

The emblematic dish of Ghana is Jollof Rice. Fufu — cassava and plantain pounded into a smooth, elastic ball eaten by hand with the right hand, pulled off in small pieces and dipped into soup — is consumed daily across southern Ghana as the essential meal, with the rhythm of the communal pounding in a wooden mortar marking the domestic morning as reliably as any alarm clock.

Football holds a special place in the heart of Ghana's national identity. Football is Ghana's consuming passion, with the Black Stars' 2010 World Cup quarter-final appearance (Ghana was seconds from a semi-final before Uruguay's Luis Suárez's deliberate handball and the missed penalty that followed) producing a collective grief still discussed — a moment that came to symbolise the continent's persistent proximity to, but distance from, the game's ultimate prizes.

The highest point in Ghana is Mount Afadjato, rising to 885 metres above sea level. Mole National Park in northern Ghana protects West Africa's largest remaining elephant population in a savanna landscape of baobab trees and seasonal rivers, while Kakum National Park in the south shelters rainforest elephants, forest buffalo, and Diana monkeys accessible via a canopy walkway 40 metres above the forest floor.