Ghana
The Republic of Ghana
is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina
Faso, Togo
and the Gulf of Guinea.
Ghana was inhabited in pre-colonial times by a
number of ancient kingdoms, including the Ga Adangbes on the eastern coast,
inland Empire of Ashanti and various Fante states along the coast and inland.
Trade with European states flourished after contact with the Portuguese in the
15th century, and the British established a crown colony, Gold Coast, in 1874.
Upon achieving independence from
the United Kingdom in 1957,
the name Ghana was chosen
for the new nation to reflect the ancient Empire of Ghana that once extended
throughout much of western Africa.