Subject: Social Studies | Level: JHS (Basic 7 – 9) | Type: Summary Notes / Revision Guide | Purpose: BECE Preparation
GHANA’S HISTORY – KEY FACTS
European Contact and Colonialism
- Portuguese: first Europeans on the Gold Coast (1471)
- Elmina Castle: built by the Portuguese in 1482 – the oldest European structure in sub-Saharan Africa
- Trans-Atlantic slave trade: millions of Africans enslaved and transported to the Americas (16th-19th centuries)
- Gold Coast made a British Crown Colony: 1874
- Yaa Asantewaa: led Asante resistance (War of the Golden Stool) against the British in 1900
Independence and Post-Independence
- UGCC founded: 1947 by J.B. Danquah and others
- CPP founded: 1949 by Kwame Nkrumah
- Positive Action: 1950 – strikes and boycotts against colonial rule
- 1951 elections: CPP won; Nkrumah became Leader of Government Business
- Independence: 6th March 1957 (from Britain) – first sub-Saharan African country to achieve independence
- Republic: 1st July 1960; Nkrumah became first President
- Akosombo Dam: completed 1965
- OAU founded: 1963 (now African Union)
- 1966 coup: NLC overthrew Nkrumah on 24th February 1966
- 4th Republic began: 7th January 1993 under the 1992 Constitution
GOVERNMENT AND CIVICS
Three Arms of Government
| Arm | Function | Key Facts |
|---|---|---|
| Executive | Implements laws | President + VP + Cabinet; President max 2 terms × 4 years |
| Legislature (Parliament) | Makes laws | 275 constituencies; elected MPs; passes Bills into Acts |
| Judiciary | Interprets laws | Supreme Court (highest) → Court of Appeal → High Court → Circuit → District |
The 1992 Constitution
- Approved by referendum: 28th April 1992
- Came into effect: 7th January 1993
- Supreme law of Ghana; all other laws must comply with it
- Guarantees fundamental human rights
- Forbids any coup or seizure of power
Local Government
- Ghana has 16 regions (as of 2019)
- Each region divided into districts
- District Assembly: elected members + DCE appointed by President
GEOGRAPHY OF GHANA
Physical Features
- Vegetation zones (south to north): rainforest → semi-deciduous forest → Guinea savanna → Sudan savanna
- Major rivers: Volta (longest), Pra, Ankobra, Tano, Densu
- Lake Volta: one of the largest man-made lakes in the world by surface area
- Harmattan: dry, dusty wind from the Sahara, November to March
- Ghana has two rainy seasons in the south; one in the north
- Major physical features: Akuapem-Togo range (east), Ashanti Uplands (central), Volta Basin (middle)
Natural Resources and Economy
- Main cash crop: cocoa (Ghana is a top world producer)
- Main food crops: cassava, yam, plantain, maize, rice
- Minerals: gold, bauxite, manganese, diamonds, oil (discovered offshore)
- Fishing: marine (coast) and inland (Volta Lake)
- Major industries: cocoa processing, gold mining, timber, oil
POPULATION AND SOCIETY
- Ghana’s population: approximately 33.5 million (2024 estimate)
- Capital city: Accra (Greater Accra Region)
- Second largest city: Kumasi (Ashanti Region)
- Official language: English
- Major Ghanaian language groups: Akan (Twi/Fante), Ewe, Ga, Dagbani, Gonja
- Religions: Christianity, Islam, Traditional African religion
- Types of family: nuclear, extended, single-parent, compound
- Rural-urban migration: movement of people from villages to cities for jobs and services
REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ISSUES
- ECOWAS: Economic Community of West African States; founded 1975; HQ Abuja, Nigeria; 15 member states
- African Union (AU): successor to OAU; promotes unity and development across Africa; HQ Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- United Nations (UN): global organization promoting peace and cooperation; founded 1945; HQ New York, USA
- UNESCO: UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
- UNICEF: UN Children’s Fund
- WHO: World Health Organization
KEY DATES TO MEMORIZE
- 1471: Portuguese arrive on the Gold Coast
- 1482: Elmina Castle built
- 1874: Gold Coast becomes a British Crown Colony
- 1900: Yaa Asantewaa leads the War of the Golden Stool
- 1947: UGCC founded
- 1949: CPP founded
- 6th March 1957: Ghana’s independence
- 1st July 1960: Ghana becomes a republic
- 24th February 1966: Nkrumah’s government overthrown
- 28th April 1992: 1992 Constitution approved
- 7th January 1993: Fourth Republic begins
These summary notes are original content prepared by Education Always for BECE revision. Not an official GES document.