Any conversation you have about West Africa is never complete without mentioning the interesting facts about Ghana Culture.
Ghana is a powerhouse for deep-rooted customs and traditions that leave the world in awe. This West African country is fascinating with deep historical and cultural background. Additionally, it possesses a massive amount of natural wealth.
There are a variety of interesting things to learn about it, all of which are certain to pique the interest of an inquisitive tourist.
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What is Unique about Ghana Culture?
Diversity is one of the most interesting facts about Ghana Culture. The cultural diversity here is due to several reasons. They include:
- Many different ethnic groups
- Individual behaviour
- Family life
- Societal life
Interesting Facts about Ghana Culture. Photo/Pinterest
These four factors deeply influence the culture and traditions in this country. What’s also unique is that Ghanaians are welcoming, kindhearted, and courteous both in public and in seclusion.
Over 100 ethnic groups call Ghana home, making it one of the world’s most populous countries in terms of ethnic diversity. The six major ethnic groups in Ghana.
- Akan
- Ewe
- Ga-Adangbe
- Mole-Dagbani
- Guan
- Gurma
Each ethnic group in Ghana has a distinct cultural identity. Ghana Individual behaviour and conduct has a direct impact on society and the family, which is why cultural emphasis is placed on it.
As a result, during social gatherings and in other settings, people strive to be welcoming, polite, and respectful. Members of the leadership or chiefs make the most important decisions on any tribe custom or practice. Formal education, professional affiliations, and ethnicity all play a role in determining a person’s social status.
What is Ghana Best Known for?
Ghana is celebrated not only for its verdant forests, diverse animal life, and miles of sandy beaches along a picturesque coast, but also for its extensive history. Its habitation traces back to 10,000 BC and this has a fascinating repository of cultural heritage.
What are Some Interesting Facts about Ancient Ghana?
The interesting facts about Ghana Culture will fascinate you.
Magicians
A common belief suggests that the earliest inhabitants were great magicians. This is because of their work with fire and soil to manufacture iron.
Crossed the Sahara Desert in 40 Days
They travelled on a caravan of camels, and took about 40 days to get from a city on the coast to Ghana via the Sahara Desert.
Arab Scholar Wrote Ghana’s History
The works of the Arab scholar Al-Bakri are the source of much of the information that we have about Ancient Ghana.
Great Respect for Blacksmiths
Blacksmiths had a high level of respect and admiration in Ghanaian culture because of their skilful art with soil and fire to manufacture iron. Most people thought they were magicians.
Powerful Chiefs
The majority of the population of the empire consisted of agricultural laborers. They were not the owners of the land. The head of the local village community distributed parcels of land to each of the families in the community.
Salt Taxation was High
The king placed a significant amount of taxation on the trade of salt because of its high perceived value. The majority of the salt was extracted from mines in the Sahara Desert near the city of Taghaza.
Slaves did the salt extraction process. Besides cooking, salt was a powerful currency with a value comparable to that of gold.
The Ashanti Empire
Interesting Facts about Ghana Culture. Photo/Challenges of Repatriation – Cuny
The Ashanti Empire was and still is a great African empire. It encompassed not only the region that is now part of Ghana but also a number of other territories in addition to the land that it occupied.
The Empire is one of the most well-known African empires on a global scale. The British spent a significant amount of time researching it. Even though Ghana is a presidential democracy today, the Ashanti monarchy exists in the country as a sub-national proto-state protected by the constitution.
This indicates that Ghana remains successful in maintaining its democratic essence while preserving its traditions.
How Does Ghana Express their Culture?
It is possible for Ghanaians to exhibit their culture in a variety of ways. They do so through marriage, clothes, music, festivals, religion, and occupation. Other Interesting facts about Ghana Culture include:
- Always using a Ghanaian person’s academic, professional, or honorific title in addition to their surname when addressing them.
- It is common to address men over the age of 30 with the honorific “pah-pah”. For women of the same age refer to them as “mah-mee.”
- People who are fifty years old or older are sometimes referred to as “nah-nah.”
- Shaking someone’s hand is the most popular way to greet someone.
