Empire of Ghana Timeline: Differently | ||||||
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 Location of Ghana in Northern Africa
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| Capital (and largest city) | Koumbi Saleh | |||||
| Official languages | Soninke (lingua franca) Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani, Akan, Hausa, Wolof |
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| Religion | Salehiyya Islam | |||||
| Demonym(s) | Ghanaian | |||||
| Government | Federal parliamentary monarchy | |||||
| - | Ghana | Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II | ||||
| - | Chief Minister | Bah Ndaw | ||||
| Establishment | ||||||
| - | Foundation | c. 300 | ||||
| - | Conversion to Salehiyya Islam | 1062 | ||||
| - | Constitution | 3 October 1938 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 1,004,820 km2 387,963 sq mi |
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| Population | ||||||
| - | Estimate | 488,000 (139th) | ||||
| Currency | cedi | |||||
| Drives on the | right | |||||
Ghana, officially the Empire of Ghana and also known as Wagadou, is a landlocked, sparsely populated country in West Africa. It borders the Wolof and Tuareg confederations to the north, the Guinean Confederation to the east and south, Dahomey to the southeast and Sokoto to the east. A political and cultural union of many local tribes, Ghana became a thriving empire in ancient times, resisted attempts of European colonization in the last centuries and underwent several episodes of poverty and famine throughout its history.
At over one million square kilometers, it is the eighth-largest country in Africa and the 33rd-largest in the world. Its population of just over 488,000 people, however, makes it the second-least populous country in Africa, ranking only 139th in population among the world's 152 countries.
Ghana is a member of the League of Nations.
History[]
The Ghana Empire emerged around the year 300. Complex societies, some based on trans-Saharan trade in salt and gold had existed in the region for centuries at the time of the empire's formation. The introduction of the camel to the western Sahara in the 3rd century AD served as a major catalyst for the transformative social changes that resulted in the empire's formation.
The Empire rose to greatness in the 9th century. Originally a small but wealthy kingdom, the Ghana Empire gained its wealth from this increased trans-Saharan trade in gold and salt, allowing for larger urban centres to develop. The traffic furthermore encouraged territorial expansion to gain control over the different trade routes.
In the 10th century, Ghanas, the title of the Kings of Ghana, started to marry their sons and daughters to neighboring kingdoms, most of whom accepted. Those who resisted were either subdued by war or forced to become vassal states of Ghana. As the Ghana Empire grew in size, a rival power, the Mali Empire, rose to prominence.
In 1062, the Ghana Empire, which at the time mostly followed native African traditions, converted to Salehiyya Islam.
In the 12th century, the expanding Mali Empire declared a long and bitter war on the Ghana Empire and its vassals. Historians agree this was a bloody war, while many oral traditions, in contrast, say it was much peaceful and that a a peace agreement between the nations was achieved much earlier. The war ended with the Mali Empire marrying the daughter of the king to the son of the king of Ghana.
This marriage created a duo-monarchy between the nations, which grew to be one of the largest empires in the ancient world. With the large empire, kingdom after kingdom offered to join the empire as a vassal state or a subnational monarchy. As the Empire expanded, the trade and riches grew bigger. One notable king, Mansa Musa, had riches so vast, when he passed out his piles of gold, it wrecked the economy of Ghana.
About a century after the death of the Malian king, Mansa Musa, his direct line died out, and the dual monarchy was left in the hands of the Ghana line. The Ghana line ruled stably for another three centuries, until the European powers turned their eyes to Africa.
Even if the Empire was stable, it did not mean it was free of troubles. The Ghana Empire had suffered two famines in the last 50 years, which left the nation crippled. Furthermore, local kings had started to revolt, and with an empire that covered a quarter of all Western Africa, the Empire started to decline.
Many European powers, especially the United Kingdom, had their ambitions on Ghanaian land. As Ghana was too weak to defend its territories, the old king submitted. However, his son, a strong nationalist, took over the throne, and forbid any European powers from entering the vast empire. Almost all of the historians agree that if not for the King Ghana Nzema the Empire would have fallen and would never reunite again.
With no Europeans, the nation celebrated its independence and identity. On the other hand, it lacked modernization; the Europeans had brought infrastructure and new ways of life to many colonized nations, such as the Nigeria colony to the east. It was only through Mauretania, which had a strong Spanish influence, that Ghana was able to modernize its architecture and technology.
In the 20th century, another famine started, this time striking the capital city, Kombi Saleh. Kombi Saleh is considered the "Jewel of the Desert", as the city glimmered in the vast desert. As the famine struck, it affected the entire economy yet again. The rising tensions in Europe and Asia led to more problems. The First world had offered the Empire protection from the Communist powers, and the Soviets had their eyes on the salt and gold trade. Soon, a large Communist militia, the "Free Ghana Movement" rioted in the capital, wreaking havoc. A joint force with the central government and the subnational monarchies crushed the insurgency, but the famine remained until the end of the Cold War in 1975.
Since then, the Ghanaian Economy has risen. Although much of the land is considered desert and wasteland, it is a first world country, with many of its citizens living in developed cities or in well-kept farms. Unlike its neighbors, Ghana has a very well-written code of law, influenced by Emperor Justinian of Rhomania.
Languages[]
Ghana is one of the most multilingual countries in the world. It is estimated that about one thousand different languages are spoken in Ghanaian soil. Ghanaians primarily speak Niger–Congo languages, belonging mostly, though not exclusively, to its non-Bantu branches. The preferred lingua franca for inter-communication is Soninke, although Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani, Akan, Hausa and Wolof also have considerable influence and official status. In the north, there is a large, partially nomad population that speaks Tuareg, an Afro-Asiatic language.
Politics[]
Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II, current Ghana (monarch) of Ghana
The politics of Ghana take place within a framework of a federal, parliamentary, representative democratic monarchy. The current monarch, Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II, is the country's head of state.
The bicameral parliament, composed of the Higher Chamber and the Lower Chamber, is responsible for passing laws, adopting the state's budgets, and exercising control of the executive government through its elected representative, the Chief Minister, currently Bah Ndaw.
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