In honor of its status as a stop on “The Amazing Race,” we take a closer look at this West African nation, which holds a special place in the modern history of Africa.
Next Sunday, the 17th running of “The Amazing Race” on CBS television will take the contestants to Ghana. To celebrate, we’ll be going through Ghana with them — vicariously, thanks to the Web. All this week, we’ll be looking at its lands, its history, its people, its cultural heritage, its music, its food. Pics, video, audio, the works.
But the week’s already underway, so let’s roll!
Ghana is one of the 15 nations that comprise what folks generally refer to as West Africa. It’s not a huge country. At 92,000 square miles, you could fit the whole country inside the state of Michigan…and still have plenty of parking left.
It may be a small country on a huge continent, but there’s a little trick to make finding Ghana easier on any map of the Mother Continent. Envision the outline of Africa as the profile of a giant cat. Now look where the base of the animal’s jaw would be, that spot where every cat loves to be scratched by its owner.
There it is.
About 24 million people live in Ghana — about the same number who live in Mexico City.
Its people are made up of at least eight different tribes speaking ten different languages — but the official national language is English. And despite struggles with certain infectious diseases, it still manages an average life expectancy of 60 years, which puts Ghana in the upper third of all 53 African countries.
(If you’re wondering who’s Number One, it’s Libya: 77 years.)
Since tribal rivalries and ethnic tensions are a common theme in Western news media reports coming out of much of Africa, it may be a surprise to hear that Ghanaians are known for being almost overwhelmingly friendly, to the point that the people themselves and their warmth have become a tourist attraction in their own right.
Once you know that, perhaps it’s less of a surprise to learn that Ghana is one of the few nations in West Africa, or anywhere else on the continent, where Christians and Muslims live together in peace.
Get the feeling these folks have a few things they could teach the rest of us? I sure do.
Are you wondering how, or if, Ghana ever touches your life? Well, let’s see.
Are you a chocoholic? Are you into bling — you know, diamonds, and gold jewelry? Come ot think of it, do any of your electronics or computer components use gold in their contacts? Made any tuna sandwiches lately? Did you wrap that sandwich in aluminum foil?
If your answer to even one of these questions is “Yes,” there’s a good chance you’ve bought, used, worn or tasted something from Ghana.
TOMORROW: Ghana’s special place in modern African history.