Ghana

Before I spend my summer in Ghana, I figured it would be a good idea to educate myself on the country and the people. So, I decided to make a cheat sheet for anyone interested in learning more about this great country. 

Ghana:

• Covering 92,100 square miles (238,540 square kilometers), Ghana is about the same size as Oregon.
• Its three climatic zones include the southern forest belt (warm and humid), the coastal belt (warm and dry), and the northern grasslands (hot and dry).
• Ghana’s population of 23.4 million is growing by 1.93 percent annually.
• English is Ghana’s official language, partly because of the country’s colonial association with Great Britain and partly because there are so many ethnic languages that no single one could effectively serve as the official language.
• Although nearly 70 percent of all Ghanaians belong to one of several Christian churches, and another 16 percent are Muslim, traditional African beliefs and practices play a major role in society and are often retained regardless of other religious affiliation. 
• At least 9 percent of the population exclusively worships according to indigenous beliefs
• Ghanaians are warm, extremely friendly, and sociable—even with strangers. They tend to be boisterous,
  which makes for animated arguments and celebrations.
• Life Style:
• Families still arrange many marriages, though children have the right to reject undesirable matches.
• A woman may go to great lengths to keep her pregnancy a secret for as long as possible, often fearing that by revealing it or discussing it publicly she may expose the baby
  to witchcraft.
• Because of a high rate of infant mortality, in rural areas a child is not considered a member of society until one week old. At that time, a celebration is held at which the child is given a name and then brought out in public for the first time.
• The Ghanaian economy is based primarily on agriculture, which engages more than 50 percent of the labor force.
• Cacao (from which cocoa is made) is the most important cash crop, accounting for about 45 percent of exports. 

[information found at www.ghanaembassy.org]

I hope this gives  you a little taste as to where I will be this summer. Please keep praying that the people we come in contact with will be receptive to the gospel and their hearts would be softened and ready to learn! 

36 days!!