{"id":24929,"date":"2021-07-20T07:33:21","date_gmt":"2021-07-20T07:33:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/transfergo.wpengine.com\/8-things-didnt-know-ghana\/"},"modified":"2024-10-29T20:45:42","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T20:45:42","slug":"8-things-didnt-know-ghana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/gb\/8-things-didnt-know-ghana","title":{"rendered":"8 things you didn\u2019t know about Ghana"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The amazing ecosystems of the Atiwa rainforest, a super tropical climate, tasty jollof rice, haunting \u201cslave castles\u201d and the largest artificial reservoir in the world by surface area. There are many things we all know about Ghana.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But did you know we&#8217;ve also recently launched fast deliveries there?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To celebrate, we&#8217;ve uncovered<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a whole host of fascinating facts hidden just beneath the surface of this incredible West African country. Here are our f<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">avourite lesser known facts about Ghana.<\/span><br>\n<b><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Ghana has an immense amount of gold and diamonds<\/b><b><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s start with the bling! Ghana is home to a wealth of gold and diamonds. It\u2019s the 6th biggest gold producing country in the world and the largest in Africa, producing 138.7 tonnes of gold in 2020 and stealing the crown from South Africa.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In terms of money, we\u2019re talking billions\u2014in 2016 alone, Ghana exported $2.39 billion of gold. And according to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/oec.world\/en\/profile\/country\/gha\/#Exports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OEC<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, gold makes up 49% of all exports coming out of Ghana.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that\u2019s some serious shine.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Ghana has many weird and wonderful superstitions<\/b><b><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And our favourite are:&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many Ghanaians believe you should never clip your nails at night. This is because the spirits may take them overnight to use them to enact acts of evil against you.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a town called Paga in northern Ghana, bordering Burkina Faso. In Paga, there\u2019s a sacred pond filled with crocodiles, who\u2014according to folklore\u2014hold the souls of the dead inhabitants of the town.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s often believed, in Ghana, that if you get into a coffin and remain sealed in there for a week, your luck will change and you\u2019ll get rich once you\u2019re out.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s said in Ghana that there\u2019s a forest, inhabited by dwarves whose feet point backwards. If you venture into the forest at night, the dwarves will kidnap you and keep you there for months.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Ghana is home to a community of pink chickens<\/b><b><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The people of Shai Hills spray their chickens pink to stop baboons from attacking them. The monkeys are known for stealing personal items and food, but the biggest pain for local farmers is the attack on their chickens. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, naturally, they decided to spray them neon pink\u2014and the baboons kept their distance!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>The sea goddess of Ghana says no to music<\/b><b><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the lead up to the harvest festival Homowo, the coastal communities of Ghana keep noise to a minimum\u2014and music is even banned altogether. That\u2019s because the Ga people believe that Maame Water, the deity of the oceans, demands peace and quiet. To go against this could bring bad luck to the Ga community.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kokrobite and Accra, usually social hubs, find their stereos switched off and everything gets very quiet.&nbsp;<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Ghana gained independence in 1957<\/b><b><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1957, Ghana became the first black African country to gain independence from British colonial rule\u2014a moment of great celebration for the country. Kwame Nkrumah, having led the fight for freedom, became Ghana\u2019s first Prime Minister and President\u2014and, then, a founding member of the Organization of African Unity. He later received the Lenin Peace Prize in 1962 from the Soviet Union.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each year on 21st September\u2014Nkrumah\u2019s birthday\u2014Ghana celebrates him with the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day. Visitors to Ghana can go to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park &amp; Mausoleum in the centre of Ghana\u2019s capital, Accra.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>The flag of Ghana is symbolic<\/b><b><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a whole lot of symbolism behind the multicoloured Ghanaian flag. It\u2019s a horizontal tricolour of red, white and green, with a black star in the middle. Here\u2019s what it all means:&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Red\u2014This represents Ghana\u2019s fight for independence.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yellow\u2014This symbolises Ghana\u2019s wealth.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Green\u2014The many beautiful forests and farms of Ghana.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The black star\u2014This is the black star of Africa, and the lodestar for Africa\u2019s freedom from colonialism.<\/span><br>\n<b><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Ghana is the seat of the Ashanti empire<\/b><b><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Ashanti, or Asante, empire was an Akan kingdom from 1701 to 1957 (when the Gold Coast gained independence and became Ghana). It spanned what is now Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo. The capital of the independent Asante state was the city of Kumasi, around which most Asante lived, and still live, producing crops like plantain, cassava and yams for local markets.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Asante Empire enjoyed international renown and was studied in depth by the British. The kingdom still survives today, but as a sub-national proto-state.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Ghana is the world\u2019s second-largest cocoa producer<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gold isn\u2019t the only produce that Ghana\u2019s good for\u2014cocoa is a major export for Ghana. And they\u2019re the second largest producer of cocoa in the world, just after neighbouring C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire, which takes first position. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fao.org\/faostat\/en\/#data\/QC\/visualize\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Ghana produced an immense 811,700 tonnes of cocoa beans between 2018 and 2019 alone.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>They run the fastest\u2026 backwards&nbsp;<\/b><b><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The record for the fastest ever backwards run was set by a Ghanaian man. On 25th July 1991 at the Smith College, Massachusetts, Ferdie Ato Adoboe ran 100 metres backwards in just 12.7 seconds.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We reckon backwards running should become an Olympic sport. Go Ferdie!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>______________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you have some fun facts of your own about Ghana? Share them with us on Instagram. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ll reshare our favourites! Don&#8217;t forget to tag us at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/transfergo\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@transfergo<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you want to send money, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sign up<\/a>&nbsp;now for easy online&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">money transfers<\/a>&nbsp;with TransferGo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The amazing ecosystems of the Atiwa rainforest, a super tropical climate, tasty jollof rice, haunting \u201cslave castles\u201d and the largest artificial reservoir in the world by surface area. There are many things we all know about Ghana.&nbsp; But did you know we&#8217;ve also recently launched fast deliveries there? To celebrate, we&#8217;ve uncovered a whole host [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":24930,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1502,1503],"tags":[],"business_case_studies_tags":[],"class_list":["post-24929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-living-abroad","category-living-abroad-tips"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/transfergo.com\/gb\/8-things-didnt-know-ghana","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"8 things you didn\u2019t know about Ghana","url":"http:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/gb\/8-things-didnt-know-ghana","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/gb\/8-things-didnt-know-ghana"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Ghana2.jpg?resize=150,150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Ghana2.jpg"},"articleSection":"Living abroad tips","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jennifer Tate"}],"creator":["Jennifer Tate"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TransferGo","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2021-07-20T07:33:21Z","datePublished":"2021-07-20T07:33:21Z","dateModified":"2024-10-29T20:45:42Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"8 things you didn\\u2019t know about Ghana\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.transfergo.com\\\/gb\\\/8-things-didnt-know-ghana\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.transfergo.com\\\/gb\\\/8-things-didnt-know-ghana\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.transfergo.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/11\\\/Ghana2.jpg?resize=150,150\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.transfergo.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/11\\\/Ghana2.jpg\"},\"articleSection\":\"Living abroad tips\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Jennifer Tate\"}],\"creator\":[\"Jennifer Tate\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"TransferGo\",\"logo\":\"\"},\"keywords\":[],\"dateCreated\":\"2021-07-20T07:33:21Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-07-20T07:33:21Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-29T20:45:42Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/transfergo.com\/p.js"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Ghana2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24929\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24929"},{"taxonomy":"business_case_studies_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transfergo.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/business_case_studies_tags?post=24929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}