The Economic Development Of Ghana
explanatory Essay
1004 words
The Economic Development of Ghana
Ghana is an African country located on the western side of Africa. Its neighbors are Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and Cote D'Ivoire to the west. It has a population of 18,100, 703 and a population density of 197 people per square mile. Ghana is 92,098 square miles and English is its official language. The capital city of Accra has around 1, 673,000 people residing in it. There are the physical statistics, now onto the more interesting part.
The country's greatest strengths lie in its natural resources. In those terms, it is very rich. Cocoa, its biggest export, accounts for 15% of the world's supply. Also its gold production, in recent years, it's exported as many as one million fine ounces. Ghana also has a good supply of bauxite, diamonds, coffee, rice, cassava, timber and rubber. Moreover, since 1983, the economy has steadily grown. With economic recovery policies intact, the economy has raised 5% a year since 1983. Tourism also is growing within Ghana. Tourist rates are increasing also. With all these cash crops, costly goods, and economic restructuring, one would wonder why they need assistance at all.
Ghana's weaknesses though, almost outweigh the strengths. Like most countries in Africa, Ghana is in heavy debt since its independence in 1957. It also suffers from high budget deficits. All of the foreign investors that come in only invest in the gold fields. The richest business, Ghana i...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that ghana is an african country located on the western side of africa. its neighbors are burkina faso, togo, the atlantic ocean and cote d'ivoire.
- Explains that ghana's greatest strengths lie in its natural resources, including cocoa, gold, bauxite, diamonds, coffee, rice, cassava, timber, and rubber.
- Opines that ghana's weaknesses outweigh its strengths. it is in heavy debt since its independence in 1957 and suffers from high budget deficits.
- Explains that the north is poor, while the urban south is richer because of the two rainy seasons.
- Explains that ghana is rich in natural resources and would be a good place for economic help because of its close neighbors.
- Explains that the history of ghana and its politics is violent and turbulent. rawlings imposed an austerity plan that helped control inflation in the country and received financial support from the un.
- Opines that ghana needs economic knowledge to repay debts and earn capital. they believe that education is the start of everything.
- Describes the short and long-term goals of a country, such as getting 30 educators to train civilians and other teachers, reducing pollution and deforestation, and raising literacy rates.
- Opines that ghana could be a powerful small country with its high variety of natural resources and arable land. if plans go extremely well, it could start handing out loans.
Related
- analytical
- explanatory
- "Ghana." Economy: Population, GDP, Inflation, Business, Trade, FDI, Corruption. Index of Economic Freedom, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2014. .
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the europeans provided unfair trade by shipping goods to west africa and trading them for slaves. the africans were seen as an inferior race and commodities, not humans.
- Analyzes how sandra greene, in west african narratives of slavery, publishes several translated narratives about ghanaians that never left africa while this transatlantic slave trade took place.
- Analyzes the role of oral tradition in the reconstruction of ethno history and the validation of family ties in west africa.
- Concludes that the transatlantic slave trade had a negative impact on ghana at the time it occurred but ghana has overcome these impacts.
- Opines that most africans are ashamed of their past, but a lot of them chose to move forward with their lives and future. if ghana can do it, any other country in africa can.
- Describes the history of slavery in ghana. they will answer this question in the first part of their writing.
- Describes the impact of the transatlantic slave trade on ghana's underdevelopment.
- Analyzes lovejoy's "the impact of the atlantic slave trade on africa: a review of literature", journal of african history, taking sides.
- Cites rodney, w., "europe and the roots of african underdevelopment - 1885" in how europe underdeveloped africa.
- States that wright, donald r., "slavery in africa." encarta online encyclopedia. microsoft corporation.
- Argues that the transatlantic slave trade was beneficial for the elite africans that sold the slaves to the western europeans because their economy predominantly depended on it.
- Opines that ghana's economic freedom score is 64.2, making its economy the 66th freest in the 2014 index.
- Cites durrant, s.t., fergus, claudius, and schramm, katharina. the slaves of pikworo: local histories, transatlantic perspectives.
- Explains how the early european contact and the slave trade led to the abolition of slavery in africa.
2407 wordsRead More - Ghana Essayexplanatory essayBetween the 9th and 11th centuries, the kingdom of Ghana, established by the Soninke people in the 4th century, prospered in Northwest Africa. The kingdom became very rich because its location was in the middle of the trading routes of northwest Africa and it had many resources. Ghana traded salt for gold with its Northern neighbor. Also Ghana taxed every trader who went through Ghana to fund their army. The kings of Ghana ruled from their capital of Kumbi Saleh. The country had a rich cultural tradition that was reflected in religion. The kingdom of Ghana fell because of droughts, attacks, and lack of gold.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the kingdom of ghana prospered in northwest africa between the 9th and 11th centuries.
- Explains that the salt trade was very important to the people of ghana. they traded with the arabs who lived to their north.
- Explains that ghana benefited from being a trading hub through taxation. the king collected taxes from every trader who traveled through ghana.
- Explains that the king of ghana was a powerful leader who controlled trade in the region and facilitated the extraction of natural resources.
- Explains that religion was important in ghana's civilization. their religion focused on animal spirits and natural events that they thought were supernatural.
- Explains how the snake legend helped explain real events. the king lost control of trade routes and foreigners found alternative ways to do business so the traders did not have to pay taxes.
- Explains that the arabs had cities that were next to each other, one for muslums, and the other for natives. most of the information that has survived came from the arabics so it may have a sepecific cultural bias.
- Explains that the kingdom of ghana had been rich because of gold, and its location in the middle of the trading routes. it fell due to a severe drought, attacks and the decrease in places to find gold.
625 wordsRead More - Trade In Ghana Essayexplanatory essayWith regards to the given question it would be a fair evaluation to agree that the rise and fall of trade in ancient Ghana was largely attributed to a number of factors. Despite its name, the old Empire of Ghana is not geographically, racially, or in any other way, related to modern Ghana. It lies about four hundred miles North West of modern Ghana. Ancient Ghana encompassed what is now modern Northern Senegal and Southern Mauritania. As mentioned above there are a number of aspects or better put factors which contributed to the rise and fall in ancient Ghana therefore a critical analysis will given as to how these events / factors led to the downfall of Ghana. An overview will thus be given on what trade encompassed and how it in turn led to the rise of Ghana and how it eventually led to the downfall of the country.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the rise and fall of trade in ancient ghana was largely attributed to a number of factors.
- Explains that trade refers to buying and selling or exchanging of goods between various countries or even within a country.
- Explains that ghana and its capital, kumbi-saleh, were situated on one of the main trade routes across the sahara and had grown into a rich and developed civilisation.
- Explains that ancient ghana derived power and wealth from gold and the introduction of the camel during the trans-saharan trade increased the quantity of goods that were transported during this particular time period.
- Explains that ancient ghana derived its supremacy and riches from gold and the introduction of the camel during the trans-saharan trade.
- Explains how the king of ghana controlled all the gold – salt routes across west africa and collected taxes from any traders and all goods entering or leaving his land.
548 wordsRead More - Rise Of Ghana Empire Essayexplanatory essayThey lived in an area called Kumbi, or Kumbi Saleh, which is near the modern day southeastern Mauritania and Mali, close to the Sahara desert; The Senegal and Niger rives were their main sources of water. Since Ghana was in the middle of the Western part of Africa, it made it an excellent spot to control trade (Gold was plentiful in the south, and salt was plentiful to the north) Helped manage trade between north Africans and the Wanagrans. Their land was comprised of two rivers, Senegal and Niger, and their surrounding area was either a Savannah, rain forests, or Sahel, which is a piece of land that acts as a transition zone between the Sahara Desert and the Sudanian Savanna
In this essay, the author
- Explains that they lived in kumbi saleh, near mauritania and mali, close to the sahara desert. their land was comprised of two rivers, senegal and niger, and their surrounding area was a savannah, rain forests, or sahel.
- Explains that the trans-saharan trade helped the empire prosper; traders who came to ghana had to pay tax in order to trade either gold or salt; army kept borders secure, put down minor revolts, and maintained peace and order.
- Explains that the fall of the ghana empire was mainly caused by invasion, drought, and internal rebellion.
- Explains that the army conquered different lands, but the king let them keep their own government since he knew that controlling such a big land by one ruler would be difficult.
- Explains that 60% of people in the ghana empire are christian, 15% are muslim, and 25% are traditional african religions.
- Explains how the ghana empire reached its peak when it was ruled under tunka manin who increased the amount of trade for salt.
629 wordsRead More - Akan Peoples and Religionexplanatory essayHaving the opportunity to do a research assignment in Ghana would be one of the biggest opportunities I could ever hope for. In order to prepare for my research I will have some very important questions ready to ask my informant. I will also consider some of the ethical issues that I might run into during my research but hopefully be prepared for anything that may arise. Finally I would consider which theoretical framework approach I will take during my research.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that having the opportunity to do a research assignment in ghana would be one of the biggest opportunities they could ever hope for.
- Opines that it would be important to find out if akan peoples worship god, or offer sacrifices with their religion, to prevent culture shock from setting in.
- Asks whether religion is considered a form of witchcraft to other religions, and if they initiate witch hunts for those who have committed wrongdoing against their people.
- Explains that it would be important to find out if they had a bible or certain lifestyle that they feel they have to abide by.
- Opines that it is important to consider ethical issues during research, such as sacred rituals, and legal matters.
- Explains that an anthropologist with an evolutionary approach may be more interested in finding out how many changes have been made to the akan people’s religion over the years.
- Explains that an anthropologist with a historical particularistic approach would do more data collection and rely on an informant to provide them with the information they are trying to get.
- Opines that the structural-functionalist approach is confusing, but interesting. they would look at this region and culture and find out what makes them function as they do and why it works out.
- Opines that they would be comfortable with the historical particularistic approach and the structural-functionalist approach.
- Cites ampah, osh, rev. sister rosna a. 2010, the beautiful cloth sotres & proverbs of ghana.
918 wordsRead More - Causes Of Poverty In Ghanaexplanatory essayAccra, the capital of the beautiful and welcoming nation Ghana, is located in West Africa, West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea. It is known for its wildlife, beauteous attractions, and richness in gold and secluded beaches. Ghana also known as the “Gold Coast,” gained their independence on March 6th 1957 from the British. The nation was led to independence by the first president Kwame Nkrumah, who altered the country to a republic. Ghana continues to grow each day as a nation, Though Ghana is growing each day they face many economic and social problems, such as poverty, health issues, education, corruption, and economic challenges.
In this essay, the author
- Describes accra as the capital of the beautiful and welcoming nation ghana, known for its wildlife, beauteous attractions, and richness in gold and secluded beaches.
- Explains that ghana's poverty rate has been inconsistent since 2005. it is politically, culturally, and religiously driven and affects thousands of people every year.
- Explains that ghana has the lowest level of corruption compared to other african countries. the government in ghana is corrupt and selfish.
- Explains malaria, pneumonia, hiv/aids, and gender inequality. ghana has one of the lowest reported hiv infection rates in africa.
- Explains that ghana's gold coast is a beautiful resort with 10 beaches and kente styles.
1632 wordsRead More - West African Kingdomsexplanatory essayThe first West African state of record was Ghana which had been ruled by over forty kings by the year 300 A.D. The early Ghanaians were a peaceful and prosperous people who developed an economy based on agriculture and...
In this essay, the author
- Opines that africans are inferior to whites and devoid of any trace of civilization or culture. black africa had no history before european colonization.
- Explains that more reliable studies have brought to light much information about great civilizations that developed in africa while europe was in the period often referred to as the dark ages.
- Explains that the early ghanaians were peaceful and prosperous people who developed an economy based on agriculture and mining. the power and prosperity of ghana, and the two other descendant empires of mali and songhay, arose from the following factors:
- Explains that after the fall of ghana, a black state called mali became the successor power in west africa.
- Explains that songhay's empire began in the early eight century at gao near the bend of the river niger.
- Explains that european explorers did not penetrate into africa far enough to encounter the guinea kingdoms until the nineteenth century, but some visited benin as early as the sixteenth century.
- Explains that the rise of the great kingdoms and empires in west africa paralleled other civilizations which emerged elsewhere in sub-saharan africa.
- Narrates how koslow and mckissack wrote centuries of greatness - the west african kingdoms:750-1900, chelsea house publishers, 1995, and bianchi, robert steven.
996 wordsRead More - Trade: A Key Factor in Leading the Rise of Civilizationsanalytical essayGhana was the first of the three great trading empires to emerge in West Africa. It was founded as early as A.D. 750 by a group of people called the Soninke, although some scholars think that it was founded as many as five hundred years earlier. By the year 800, Ghana had become an important trading power (Koslow 25). Ghana had the gold that the many traders from North Africa and Egypt were attracted to. Because Ghana had so much gold, it had to cautiously regulate the flow of gold across its borders to make sure that gold would not become so widely obtainable that the price value would decrease. However, although Ghana had ample gold, Ghana did not have the salt that was vital for survival. Because of this, it was suitable for Ghana to become a part of the gold-salt trade.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that trade is the exchange of supplies with two or more people. it also brings different ideas, technologies, and philosophies that an empire can adopt to further strengthen itself.
- Explains that ghana was the first of the three great trading empires to emerge in west africa, founded as early as a.d. 750 by a group of people called the soninke.
- Analyzes how the splendor of ghana profoundly impressed traders and other visitors. al-bakri, an arab writer living in the spanish city of cordoba, wrote about ghana.
- Explains that when the king gives an audience to his people, he sits in a pavilion around which stand his horses caparisoned in cloth of gold, behind him stand ten pages holding shields and gold-mounted swords.
- Analyzes how al-bakri described ghana as an empire filled with luxury and gold. the gold-salt trade led to the rise of ghana.
- Explains that the tang dynasty rose due to trade and the grand canal played a major role in their trade.
- Explains that the tang traded salt, tea, wood, gems, medicinal herbs, and manufactured products. jiangdu was not the only city to thrive because of trade.
- Explains that overseas trade was only an indirect role for early modern state finance in the holy roman empire.
- Explains that the textile industry was one of the most important industries in the gupta period.
- Explains that the abbasid empire formed in 750 when they overthrew the umayyad dynasty. baghdad became the new capital in 762.
- Explains that trade helped contribute to the rise of the abbasid empire by making baghdad a cosmopolitan center of trade.
- Explains that trade brings resources that a civilization does not have, as well as more communication, diversity, and ideas. it also contributes to the rise of civilizations such as the ghana empire, the tang dynasty,
989 wordsRead More - Rise Of Ghana Essayexplanatory essayGhana begin to rise after 300 AD when the Soninke (some of the earliest people in West Africa) started to band together for protection. The people of Ghana gradually grew in strength, learning how to work with iron, and how to use iron tools for farming. Because Ghana’s farmers and herders were able to yield a sufficient amount of food, their population increased. Ghana’s location was also in a good position for the people to trade which played a major role in their rise to power. The people of Ghana were able to trade the region’s two main resources: gold and salt. They would sometimes follow a specific process called silent barter, which made sure that trade was done peacefully and kept the position of the gold mines a secret. As trade in
In this essay, the author
- Explains how the people of ghana grew in strength, learned how to work with iron, and used iron tools for farming. as trade in gold and salt increased, ghana's rulers gained power.
376 wordsRead More - Ethiopiaanalytical essayEthiopia an African country officially known as the Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and famously know as one of the oldest location of human life to scientists. Ethiopia is located in the horn of Africa (east of Africa). It is argued that Ethiopia was the only African country to defeat a European colonial power and retain its sovereignty as an independent country. It is argued that Ethiopia was conquered by Italy in 1935 and regained its independence in 1941 on the 5th of May and the ruler of that era was Halie Selassi. Ethiopia’s major economic contributor is the agriculture sector with a 46% of gross domestic product and a labour force of 85% by agriculture (Ethiopia’s gross domestic product by sector). Ethiopia is a federal republic state this means that there is no monarch and that the state exercise democra...
In this essay, the author
- Recaps the discussion, highlights the important factors discussed, and summarises the papers and what was the aim of the paper.
- Argues that ethiopia was the only african country to defeat a european colonial power and retain its sovereignty as an independent country.
- Argues that ethiopia's economics has been drastically uncontrollable, citing menyah and wolde-rufael.
- Explains that they will critically discuss the development of ethiopia, and pay special attention in the economic development side. the focus will be on the era of 2000 to present, which post-colonial.
- Argues that the border war between ethiopia and eritrean in 1998 to 2000 hugely affected ethiopia's economy. government spent too much money in the war and that led to worse economic development.
- Explains that w.w. rostow's growth development theory introduced five stages, which all countries must pass to become developed.
- Explains that ethiopia's economic development is dependent on the agricultural sector, and argues that commercial farming is the major contributor to tax and employment and export.
- Argues that ethiopia's development is characterised by rostows first stage because it is economy is driven by the primary sector and relies on the exports of their indigenous products.
- Analyzes whether it is possible for ethiopian areas to "grow without growth", increase per-capita income without expanding population.
- Argues that the growth and transformation plan promotes sustainable agriculture and encourages employment. the farmers innovation funds provide direct access to grants and loans to farmers.
- Concludes that agriculture plays a major role in each and every underdeveloped african country. the plan for accelerated and sustained development to end poverty aims to develop ethiopia's economy.
- Explains factors that affect development as a general process in ethiopia, strategies implemented by the government and policies on the economic development and economic growth challenges.
- Explains that ethiopia's economic challenges are a result of poor education system and high rate of illiteracy.
- Cites the global green growth institute's project report, seoul menyah, k, and wolde-rufael, y 2013, and martins, p. m.g.
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