The West African republic of Ghana came into being in 1960. During the previous 500 years, this land once contained Kingdoms ruled by Mande and Hauxa. Migrants fell under the waves of colonial rule; Portuguese, Dutch, then British (the former tow in particular attracted by the large gold resources contained in a land they called "the Gold Coast".) Anti-colonial pressure after the Second World War helped Ghana gain full independence in 1957, with Kwame Nkrumah as prime minister, and president of a republic by 1960. The early 1960's saw relative prosperity before an economic slump caused partly by political instability and the falling prices for agricultural products; amongst these the cocoa bean, developed in plantations during British rule to become the country's main export. Ghana has since been developing alternative industries such as textiles, timber, mineral export and food processing.

Ghana is a largely flat country with dense rainforest occupying the south west, whilst the rest is covered by savannah. Lake Volta, one of the largest man made lakes in the world, is a source of hydro-electric power for urban areas such as the capital Accra, as well as neighboring countries of Benin and Togo. Ghana's population is just under 20 million. The official language is English, although Twi and Fanti are common, with Christianity the dominant religion followed by Islam and traditional beliefs. The main ethnic groups are Akan, Mossi, Ewe, Go-Andangame and Gurma.