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GHANA

Past & Present

Ghana is the oldest West African Kingdom. It was formed around A.D 600  in the Region of Soninke between the Rivers Senegal and Niger. It's markets were the main places of trade between North Africa and the land south of the Sahara. The North wanted Ghana's Gold whiles the Sudan needed Salt. Slavery existed then already - they worked the Salt Fields and the Gold Mines without any hope of ever getting out.

Ghana had the Monopoly of the Gold Trade which turned it into a very rich Land. It was so rich that it's King was known to be the richest King in the world. Initially Ghana was ruled by the Berbers until the year 790 when the first black King took the Throne - King Kaya Maghan Ciss.  The time between the 9th - 11th Century Ghana had it's richest and most powerful period until the middle of the 11th Century when  Abdullah Ybn Yassin fanatically tried to force all his subjects to become strict Moslems. He started the convent Almorabetin from which the name Almoraviden originated. The Almoraviden went to War against Ghana in 1052 and took over the Capital Koumbi Saleh in 1076. During this War most of the City was destroyed. The Ghanaian people were forced to join the Moslem Religion and this split up the Ghana Empire. Many Tribes fled Ghana and settled in other areas. The Akan went south and settled in the area which became today's Ashanti Region. The Mossi Tribe settled at the northern end of the Volta River and formed today's Burkina Faso among others. History did not end here for the Empire Ghana it just begun.

What we know as Ghana today used to be "Gold Coast". The "Gold Coast" became famous in the Slave Trade period as it became the main point of exchange of goods between the Westerners and the Africans.

Slavery had always been a part of the African way of life but these "Slaves" had rights and were treated fairly. After a certain period of serving, the Slaves were taken into the family where they lived as a free person. But this changed when the Slave Trade to the Western World started. In the 15th Century it became fashionable to have a Black Slave in Europe and the trade with Human Cargo begun. When Columbus explored the Americas the boom came for Black Ivory as Slaves were called. To work the Sugar Cane and Cotton fields many hands were needed and it was soon determined that the native Americans were too fragile for the job so one needed replacements. This started the barter between the Western World and Africa. In Ghana the Portuguese were the first "White Man" to set foot on African soil in the year 1470. They set up in El Mina ( today Elmina ) where they built the St. Georges Castle. 

The Ashanti were the richest and most powerful tribe in the Ghana of those days. The King of Ashanti wanted to extend his Kingdom as far as possible and was at War constantly with his neighbors. Through this he took many prisoners and also needed weapons and ammunition to continue his quest. The Ashanti Kingdom started the trade between the Ashanti and those that were around at that particular time to trade Gold, Ivory and Slaves against Weapons, Ammunition, colorful Glass Beads, Material, Cook Ware and other items foreign but very attractive to the African. The Portuguese were followed by the Dutch, Danish and finally the British. The British took over Kumasi, the Capital of the Ashanti Region and founded the Crown Colony Gold Coast in the year 1874 after a very terrible war.

On the 6th of March 1957 Ghana got it's Independence as the first Black African Country. In memory of the once great Empire Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Ghana's first Prime Minister also known as the "Father of the Nation", christened the new Independent country Ghana. Ghana became a Republic in 1960 but stayed in the Commonwealth. After 9 years Dr. Nkrumah was overthrown in 1966 and was sent to Guinea into Exile where he died in 1972. 

Military and Civil Government changed hands until the 4th of June 1979 when Flight Lft. Jerry John Rawlings took over and formed the AFRC ( Armend Forces Revolutionary Council ). Lieutenant Rawlings proclaimed his indifference to power and free parliamentary elections were held in the year 1979 leaving the PNP ( People National Party ) in power with Dr. Hilla Liemann as President. Lieutenant Rawlings intervened once again in 1981 and resumed control of Government. After a total economic collapse in the late 70's and early 80's, Ghana has once again found it's feet after the Economic Recovery Program Lieutenant Rawlings established with the help of the IMF and the World Bank Credit Facilities.  In the year 1991, Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings established a new party, the NDC ( National Democratic Congress ). During the Presidential Elections in 1992, the NDC won with 58% and in December 1992 the NDC got 190 Seats in Parliament out of 200. In January 1993 the Fourth Republic was declared and Jerry John Rawlings was sworn in as President.

The following years  saw many  developments on the economic front as well as an increase in political freedom and the re-emergence of the free press. But it also had it's down sides with the ethnic clashes in 1994 in the north of Ghana resulting of land disputes. Within months this left 6000 dead 10000 homeless and 200 villages were razed. Another crises occurred in 1995 with the attempt to replace the Income Tax with the Value Added Tax system. This caused wide spread rioting which resulted in reverting back to the familiar Sales Tax.

Finally after 10 years as Chairman of the PNDC and 8 years as the President of the Republic of Ghana Rawlings had to step down according to the Constitution of the 4th Republic and Ghana saw the end of one era and the beginning of a new one after the Presidential Elections in 2000 with Ghana's new President - John Kufour of the New Patriotic Party - NPP.