describe your country ghana essay

Essay on Ghana

Students are often asked to write an essay on Ghana in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Ghana

Introduction to ghana.

Ghana is a country in West Africa. It is known for its rich history and is the first African country to get freedom from European rule. Its capital city is Accra.

Geography and Climate

Ghana has beaches, jungles, and savannas. It is hot and has two seasons: rainy and dry. The Volta River is a big river in Ghana.

Culture and People

Ghana has many groups of people with different languages and traditions. Music and dance are important, and so is the colorful clothing called kente.

Ghana’s money comes from cocoa, gold, and oil. Farming is also a job for many people. The country is working to grow more.

Education and Landmarks

Schools are important in Ghana. The Cape Coast Castle is a place many visit to learn about history. It reminds people of the past and freedom.

250 Words Essay on Ghana

About ghana.

Ghana is a country in West Africa. It is known for its colorful culture, ancient history, and diverse wildlife. The country is on the coast, which means it has beautiful beaches. The capital city is Accra, which is very busy and full of life.

A long time ago, Ghana was home to powerful kingdoms. The most famous one was the Ashanti kingdom. Many years later, European countries came to Ghana to trade. They were interested in gold and other valuable things. Ghana was a British colony but became free in 1957. It was the first African country to gain independence from European rule.

People and Culture

Ghana has many different groups of people, each with its own language and traditions. Music and dance are very important in Ghanaian culture. The people are known for being friendly and welcoming to visitors. They love to celebrate festivals and share their traditions with others.

Ghana has rainforests, savannas, and rivers. These places are home to many animals like elephants, monkeys, and lions. There are also lots of different birds and insects. People go to national parks to see these animals and enjoy nature.

The country has resources like gold, cocoa, and oil. These are sold to other countries, which helps Ghana’s economy to grow. Many people in Ghana also farm and sell their crops in markets. Tourism is becoming more important too, as people come to see Ghana’s beautiful places and learn about its history.

In conclusion, Ghana is a country with a rich history, vibrant culture, and beautiful nature. It is a place where the past and present come together, and visitors can experience the warmth of its people and the beauty of its landscapes.

500 Words Essay on Ghana

Ghana is a country located on the west coast of Africa. It is known for its rich history, diverse culture, and natural beauty. The country is bordered by Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Ghana was the first African country to gain independence from colonial rule in 1957, led by Kwame Nkrumah, a very important leader.

Ghana has many different landscapes, including beaches, forests, and savannas. The weather is mostly warm all year round, with two main seasons: the rainy season and the dry season. The rainy season brings a lot of rain, which helps the plants grow, while the dry season is very hot and has little rain.

Ghana is home to many different groups of people, each with their own languages and traditions. English is the official language, but languages like Twi, Ga, Ewe, and Hausa are also widely spoken. Ghanaians are known for their friendliness and hospitality. Music and dance are very important in Ghanaian culture, with traditional drums and dances being a big part of celebrations and festivals.

Food in Ghana is full of flavor and often includes starchy items like yams, cassava, and plantains. One popular dish is jollof rice, which is spicy rice cooked with tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Ghanaians also enjoy soups and stews with fish, meat, or vegetables, often eaten with fufu, a doughy food made from boiled and mashed cassava or plantains.

Wildlife and Environment

Ghana has many national parks and wildlife reserves where you can see animals like elephants, monkeys, and lions. The country is also working to protect its environment and the many different types of plants and animals that live there.

Ghana’s economy is growing and is known for its production of gold, cocoa, and oil. Cocoa is especially important as Ghana is one of the world’s largest producers, and it is used to make chocolate. Many people in Ghana also work in farming, growing food for their families and to sell.

Education in Ghana is a big focus, with the government working to make sure that all children can go to school. Schools teach subjects like math, science, and English, and there are also universities where students can continue their studies in many different areas.

Like many countries, Ghana faces challenges. Some people in Ghana do not have as much money and may struggle to get things like clean water, good healthcare, and education. The government and many organizations are working to help solve these problems so that all Ghanaians can have a better life.

Ghana is a country with a lot to offer, from its warm-hearted people to its beautiful landscapes and rich culture. It is a place where the past and the present come together, and it continues to work towards a bright future.

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Descriptive Essay About Ghana

Ghana is blessed with some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, the clarity in the water and beautiful white sands. While there are many beach resorts along the coast in all budgets ranges, many beaches are not developed and are mainly used for fishing by the local people. There are 4 regions in Ghana which are located along gulf of Guinea. Exquisite and beautiful beaches can be found in all of these regions: Volta Region, Greater Accra, Central Region and Western Region. Ghana. My Motherland. The place I will always love. In Ghana there are over 100 ethnics. The largest are Akan, Moshi-Dagbani, Ewe and Ga the Ashanti tribe of the Akan are the largest tribe and one of the few societies in West Africa where lineage is traced through the mother …show more content…

Ghana was formerly known by the British as The Gold Coast, it was a special prominence as Ghana was the first African country to acquire independence from the European rule. In Ghana the most famous cuisine is soups, the most common soups are light soup, palmut soup, and groundnut soup. Fufu is one of the more common and popular dishes. Another main dish in Accra would include kenkey with hot pepper and fried mouth-watering fish or there’s either banku with fried fish and pepper there’s also another dish that called omo tuo (Rice Balls) served with palm or groundnut soup which is one of my favourites. There’s also original English food like fried rice etc. that you will be able to find in Ghana or the most known cuisine in Africa which called jellof rice. Ghana is known by their music called ‘Highlife’ and ‘Hiplife’ as well as newer and wildly popular Azonto and Alkayeeda inclusive. Highlife music was first recorded in the 1930’s and reached its popular peak in the 50’s through 70’s. Daddy Lumba is a well-known performer in

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10 Things You Need To Know About Ghana and Ghanaian Culture

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By Zaina Adamu

There is a reason why Ghana has become the go-to destination for travelers looking to experience one of Africa’s most vibrant countries. Ghana is a country ripe with entertainment, tradition, exquisite landscapes and phenomenal food, and if you’re one of many who has developed a fascination with the country, you might want to learn a bit more about its culture. Here are ten things you need to know about Ghanaian culture.

RELATED: Idris Elba and 4 More of the World’s Most Influential Ghanaians

You can tell a lot about a culture by its cuisine. Historically, Ghanaians love to prepare dishes that include a starchy component (fufu or waakye), which typically goes with a soup or stew and protein. Most soups and stews have a tomato base and come with beef, goat, lamb, chicken, shrimp, fish or crab. Some popular stapes are jollof, banku, red red, tuo zaafi, boiled yam with kontomire stew and plantain with egg stew. Most dishes are eaten by hand, and a popular dish like fufu is scooped up in pieces with the right hand and then dipped in an accompanying soup (typically goat soap).

While we’re on the topic of food, you should note that tipping is not a requirement in Ghana. In fact, it comes as a surprise when diners tip. Tipping should be at the discretion of the patron, but keep in mind that many servers work on paltry wages so adding a tip is a kind gesture they truly appreciate.

Of the more than 90 languages spoken in the country, English is Ghana’s official language with more than 80% of the population speaking it fluently. English was first spoken when England colonized Ghana (then the Gold Coast) in 1867. Even after the country’s independence in 1957, it continued to use English as its official language to conduct government and business affairs. It is also the standard language used in schools.

Sayings, Gestures & Slang

Don’t be surprised if a stranger hisses or smooches at you while around town. Hissing and smooching is a signal to gain someone’s attention and is not something to take offense to. Other popular phrases include “Chale” (which means “my friend”), “Saaaa” (meaning “really?”) and “Akwaaba” (meaning “Welcome”). A sucking of teeth means a person is frustrated.

Before Afrobeats became a hit music genre across the globe, it was deep-rooted in the country and continues to make a huge impact. Ask anyone about Kwami Eugene, Kidi or Sarkodie and you’re sure to be greeted with a smile since their music adds life to any party or get together. What makes music in Ghana special is that it never loses its heritage. Before Afrobeats became popular, highlife dominated the scene, and up until this day, if a DJ plays icons like Fela Kuti or Ebo Taylor, you can almost guarantee the crowd will hit the dance floor.

Festivals have increasingly become a part of the Ghanaian experience, especially during the holidays when many tourists visit. From Afrochella to CHALE WOTE, there are countless festivals that cater to individual tastes. In 2018, festivals attracted more than 30,000 people who all experienced the country’s art, music, food and history. You can view the more than 30 festivals hosted each year here .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Afrochella (@afrochella) on Feb 11, 2019 at 6:39am PST

Ghanaians are very, very communal so don’t be taken aback if you’re greeted with hugs and back pats when you meet someone for the first time. It is also not uncommon to see a group of people eating a dish from the same plate together. And unlike in many Western countries, Ghanaians like to be in close proximity of each other rather than needing personal space. Also, when you enter a room, it is customary to greet with either a Good Morning, Afternoon or Evening. Never give or receive money with your left hand and always invite others to eat with you. (They will almost always say “Thank you” – which means “No, thank you”) and then continue to eat your meal.

It is no secret that African fabric dominates Ghanaian fashion. From bold patterns to intricate designs, African fabric remains entrenched in Ghanaian culture. Kente cloth, which became popular with African Americans during the Civil Right Movement, is originally from Ghana. Typically, consumers will buy the fabric of choice from a local market, then a tailor will sew their design. Other options are to buy made-to-wear African clothing made of lycra or elastane, which fits all shapes and body types. The latter is especially popular with female pants and dresses.

Ghana has a huge religious population. A 2018 analysis reported by The Guardian found that of over 106 countries, Ghana and Georgia were the only two countries where people under 40 were more religious than their older compatriots. Christianity remains to be the largest religion in Ghana taking up 70% of the entire population. Following Christianity is Islam, which makes up 25%. Of the 70% who make up Christianity, 18% are Protestant, 13% are Roman Catholic and 5% are Traditionalists.

Tribes…Lots of tribes

There are more than 100 ethnic groups living in Ghana. The Akan tribe is the largest, encompassing approximately 20 million people. The most spoken language of the Akan language is Twi (which comes in four different variations). Other popular tribes in Ghana include Ewe, Fante, Ashanti and Ga.

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Introduction

As a citizen, it is important that you acquire some basic knowledge about your country. Anything that makes your country unique must be known by every citizen.

In this lesson, you will learn about the Ghanaian national anthem, the national pledge, the national flag, the coat of arms, the administrative regions and some important towns in Ghana You will also learn about relief and drainage features among others.

All these make Ghana different from other countries and must be known by every Ghanaian.

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• Countries and Their Cultures
• Culture of Ghana

Culture Name

Alternative name.

Formally known as the Republic of Ghana

Orientation

Identification. Ghana, formerly the British colony of the Gold Coast, assumes a special prominence as the first African country to acquire independence from European rule. Ghanaian politicians marked this important transition by replacing the territory's colonial label with the name of a great indigenous civilization of the past. While somewhat mythical, these evocations of noble origins, in combination with a rich cultural heritage and a militant nationalist movement, have provided this ethnically diverse country with unifying symbols and a sense of common identity and destiny. Over forty years of political and economic setbacks since independence have tempered national pride and optimism. Yet, the Ghanaian people have maintained a society free from serious internal conflict and continue to develop their considerable natural, human, and cultural resources.

Location and Geography. Ghana is located on the west coast of Africa, approximately midway between Senegal and Cameroon. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Burkina Faso, Togo, and the Atlantic Ocean. The land surface of 92,100 square miles (238,540 square kilometers) is dominated by the ancient Precambrian shield, which is rich in mineral resources, such as gold and diamonds. The land rises gradually to the north and does not reach an altitude of more than 3,000 feet (915 meters). The Volta River and its basin forms the major drainage feature; it originates in the north along two widely dispersed branches and flows into the sea in the eastern part of the country near the Togolese border. The Volta has been dammed at Akosombo, in the south, as part of a major hydroelectric project, to form the Lake Volta. Several smaller rivers, including the Pra and the Tano, drain the regions to the west. Highland areas occur as river escarpments, the most extensive of which are the Akwapim-Togo ranges in the east, the Kwahu escarpment in the Ashanti region, and the Gambaga escarpment in the north.

Ghana's subequatorial climate is warm and humid, with distinct alternations between rainy summer and dry winters. The duration and amount of rainfall decreases toward the north, resulting in a broad differentiation between two regions— southern rain forest and northern savanna—which form distinct environmental, economic, and cultural zones. The southern forest is interrupted by a low-rainfall coastal savanna that extends from Accra eastward into Togo.

Demography. The population in 2000 was approximately 20 million and was growing at a rate of 3 percent per year. Approximately two-thirds of the people live in the rural regions and are involved in agriculture. Settlement is concentrated within the "golden triangle," defined by the major southern cities of Accra (the capital), Kumasi, and Sekondi-Takoradi. Additional concentrations occur in the northernmost districts, especially in the northeast. The population is almost exclusively African, as Ghana has no history of intensive European settlement. There is a small Lebanese community, whose members settled in the country as traders. Immigration from other African countries, notably Burkina Faso, Togo, Liberia, and Nigeria, is significant. Some of the better established immigrant groups include many Ghanaian-born members, who are nevertheless classified as "foreign" according to Ghana's citizenship laws.

Symbolism. As a relatively new nation, Ghana has not developed an extensive tradition of collective symbols. Its most distinctive emblems originated in the nationalist movement. The most prominent is the black star, which evokes black pride and power and a commitment to pan-African unity, which were central themes for mobilizing resistance against British rule. It is featured on the flag and the national coat of arms, and in the national anthem. It is also the name of Ghana's soccer team and is proudly displayed in Black Star Square, a central meeting point in the capital. Other important symbols derive from Akan traditions that have become incorporated into the national culture. These include the ceremonial sword, the linguist's staff, the chief's stool, and the talking drum. Ghanaian national dress, kente cloth, is another source of common identity and pride. It is handwoven into intricate patterns from brilliantly colored silk. Men drape it around their bodies and women wear it as a two-pieced outfit. The main exports—gold and cocoa—also stand as identifying symbols.

History and Ethnic Relations

Emergence of the Nation. Ghana is a colonial creation, pieced together from numerous indigenous societies arbitrarily consolidated, and sometimes divided, according to European interests. There is no written documentation of the region's past prior to European contact. By the time the Portuguese first established themselves on the coast in the fifteenth century, kingdoms had developed among various Akan-speaking and neighboring groups and were expanding their wealth, size, and power. The Portuguese quickly opened a sea route for the gold trade, and the emergence of the "Gold Coast" quickly attracted competition from Holland, England, France, and other European countries. With the development of American plantation systems, slaves were added to the list of exports and the volume of trade expanded. The Ashanti kingdom emerged as the preeminent Akan political force and established its rule over several neighboring groups and into the northern savanna. Some indigenous states on the margins of Ashanti expansion, such as Akim and Akwapem, retained their independence. Coastal peoples were able to resist conquest through alliances with European powers.

In the nineteenth century, England assumed dominance on the coast and developed a protectorate over the local African communities. England came into conflict with Ashanti over coastal expansion and the continuation of the slave trade. At the end of the nineteenth century, it defeated Ashanti and established the colony of the Gold Coast, including the coastal regions, Ashanti, and the Northern Territories beyond. The boundaries of this consolidation, which included many previously separate and independent kingdoms and tribal communities, were negotiated by the European powers to suit their strategic and economic interests. After 1918, England further complicated this arrangement by annexing the trans-Volta region from German Togoland as a spoil of World War I.

The colony was administered under the system of indirect rule, in which the British controlled affairs at the national level but organized local control through indigenous rulers under the supervision of colonial district commissioners. Western investment, infrastructure, and institutional development were concentrated in the urban complexes that emerged within the coastal ports. Educational and employment opportunities were created for Africans, mostly from coastal communities, but only for the purpose of staffing the lower echelons of the public and commercial sectors. The rural masses were disadvantaged by the colonial regime and the exactions of their chiefs but gained some degree of wealth and local development through the growth of a lucrative export trade in cocoa, especially in the forest zone. The north received little attention.

Resistance to British rule and calls for independence were initiated from the onset of colonial rule. Indigenous rulers formed the initial core of opposition, but were soon co-opted. The educated Westernized coastal elite soon took up the cause, and the independence movement remained under their control until the end of World War II. After the war, nationalists formed the United Gold Coast Convention and tried to broaden their base and take advantage of mass unrest that was fed by demobilization, unemployment, and poor commodity prices. They brought in Kwame Nkrumah, a former student activist, to lead this campaign. Nkrumah soon broke ranks with his associates and formed a more radical movement though the Convention People's Party. He gained mass support from all parts of the colony and initiated strikes and public demonstrations that landed him in jail but finally forced the British to grant independence. The Gold Coast achieved home rule in 1951. On 6 March 1957 it became the self-governing country of Ghana, the first sub-Saharan colony to gain independence. In the succeeding decades, Ghana experienced a lot of political instability, with a series of coups and an alternation between civilian and military regimes.

National Identity. In spite of its disparate origins and arbitrary boundaries, Ghana has developed a modest degree of national coherence. British rule in itself provided a number of unifying influences, such as the use of English as a national language and a core of political, economic, and service institutions. Since independence, Ghanaian leaders have strengthened national integration, especially through the expansion of the educational system and the reduction of regional inequalities. They have also introduced new goals and values through the rhetoric of the independence movement, opposition to "neo-colonialist" forces, and advocacy of pan-Africanism. A second set of common traditions stem from indigenous cultures, especially from the diffusion of Akan institutions and symbols to neighboring groups.

Ethnic Relations. Ghana contains great diversity of ethnic groups. The Akan are the most numerous, consisting of over 40 percent of the population. They are followed by the Ewe, Ga, Adangme, Guan, and Kyerepong in the south. The largest northern groups are the Gonja, Dagomba, and Mamprussi, but the region contains many small decentralized communities, such as the Talensi, Konkomba, and Lowiili. In addition, significant numbers of Mossi from Burkina Faso have immigrated as agricultural and municipal workers. Nigerian Hausa are widely present as traders.

Intergroup relations are usually affable and Ghana has avoided major ethnic hostilities and pressure for regional secession. A small Ewe separatist movement is present and some localized ethnic skirmishes have occurred among small communities in the north, mostly over boundary issues. There is, however, a major cultural divide between north and south. The north is poorer and has received less educational and infrastructural investment. Migrants from the region, and from adjoining areas of Burkina Faso, Togo, and Nigeria typically take on menial employment or are involved in trading roles in the south, where they occupy segregated residential wards called zongos. Various forms of discrimination are apparent.

Urbanism, Architecture, and the Use of Space

Although Ghana is primarily a rural country, urbanization has a long tradition within indigenous and modern society. In the south the traditional settlement was a nucleated townsite that served as a king's or a chief's administrative base and housed the agricultural population, political elite, and occupational specialists. In precolonial times, populations in these centers ranged from a few hundred to several thousand in a major royal capital, such as Kumasi, which is now Ghana's second largest city. Traditional political nodes also served economic functions concentrated in open-air marketplaces, which still constitute a central feature of traditional and modern towns. Housing consists of a one-story group of connected rooms arranged in a square around a central courtyard, which serves as the primary focus of domestic activity. The chief's or king's palace is an enlarged version of the basic household. Settlement in the north follows a very different pattern of dispersed farmsteads.

The British administration introduced Western urban infrastructures, mainly in the coastal ports, such as Accra, Takoradi, and Cape Coast, a pattern that postcolonial governments have followed. Thus central districts are dominated by European-style buildings, modified for tropical conditions. Neither regime devoted much attention to urban planning or beautification, and city parks or other public spaces are rare. Accra contains two notable monuments: Black Star Square and the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, symbols of Ghana's commitment to independence and African unity.

Food and Economy

Food in Daily Life. The basic diet consists of a starchy staple eaten with a soup or stew. Forest crops, such as plantain, cassava, cocoyam (taro), and tropical yams, predominate in the south. Corn is significant, especially among the Ga, and rice is also popular. The main dish is fufu, pounded plantain or tubers in combination with cassava. Soup ingredients include common vegetables and some animal protein, usually fish, and invariably, hot peppers. Palm nut and peanut soups are special favorites. The main cooking oil is locally produced red palm oil. The northern staple is millet, which is processed into a paste and eaten with a soup as well. Indigenous diets are eaten at all social levels, even by the Westernized elite. Bread is the only major European introduction and is often eaten at breakfast. Restaurants are not common outside of urban business districts, but most local "chop bars" offer a range of indigenous dishes to workers and bachelors. People frequently snack on goods offered for sale by street hawkers.

Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. Most households raise chickens and dwarf goats, which are reserved for special occasions, such as christenings, weddings, traditional festivals, and Christmas. Among the Akan, the main indigenous celebration is odwira, a harvest rite, in which new yams are presented to the chief and eaten in public and domestic feasts. The Ga celebrate homowo, another harvest festival, which is marked by eating kpekpele, made from mashed corn and palm oil. Popular drinks include palm wine, made from the fermented sap of the oil palm, and home-brewed millet beer. Bottled European-style beer is widely consumed. Imported schnapps and whiskey have important ceremonial uses as libations for royal and family ancestors.

Basic Economy. Ghana's position in the international economy reflects a heavy dependence on primary product exports, especially cocoa, gold, and timber. International trade accounts for one-third of gross domestic product (GDP), and 70 percent of export income is still derived from the three major commodities. The domestic economy is primarily agricultural with a substantial service and trading sector. Industrial production comprises only 10 percent of national output, and consumers are heavily dependent upon imported manufactures as well as petroleum imports.

Land Tenure and Property. Traditional land use patterns were organized around a slash-and-burn system in which crops were grown for two or three years and then fallowed for much longer periods. This system fostered communal land tenure systems, in which a large group, usually the lineage, held the land in trust for its members and allocated usufruct rights on demand. In the south, reserved lands, known as stool lands, were held by the chief for the wider community. The stool also held residual rights in lineage-owned land, for instance a claim on any gold found. In the north, communal rights were invested in a ritual figure, the tendana, who assumed the ultimate responsibility for agriculture rituals and land allocation.

In modern times, land tenure has been widely affected by cocoa farming and other commercial uses, which involve a permanent use of the land and a substantial expansion in demand for new plots. Land sales and long-term leases have developed in some areas, often on stool reserves. Purchased lands are considered private rather than family or communal property and activate a different inheritance pattern, since they can be donated or willed without reference to the standard inheritance rule.

Government regulation of land title has normally deferred to traditional arrangements. Currently, a formally constituted Lands Commission manages government-owned lands and gold and timber reserve leases and theoretically has the right to approve all land transfers. Nevertheless, most transactions are still handled informally according to traditional practice.

Commercial Activities. While strongly export oriented, Ghanaian farmers also produce local foods for home consumption and for a marketing system that has developed around the main urban centers. Rural household activities also include some food processing, including palm oil production. The fishery is quite important. A modern trawler fleet organizes the offshore catch and supplies both the domestic and overseas markets. Small-scale indigenous canoe crews dominate the inshore harvest and supply the local markets. Traditional crafts have also had a long tradition of importance for items such as pottery, handwoven cloth, carved stools, raffia baskets, and gold jewelry. There are also many tailors and cabinetmakers.

Major Industries. Manufactured goods are dominated by foreign imports, but some local industries have developed, including palm oil milling, aluminum smelting, beer and soft drink bottling, and furniture manufacturing. The service sector is dominated by the government on the high end and the small-scale sector, sometimes referred to as the "informal sector," on the low end. Education and health care are the most important public services. Transport is organized by small-scale owner-operators. Construction is handled by the public, private, or small-scale sector depending upon the nature of the project.

Trade. Cocoa is grown by relatively small-scale indigenous farmers in the forest zone and is exclusively a commercial crop. It is locally marketed through private licensed traders and exported through a public marketing board. Gold is produced by international conglomerates with some Ghanaian partnership. Much of the income from this trade is invested outside the country. Timber is also a large-scale formal-sector enterprise, but there is a trend toward developing a furniture export industry among indigenous artisans. Other exports include fish, palm oil, rubber, manganese, aluminum, and fruits and vegetables. Internal trade and marketing is dominated by small-scale operations and provides a major source of employment, especially for women.

Division of Labor. Formal sector jobs, especially within the public service, are strictly allocated on the basis of educational attainment and paper qualifications. Nevertheless, some ethnic divisions are noticeable. Northerners, especially Mossi, and Togolese hold the more menial positions. Hausa are associated with trade. Kwahu are also heavily engaged in trade and also are the main shopkeepers. Ga and Fante form the main fishing communities, even along the lakes and rivers removed from their coastal homelands. Age divisions are of some importance in the rural economy. Extended family heads can expect their junior brothers, sons, and nephews to assume the major burdens of manual labor.

Social Stratification

Slavery is no longer significant. Traditional royalties are still recognized but have been superseded by Westernized elites. Contemporary stratification is based on education and, to a lesser degree, wealth, both of which have led to significant social mobility since independence. Marked wealth differences have also emerged, but have been moderated by extended family support obligations and the communal rights that most Ghanaians hold in land. Northerners, however, form a noticeable underclass, occupying low status jobs. Bukinabe and Togolese are especially disadvantaged because, as foreigners, they cannot acquire land.

Symbols of Social Stratification. In traditional practice, kings and other hereditary officials marked their status through the use of regalia, such as umbrellas and staves, and the exclusive right to wear expensive clothing, such as kente cloth, and to consume and distribute special imported goods. In modern times, expenditure on Western consumer items has become the dominant status marker. Clothing, both expensive Western and traditional items, is an important symbol of education and wealth. Luxury cars are also significant—a Mercedes-Benz is the most dominant marker of high rank. Status must also be demonstrated in public display, especially in lavish funerals that acclaim both the deceased and their descendants.

Political Life

Government. Although Ghana's national government was originally founded on a British parliamentary model, the current constitution follows an American tricameral system. The country is a multiparty democracy organized under an elected president, a legislature, and an independent judiciary. It is divided into ten administrative regions, exclusively staffed from the central government. Regions are further subdivided into local districts, organized under district assemblies. The majority of assembly members are elected, but some seats are allocated to traditional hereditary rulers. Chiefs also assume the major responsibility for traditional affairs, including stool land transfers, and are significant actors in local political rituals. They are also represented in the National House of Chiefs, which formulates general policies on traditional issues.

Leadership and Political Officials. Indigenous leaders assume hereditary positions but still must cultivate family and popular support, since several candidates within a descent line normally compete for leadership positions. Chiefs can also be deposed. On the national level, Ghana has been under military rule for a good part of its history, and army leadership has been determined by both rank and internal politics. Civilian leaders have drawn support from a variety of fronts. The first president, Nkrumah, developed a dramatic charisma and gave voice to many unrepresented groups in colonial society. K. A. Busia, who followed him after a military interregnum, represented the old guard and also appealed to Ashanti nationalism. Hillal Limann, the third president, identified himself as an Nkrumahist, acquiring power mainly through the application of his professional diplomatic skills. Jerry Rawlings, who led Ghana for 19 years, acquired power initially through the military and was able to capitalize on his position to prevail in civil elections in 1992 and 1996. He stepped down in 2000, and his party was defeated by the opposition, led by John Kufuor.

Ghana has seven political parties. Rawlings National Democratic Party is philosophically leftist and advocates strong central government, nationalism and pan-Africanism. However, during the major portion of its rule it followed a cautious economic approach and initiated a World Bank structural adjustment, liberalization, and privatization program. The current ruling party (as of 2001) is the New Patriotic Party. It has assumed the mantle of the Busia regime and intends to pursue a more conservative political and economic agenda than the previous regime.

Secular politicians are dependent upon the electorate and are easily approachable without elaborate ceremony. Administrators in the public service, however, can be quite aloof. Traditional Akan chiefs and kings are formally invested with quasi-religious status. Their subjects must greet them by prostrating themselves and may talk to them only indirectly through the chief's "linguist."

Social Problems and Control. The Ghanaian legal system is a mixture of British law, applicable to criminal cases, and indigenous custom for civil cases. The formal system is organized under an independent judiciary headed by a supreme court. Its independence, however, has sometimes been compromised by political interference, and, during Rawling's military rule, by the establishment of separate public tribunals for special cases involving political figures. These excesses have since been moderated, although the tribunal system remains in place under the control of the Chief Justice. Civil cases that concern customary matters, such as land, inheritance, and marriage, are usually heard by a traditional chief. Both criminal and civil laws are enforced by a national police force.

People are generally wary of the judicial system, which can involve substantial costs and unpredictable outcomes. They usually attempt to handle infractions and resolve disputes informally through personal appeal and mediation. Strong extended family ties tend to exercise a restraint on deviant behavior, and family meetings are often called to settle problems before they become public. Marital disputes are normally resolved by having the couple meet with the wife's uncle or father, who will take on the role of a marriage counselor and reunite the parties.

Partially because of the effective informal controls, the level of violent crime is low. Theft is the most common infraction. Smuggling is also rampant, but is not often prosecuted since smugglers regularly bribe police or customs agents.

Military Activity. Ghana's military, composed of about eight thousand members, includes an army and a subordinate navy and air force. There is also the People's Militia, responsible for controlling civil disturbances, and a presidential guard. Government support for these services is maintained at approximately 1 percent of GDP. The army leadership has demonstrated a consistent history of coups and formed the national government for approximately half of the time that the country has been independent. Ghana has not been involved in any wars since World War II and has not suffered any civil violence except for a few localized ethnic and sectarian skirmishes. It has participated in peacekeeping operations, though the United Nations, the Organization of African Unity, and the West African Community. The most recent interventions have been in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Social Welfare and Change Programs

Nongovernmental Organizations and Other Associations

Ghana has an active Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) sector, with over 900 registered organizations that participate in welfare and development projects in health, education, microfinancing, women's status, family planning, child care, and numerous other areas. The longest standing groups have been church-based organizations and the Red Cross. Most are supported by foreign donors. Urban voluntary associations, such as ethnic and occupational unions, also offer important social and economic assistance.

Gender Roles and Statuses

Division of Labor by Gender. Gender division varies across different ethnic groups. Among the Akan, women assume the basic domestic and childcare roles. Both genders assume responsibility for basic agriculture production, although men undertake the more laborious tasks and women the more repetitive ones. Women will work on their husbands' farms but will also farm on their own. Traditional craft production is divided according to gender. Men are weavers, carvers, and metalworkers. Women make pottery and engage in food processing. Petty trade, which is a pervasive economic activity, is almost exclusively a woman's occupation. Women independently control any money that they receive from their own endeavors, even though their husbands normally provide the capital funding. Wives, however, assume the main work and financial responsibility for feeding their husbands and children and for other child-care expenses.

Akan women also assume important social, political, and ritual roles. Within the lineage and extended family, female elders assume authority, predominantly over other women. The oldest women are considered to be the ablest advisers and the repositories of family histories.

Among the Ga and Adangme, women are similarly responsible for domestic chores. They do not do any farmwork, however, and are heavily engaged in petty trade. Ga women are especially prominent traders as they control a major portion of the domestic fish industry and the general wholesale trade for Accra, a Ga homeland. Northern and Ewe women, on the other hand, have fewer commercial opportunities and assume heavier agricultural responsibilities in addition to their housekeeping chores.

The Relative Status of Women and Men. In traditional society, women had considerable economic and political powers which derived in part from their ability to control their own income and property without male oversight. Among the matrilineal Akan they also regularly assumed high statuses within the lineage and the kingdom, even though their authority was often confined to women's affairs. Colonialism and modernization has changed women's position in complex ways. Women have retained and expanded their trading opportunities and can sometimes acquire great wealth through their businesses. Men have received wider educational opportunities, however, and are better represented in government and formal sector employment. A modest women's movement has developed to address gender differences and advance women's causes.

Marriage, Family, and Kinship

Marriage. Tradition dictates that family elders arrange the marriages of their dependents. People are not allow to marry within their lineages, or for the Akan, their wider clan groups. There is a preference, however, for marriage between cross-cousins (children of a brother and sister). The groom's family is expected to pay a bride-price. Polygyny is allowed and attests to the wealth and power of men who can support more than one wife. Chiefs mark their status by marrying dozens of women. Having children is the most important focus of marriage and a husband will normally divorce an infertile wife. Divorce is easily obtained and widespread, as is remarriage. Upon a husband's death, his wife is expected to marry his brother, who also assumes responsibility for any children.

The spread of Western values and a cash economy have modified customary marriage patterns. Christians are expected to have only one wife. Monogamy is further supported by the ability of men to marry earlier than they could in traditional society because of employment and income opportunities in the modern sector. Young men and women have also been granted greater latitude to choose whom they marry. Accordingly, the incidence of both polygyny and cousin marriage is low. There is, however, a preference for marriages within ethnic groups, especially between people from the same town of origin.

Domestic Unit. The basic household group is formed on a complex set of traditional and contemporary forces. Akan custom allows for a variety of forms. The standard seems to have been natalocal, a system in which each spouse remained with his or her family of origin after marriage. Children would remain with their mothers and residential units would consist of generations of brothers, sisters, and sisters' children. Wives, however, would be linked to their husbands economically. Men were supposed to provide support funds and women were supposed to cook for their husbands. Alternative forms were also present including avunculocal residence, in which a man would reside with his mother's brother upon adulthood, and patrilocality, in which children would simply remain with their fathers upon adulthood. In all of these arrangements men would assume the basic role of household head, but women had some power especially if they were elderly and had many younger women under their authority.

The Akan domestic arrangements are based on matrilineal principles. All other Ghanaian ethnic groups are patrilineal and tend toward patrilocal residence. The Ga, however, have developed an interesting pattern of gender separation. Men within a lineage would live in one structure, and their wives and unmarried female relatives would live in a nearby one. In the north, patrilocal forms were complicated by a high incidence of polygynous marriage. A man would assign a separate hut to each of his wives, and, after their sons married, to each of their wives. The man would act has household head but delegate much of the domestic management to his wives, especially senior wives with several daughters-in-law.

Inheritance. Most Ghanaian inheritance systems share two features: a distinction between family and individual property and a preference for siblings over children as heirs. Among the matrilineal Akan, family property is inherited without subdivision, in the first instance by the oldest surviving brother. When the whole generation of siblings dies out, the estate then goes to the eldest sister's eldest son. Women can also inherit, but there is a preference for men's property to pass on to other men and women's to other women. Private property can be passed on to wives and children of the deceased through an oral or written will. In most cases, it will be divided equally among wives, children, and matrilineal family members. Private property passed on to a child remains private. If it is inherited within the matrilineage, it becomes family property. Among patrilineal groups, sibling inheritance applies as well, but the heir will be expected to support the children of the deceased. If he assumes responsibility for several adult nephews he will invariably share the estate with them.

Kin Groups. Localized, corporate lineage groups are the basic units of settlement, resource ownership, and social control. Among the Akan, towns and villages are comprised of distinct wards in which matrilineal descendants ( abusua ) of the same ancestress reside. Members of this group jointly own a block of farmland in which they hold hereditary tenure rights. They usually also own the rights to fill an office in the settlement's wider administration. The royal lineage holds title to the chief's and queen mother's position. Lineages have an internal authority structure under the male lineage elder ( abusua panyin ), who decides on joint affairs with the assistance of other male and female elders. The lineage is also a ritual unit, holding observances and sacrifices for its important ancestors. Patrilineal groups in Ghana attach similar economic, political, and ritual importance to the lineage system.

Socialization

Infant Care. Young children are treated with affection and indulgence. An infant is constantly with its mother, who carries it on her back wrapped in a shawl throughout the day. At night it sleeps with its parents. Breast-feeding occurs on demand and may continue until the age of two. Toilet training and early discipline are relaxed. Babies receive a good deal of stimulation, especially in social contexts. Siblings, aunts, uncles, and other relatives take a keen interest in the child and often assume caretaking responsibilities, sometimes on an extended basis.

Child Rearing and Education. Older children receive considerably less pampering and occupy the bottom of an age hierarchy. Both boys and girls are expected to be respectful and obedient and, more essentially, to take significant responsibilities for domestic chores, including tending their younger siblings. They are also expected to defer to adults in a variety of situations.

Coming of age is marked within many Ghanaian cultures by puberty ceremonies for girls that must be completed before marriage or childbirth. These are celebrated on an individual rather than a group basis. Boys have no corresponding initiation or puberty rites. Most children attend primary school, but secondary school places are in short supply. The secondary system is based mainly on boarding schools in the British tradition and resulting fees are inhibitive. Most adolescents are engaged in helping on the farm or in the family business in preparation for adult responsibilities. Many enter apprenticeships in small business operations in order to learn a trade. The less fortunate take on menial employment, such as portering, domestic service, or roadside hawking.

Higher Education. Only a tiny percentage of the population has the opportunity to enter a university or similar institution. University students occupy a high status and actively campaign, sometimes through strikes, to maintain their privileges. Graduates can normally expect high-paying jobs, especially in the public sector. Attendance at overseas institutions is considered particularly prestigious.

Ghanaians place great emphasis on politeness, hospitality, and formality. Upon meeting, acquaintances must shake hands and ask about each other's health and families. Visitors to a house must greet and shake hands with each family member. They are then seated and greeted in turn by all present. Hosts must normally provide their guests with something to eat and drink, even if the visit does not occur at a mealtime. If a person is returning from or undertaking a long journey, a libation to the ancestors is usually poured. If someone is eating, he or she must invite an unexpected visitor to join him or her. Normally, an invitation to eat cannot be refused.

Friends of the same age and gender hold hands while walking. Great respect is attached to age and social status. A younger person addresses a senior as father or mother and must show appropriate deference. It is rude to offer or take an object or wave with the left hand. It is also rude to stare or point at people in public. Such English words as "fool(ish)," "silly," or "nonsense," are highly offensive and are used only in extreme anger.

Religious Beliefs. Christianity, Islam, and traditional African religions claim a roughly equal number of adherents. Christians and Muslims, however, often follow some forms of indigenous practice, especially in areas that do not directly conflict with orthodox belief. Moreover, some Christian sects incorporate African elements, such as drumming, dancing, and possession.

Traditional supernatural belief differs according to ethnic group. Akan religion acknowledges many spiritual beings, including the supreme being, the earth goddess, the higher gods ( abosom ), the ancestors, and a host of spirits and fetishes. The ancestors are perhaps the most significant spiritual force. Each lineage reveres its important deceased members both individually and collectively. They are believed to exist in the afterlife and benefit or punish their descendants, who must pray and sacrifice to them and lead virtuous lives. Ancestral beliefs are also built into political rites, as the ancestors of the royal lineage, especially deceased kings and chiefs, serve as major foci for general public observance.

Religious Practitioners. The abosom are served by priests and priestess ( akomfo ), who become possessed by the god's spirit. In this state, they are able to divine the causes of illnesses and misfortunes and to recommend sacrifices and treatments to remedy them. They have also played an important role in Akan history. Okomfo Anokye was a priest who brought down the golden stool, the embodiment of the Ashanti nation, from heaven. Lesser priests and priestesses serve the shrines of fetishes, minor spirits, and focus on cures and magic charms. Family elders also assume religious functions in their capacity as organizers of ancestral rites. Chiefs form the focus of rituals for the royal ancestors and assume sacred importance in their own right as quasi-divine beings.

Rituals and Holy Places. The most important rituals revolve around the cycle of ancestral and royal observances. The main form is the adae ceremony, in which prayers are made to the ancestors through the medium of carved stools that they owned in their lifetimes. These objects are kept in a family stool house and brought out every six weeks, when libations are poured and animals sacrificed. Royal stools are afforded special attention. The adae sequence culminates in the annual odwira festival, when the first fruits of the harvest are given to the abosom and the royal ancestors in large public ceremonies lasting several days. Royal installations and funerals also assume special ritual importance and are marked by sacrifices, drumming, and dancing.

Death and the Afterlife. Death is one of the most important events in society and is marked by most ethnic groups and religions by elaborate and lengthy funeral observances that involve the whole community. People were traditionally buried beneath the floors of their houses, but this custom is now practiced only by traditional rulers, and most people are interred in cemeteries. After death, the soul joins the ancestors in the afterworld to be revered and fed by descendants within the family. Eventually the soul will be reborn within the same lineage to which it belonged in its past life. People sometimes see a resemblance to a former member in an infant and name it accordingly. They may even apply the relevant kinship term, such as mother or uncle, to the returnee.

Medicine and Health Care

Ghana has a modern medical system funded and administered by the government with some participation by church groups, international agencies, and NGOs. Facilities are scarce and are predominantly located in the cities and large towns. Some dispensaries staffed by nurses or pharmacists have been established in rural areas and have been effective in treating common diseases such as malaria.

Traditional medicine and medical practitioners remain important because of the dearth of public facilities and the tendency for Ghanaians to patronize indigenous and modern systems simultaneously. Customary treatments for disease focus equally on supernatural causes, the psychosociological environment, and medicinal plants. Abosom priests and priestesses deal with illness through prayer, sacrifice, divination, and herbal cures. Keepers of fetish shrines focus more heavily on magical charms and herbs, which are cultivated in a garden adjoining the god's inclosure. More secularly oriented herbalists focus primarily on medicinal plants that they grow, gather from the forest, or purchase in the marketplace. Some members of this profession specialize in a narrow range of conditions, for example, bonesetters, who make casts and medicines for broken limbs.

Some interconnections between the modern and traditional systems have developed. Western trained doctors generally adopt a preference for injections in response to the local belief that medicines for the most serious diseases must be introduced into the blood. They have also been investigating the possible curative efficacy of indigenous herbs, and several projects for developing new drugs from these sources have been initiated.

Secular Celebrations

Aside from the major Christian and Islamic holidays, Ghana celebrates New Year's Day, Independence Day (6 March), Worker's Day (1 May), Republic Day (1 July), and Revolution Day (31 December). New Year's Day follows the usually western pattern of partying. Independence Day is the main national holiday celebrating freedom from colonial rule and is marked by parades and political speeches. The remaining holidays are also highly politicized and provide forums for speeches by the major national leaders. Revolution Day is especially important for the ruling party as it marks the anniversary of Rawlings' coup.

The Arts and the Humanities

Support for the Arts. The arts are primarily self supporting, but there are some avenues of government financing and sponsorship. The publically funded University of Ghana, through the Institute for African Studies, provides a training ground for artists, especially in traditional music and dance, and hosts an annual series of public performances. The government also regularly hosts pan-African arts festivals, such as PANAFEST, and sends Ghanaian artists and performers to similar celebrations in other African countries.

Literature. While there is a small body of written literature in indigenous languages, Ghanaians maintain a rich oral tradition, both through glorification of past chiefs and folktales enjoyed by popular audiences. Kwaku Ananse, the spider, is an especially well-known folk character, and his clever and sometimes self-defeating exploits have been sources of delight across generations. Literature in English is well developed and at least three authors, Ayi Kwei Armah, and Efua Sutherland, and Ama Ata Aiddo, have reached international audiences.

Graphic Arts. Ghana is known for a rich tradition of graphic arts. Wood carving is perhaps the most important. The focus of the craft is on the production of stools that are carved whole from large logs to assume the form of abstract designs or animals. These motifs generally represent proverbial sayings. The stools are not merely mundane items, but become the repositories of the souls of their owners after death and objects of family veneration. Carving is also applied to the production of staves of traditional office, drums, dolls, and game boards. Sculpting in metal is also important and bronze and iron casting techniques are used to produce gold weights and ceremonial swords. Ghanaians do not make or use masks, but there are some funerary effigies in clay. Pottery is otherwise devoted to producing simple domestic items. Textiles are well developed, especially handwoven kente, and stamped adinkra cloths.

Most of the traditional crafts involve artists who work according to standardized motifs to produce practical or ceremonial items. Purely aesthetic art is a modern development and there is only a small community of sculptors and painters who follow Western models of artistic production.

Performance Arts. Most performances occur in the context of traditional religious and political rites, which involve intricate drumming and dancing. While these are organized by trained performers, a strong emphasis on audience participation prevails. Modern developments have encouraged the formation of professional troupes, who perform on public occasions, at international festivals, and in theaters and hotel lounges. The University of Ghana houses the Ghana Dance Ensemble, a national institution with an international reputation. More popular modern forms focus on high life music, a samba-like dance style, which is played in most urban nightclubs.

The State of the Physical and Social Sciences

Ghana's economy is not able to support a robust research and development infrastructure. Scientific developments are modest and focus on the most critical practical concerns. The major research establishment is located in Ghana's three universities and in government departments and public corporations. Research in the physical sciences is heavily focused on agriculture, particularly cocoa. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi concentrates on civil and industrial engineering and medicine. The Ministry of Health also has an active research agenda, which is complemented by World Health Organization activities. Social sciences focus on economic and development issues. The Institute for Statistical, Social, and Economic Research at the University of Ghana has conducted numerous surveys on rural and urban production and income patterns and on household economies and child welfare. The government statistical service carries out demographic and economic research into such areas as income distribution and poverty. Demographic issues are also investigated through the Population Impact Project at the University of Ghana. Education research and development forms another major concern and is the focus for activities at Ghana's third higher education facility, the University of Cape Coast.

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—B RIAN S CHWIMMER

User Contributions:

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:.

How to Write an Essay about a Country

In this tutorial, you will learn how to write an essay about any country.

This method will work for a paper you have to write for Sociology, Economics, a History class, or for any other discipline you can imagine.

The biggest challenge when writing an essay is coming up with material.

And the easiest way to keep your ideas flowing is to break your topic into subtopics.

Let’s see how this works.

Our subject is a country. Any country.

How would we go about breaking the idea of a country into aspects or parts?

What are some of the parts a country may have?

The easiest way to break up a topic is to use the Power of Three!

And which three aspects are relevant to any country? Which three things does any country have?

• Any country has a political aspect. Politics is all about the government. It answers the question, “What are the political forces and relationships among them?”
• Any country has a social aspect. This part of the paper will answer the question, “How do people live in this country?” The social aspect is about the people of the country.
• “What are the major economic forces in this country”
• “How do they shape the country?”
• “Is the country going through an economic hardship?”

These are three wonderful ways to discuss and to structure an essay about a country.

What else can we do?

We can talk about a country in terms of the past, the present, and the future. Let’s see what this looks like.

• The past. This section will answer the question, “How was this country in the past?”
• The present. This section will the answer the question, “How is the country doing today?”
• The future. This part will answer the question, “What can be predicted about this country?”

Again, this is a wonderful way to discuss any country.

You can combine these different aspects to form a longer essay.

In fact, you can write as long an essay as you want.

Let’s say we’re writing about a country in terms of the past, the present and the future. What could we write about in each section?

We are already using the Power of Three to create the main structure. Now we can use the Power of Three to break up each of the sections into three subsections.

• And we can talk about the political, social ,and economic aspects in section 1 about the past. In other words, how was this country in the past politically, socially, and economically?
• In the next section, we discuss how this country fares in the present politically, socially, and economically.
• And finally, what can be predicted about this country politically, socially, and economically?

Hope this makes sense.

You can actually do this differently. You can have three sections that are devoted to politics, society, and economics.

You can still use the Power of Three, and you can use it in reverse.

• In the first section , you would talk about the past, the present, and the future of this country in terms of politics.
• In the next section , you would talk about the society in the past, in the present, and in the future.
• And in the final section , you would talk about the past, the present and the future of this country’s economy.

Note that countries have a lot more different aspects to them. For example, you can discuss any country in terms of:

• Ethnic diversity

You can use any of these aspects. Just don’t forget to use the Power of Three to make your life easier 🙂

If you struggle with essay writing in general, check out this tutorial I wrote on essay writing for beginners .

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6 simple ways to improve sentence structure in your essays, essay writing for beginners: 6-step guide with examples, 10 solid essay writing tips to help you improve quickly, how to expand an essay – 4 tips to increase the word count.

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Field Trip to Ghana

Introduction.

Field trips offer a good learning experience for students. It is during such trips students have the opportunity to apply practical knowledge they have theoretically acquired in class. Over time, there has been a shift in regards to the purpose of travel. Initially, travel was meant to be a leisure activity. However, with the advent of globalization, the focus of travel has shifted serving as a symbol of social responsibility. A typical example can be tourism. The various forms of tourism, for example, pro-poor tourism, ecotourism, and dark tourism have suddenly gained popularity worldwide. Despite Ghana being one of the fastest developing nations, it has also gained a remarkable reputation as being a dream destination for tourists. Efforts are underway in Ghana to improve its deteriorating international image in order to regain its rightful position as a remarkable tourist destination country.

Ghana was essential in helping promote voluntarism through the practical implementation of the things taught in class. The trip offers a chance for us to achieve a lot within a short period of time. For instance, it was the best chance for me to develop myself into a responsible individual by working as a volunteer. As such, I am able to offer my best to those who deserve it more in society. It offers an opportunity to undertake something revolutionary, as well as the devotion of time and effort in achieving the set goals. By so doing, this has a long term positive impact on the Ghanaians. The trip was much different from what I had initially expected but it provided an opportunity to work with several NGOs, orphanages, governmental organizations, as well as schools in Ghana. Many of these groups were more than willing to welcome and work with volunteers outside their country to improve the lives of others.

The paper aims to outline and deeply evaluate my personal, academic, and destination motivations for the Ghana field trip module. As a student of tourism, my interest in the field of tourism has blossomed during my high school years. I like to explore different places around the globe and actively take part in all sorts of cultural and social events. I personally feel that the Ghana field trip module is the first essential step for me towards achieving my goals in the field of tourism.

Reflection on my motivations, expectations, and outcomes

Ghana field trip is a massive opportunity to deeply explore Ghanaian culture; it will also give me a chance to do research activities in both the field of tourism and development at the same time. There are many other things about this module that not only motivate me to achieve my personal goals in tourism but at the same time, they inspire me to do something for humanity. As I belong to one of the developing countries, Pakistan, a field trip in Ghana can offer me a lot, which I can use towards the betterment of Ghanaians, Pakistani as well the whole world. I have worked with some Non Profit Organizations in my native country but I believe working with international NGOs like Amizade will help me grow as a positive, self-motivated, and encouraging individual. I will be able to critically explore and evaluate the issues of developing countries to some extent.

Furthermore, I feel that the Ghana trip is an attractive and professionally oriented module and can truly help me to accomplish my goal of becoming an expert in the field of tourism. The research activities will enhance my learning experience. The leading motivation behind the Ghana trip is not only the attractive and beautiful beaches like that at Busua and Dixocve or old European forts, such as the cape coast castle but it is a kind of destination that will not only portray the social and economic issues, it is also the symbol of culture, languages, beliefs.

In a nutshell, I am really excited about this trip but, on the other side, there are certain fears and strange feelings that come to my mind as I think a lot about the general opinion of people. I hope that with time, these fears will fade away in my memories. There is no doubt about the fact that Ghana is a leading destination and has the potential to grow its tourism; it will be able to resolve its social issues with the help of tourism.

While reading, I have known a lot about Ghana. For instance, the book that was of much help to me was the Ghana Reader. The book gave me a glimpse of how Ghana, as a country, looks like. Before the field, I had an opportunity to watch many documentaries and videos on the Ghanaian culture. My interest in Ghana grew from time to time, before the trip, as I talked to friends at the University about Ghana. As a result, it greatly motivated me as I always looked forward to the trip. Furthermore, my personal experience taught me that authenticity is a key phenomenon in the world of tourism, through which travel experiences are enhanced. By traveling, we get an opportunity to learn about the culture of the local people. As such, my expectation before the trip was to enable me to fulfill my travel desires. In spending more with the people, it is an opportunity to learn who the Ghanaian people are.

Ghana as a country is blessed with numerous attraction sites. I was excited about visiting all the places we had learned about during our course work. For instance, I looked forward to visiting the Cape Coast Castle and Kakum National Park. Given that traveling is always full of adventure, my expectation was that the trip was to be full of fun as well as adventure. The outcome of the trip was to be different from other trips made before. First, through interacting with other students and the local people, the environment was bound to be very professional. Moreover, interviews conducted could be useful as I complete my international project in tourism, later on in the course of my study. Career-wise, the trip offers a platform for me to develop my research and teamwork skills acquired in the course of the semester.

Nevertheless, I discovered that my expectations for the trip in a developing country were high and unrealistic. While on the trip, we did experience numerous challenges that left us frustrated. For instance, on arrival at the Kotoka International Airport, the climate was so unpleasant with no air conditioner at the Airport. However, we remained calm as we understood that we were in a developing country for a worthy course. We were excited as the Ghanaians gave us a warm welcome. We took photographs with them as we met school girls too. While on the way to our hotel from the airport, we were met with the reality on the ground. Pictures of young children selling foodstuffs at the bus stations showed the poverty levels in the country. At their age, many of them to be in school rather than be involved in trading activities. Ghanaians live in vulnerable conditions that necessitated the presence of NGOs.

It was motivating to see Ghanaians still doing their best despite the hard living conditions in the country. Many families are so poor to even afford basic necessities but this has not stopped them from pursuing their dreams. To me, it really motivates me to serve humanity as I see myself as having been blessed in life. One is motivated to stop complaining too much about what they have not achieved in life in order to be thankful for what they have. I am motivated to look beyond simple things in life and appreciate the numerous problems in many of the developing countries in the world.

Reflection on my learning, connecting my experiences on the trip to learning in classes in my program

Practical experiences offer a good opportunity for students to connect what they have acquired in class with what actually goes on in the real world. The Ghana trip provided me with such an opportunity. Prior to the trip, I had read a lot of information about Ghana. I knew Ghana was one of the fastest developing countries from the videos and documentaries I managed to find and watch. Moreover, it was said to be a country endowed with numerous tourist attractions. As such, the picture I had in my mind was of a country with on-going infrastructural projects. However, the high poverty levels in the country make the condition different once one steps in Ghana. Provision of basic services like education, for example, is difficult as many families cannot afford to pay fees for their children. Parents do face a trade-off between household consumption and children’s school fees. As earlier learned in class, developing countries experience a myriad of problems, hence there is the need for partnering between different stakeholders.

According to Chimombo (2005), partnership in the education sector in developing countries has been remarkable (p. 129). Consequently, there were numerous NGOs in Ghana working on improving the living conditions, as well as the provision of education in partnership with the government. In addition to this, there was an NGO called “Challenging Heights” which sensitizes communities on issues of child rights, child labor, and child trafficking. Normally, many developing countries face the challenge of child trafficking as children are trafficked mainly due to poverty in many families. This organization was founded by a Ghanaian, James Kofi Annan, who was trafficked while still young. There are, however, many other NGOs that are working with communities to reduce the HIV/AIDS Scourge, as well as women empowerment in Ghana.

Furthermore, it became evident to me the need for developing countries to embrace the green growth concept, which is to act as a new source of growth given the increasing environmental and economic challenges experienced in developing countries. Ghana is one of the countries already implementing the concept. The green growth idea facilitates sustainable economic development through poverty reduction strategies aimed at efficiency in the use of natural resources (OECD, 2012, p. 5). The green growth concept helps developing countries, especially given the fact that they face severe social, economic, and ecological challenges. These threats include water, energy, and food insecurity. Additionally, there are risks from premature deaths as a result of poor water quality and pollution. If applied well, the green growth concept ensures that there is sustainable development in developing countries like Ghana.

Impact on future

My experiences impacted my future aspirations in various ways. First of all, the trip gave me a first-hand experience of the quality of life in developing countries, hence changed my perspective. During the stay in Ghana, we interacted with some local people, eating their meals, and engaging in their daily activities. I learned much of the culture of the Ghanaians. Additionally, in the future, I would love to dedicate my life to volunteerism. I would travel to developing countries to offer my knowledge and available resources in helping improve the living conditions of the poor. To this extent, traveling will no longer be about leisure but rather a worthy course. The trip gave me an opportunity to understand the role of partnerships in the provision of essential human services in society. For instance, I am now better positioned to understand the vital role that NGOs play in their humanitarian course. My Ghanaian experience would be crucial in helping me pursue my career in international tourism in the future.

To sum it up, it must be mentioned that globalization has played a critical role in changing the tourism sector worldwide. Currently, many tourists no longer travel to various destinations only for leisure purposes. Travel is associated with an added advantage to local communities as tourists end up offering their services in improving the lives of the people, especially in helping vulnerable communities mainly in developing countries. Our trip to Ghana is a typical case. The trip helped dispel fears and stereotypes concerning developing countries. I discovered that Ghanaians are friendly people who are willing to welcome visitors into their lovely country. Despite the difficulties in the country, the locals are always working hard to realize their dreams, which is in turn motivated me personally. My expectations before the trip were met and realized while visiting Ghana.

Reference List

Chimombo, J. P 2005, ‘Issues in Basic Education in Developing Countries: An Exploration of Policy Options for Improved Delivery,’ Journal of International Cooperation in Education, Vol.8, No.1, pp.129-152.

OECD, 2012, ‘ Green Growth and Developing Countries: A Summary for Policy Makers , Web.

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English Vocabulary: Lesson 4-Describe Your Country (with solid examples!)

L earn how to describe your country!

Where do you come from?

You probably hear this question all the time, especially if you live in a place where you are a foreigner. What do you answer then?

• I come from Malawi.
• I’m from Malawi. What about you? Where are you from?
• I’m originally from Malawi, the warm heart of Africa.
• I hail from a small, landlocked country in southeast Africa. (More formal and descriptive)
• I was born in Malawi.
• I am Malawian.

As you can see, there are many different ways of tackling this question.

Types of Countries

How your country is governed can help you describe it.

Is your country a democratic republic or is it a dictatorship? Is there a parliament? Are leaders elected or not?

Here are some forms of government you might wish to get acquainted with.

Republic: A country that is usually governed by elected representatives and a president. The supreme power is held by the people.

Constitutional Monarchy : The country is ruled by a king or queen. However the powers are limited by a set of laws and principles.

Absolute Monarchy : A system of government that is led by a king and a queen who exercise full power over their subjects.

Emirate: It is a kingdom or country that is ruled by an Arab monarch who is called an emir.

Federation: It is when a group of states with different backgrounds form a country.

Theocracy: This is a country that is governed by religious leaders.

Sample Description

Malawi, the country where I come from, is a republic. Parliamentary and presidential elections are held every five years. Any one who is at least 18 years old can vote for a leader of his or her choice. It is a multi-party system whereby several political parties are allowed to prosper. In the past, we used to have a one-party state ruled by a single president .

Your Turn : What type of government system do you have in your country?

Where is your country located? Is it in the northern hemisphere or southern hemisphere? Is your country an island in the middle of an ocean or sea?

You could also talk about the countries that border yours.

Poland, the country where I live, is located in central Europe. It is bordered by Belarus and Ukraine to the east, Germany to the west, Slovakia and Czech Republic to the south and Lithuania and the Baltic Sea to the north. Poland is in the northern hemisphere since it lies above the Equator .

You can equally talk about the major cities that are found in your country. Are they famous for something worldwide? Paris, in France, is admired by many tourists for its cultural heritage. What makes your cities stand out or not?

I live in Warsaw, the largest and capital city of Poland. It is well-known for its UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Old Town. This metropolis is considered as a major tourist destination in Europe and has a significant role to play in international politics and economics. It is part of the European Union but does not use its currency, the Euro.

Landmarks, Adjectives and Numbers

We have dealt with these definitions previously (check Monday’s , Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s lessons). Be as descriptive as possible when tackling these points.

These can be mountains, water bodies such as lakes, rivers and seas. A distinctive monument or building can also act as a landmark.

There are a variety of Adjectives out there. Here are a few more examples: well-developed, progressive, democratic, peace-loving, regressive, developing, wealthy, affluent, prosperous, impoverished, failed, etc.

Below are some Adjectives to describe the African continent. Some of them can be used for countries as well. Remember, Africa is not a country!

When I was young, we used to have less than ten traffic lights in the whole country! I was thus surprised to see so many in Paris the first time I went there. It was mind-blowing.

What are the surprising or staggering figures in your country? The size of the population? The number of unemployed people? The birth rate? What about the density of doctors?

You can really do something interesting here. Ask friends or older people and they might have some stories to tell you that can be quite revealing about your country.

Further Exploration : Describe your country

Download PDF Files

• Describe Your Country, Learn English With Africa, May 2019, PDF
• Flags of African Countries, Learn English With Africa, May 2019, PDF
• African Countries and their Capital Cities, Learn English With Africa, May 2019, PDF
• English Vocabulary (Describing Places): Lesson 1-Where do You Live?
• English Vocabulary (Describing Places): Lesson 2-What is Your House Like?
• English Vocabulary: Lesson 3-Describe Your City or Village

About the Author

Thandi Ngwira Gatignol is the founder of  Learn English With Africa . She was born on June 11th, 1981 in Blantyre, Malawi. When she was 19, she left her country of birth for France. She currently lives with her two daughters and husband in Poland.

Thandi holds a Bachelor’s degree in English studies obtained at the Université Paris X Nanterre in France and a Certificate in Journalism from Malawi. She has taught English as a French Ministry of Education certified teacher both in France and in Poland. She speaks six languages fluently, including French, Polish and Italian. She is now learning Kiswahili, German and Spanish.  Salt No More  is her debut novel and you can find her other books  here  on the website or on  Amazon .

Course Title:  English Vocabulary: Lesson 4-Describe Your Country (with solid examples!)  © Learn English With Africa, February 2021

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Three Biggest Problems in the Developing Country-Ghana Essay

Introduction, explanation of problems, recommendations.

Ghana is a developing country because it has not demonstrated signs of a fully developed country. As a developing country, Ghana has a low-level material well being which has been caused by the three biggest problems in the country viz. illiteracy, poverty, and AIDS.

Actually, as exposited in this paper, the three greatest problems have continually crippled Ghana’s economic growth for long and if necessary measures are not implemented, then the problems will continue to stultify any meaningful economic growth in Ghana.

Problem 1: AIDS

One of the biggest problems in Ghana is AIDS, which has been a serious epidemic in the country. This has been a big problem in the country because half population in Ghana lives with AIDS. AIDS in Ghana has infected both adults and children. Women are the most infected by the pandemic as shown by statistics.

According to Patterson and Haven (2004), sixty percent of the women in Ghana, between the age of fifteen and forty-nine were infected with AIDS by the end of 2007 (p.30). Thousands of children in Ghana are orphans because of AIDS and the number might increase if the government and other bodies do not act appropriately to arrest the situation.

The situation will only become worse in the coming years if the epidemic is not controlled because most people affected by the pandemic are young individuals at the reproductive age. The situation has effects on the economy and development of the country. Ghana’s infection rate stands at three percent and even though it’s a relatively low rate compared to that of South Africa which stands at 20 percent, the trend is still worrying (Patterson & Haven, 2004, p.30).

The number of the AIDS victims has been increasing since 2003. AIDS in Ghana could not have been a serious pandemic if measures to control it had been initiated early enough. Hitherto, many people could not talk openly about it, and that explains why it resulted into a big problem. Lack of enough sex education and awareness has been the driving factors that make AIDS a big problem in Ghana.

Problem 2: Education and Literacy

As stated by Opoku-Amankwa and Brew-Hammond, (2011, p. 100), illiteracy is the inability to read and write, and it comes along with lack of understanding. Illiteracy has been one of the biggest problems in Ghana because more than thirty percent of Ghanaians are illiterate. Illiteracy problem in Ghana needs to be addressed because the country lacks benefits associated with literacy.

The problem is severe in Ghana because illiterate parents tend to get large families and they are not able educate their children. The problem of illiteracy has been prevalent because most parents in the districts are not literate and thus they do not see the need of educating their children.

Illiteracy has been a thorn in Ghana’s economy for a long time and if the situation is not addressed urgently, it might have serious consequences as it has been in India and other places across the globe. The driving factor behind illiteracy in Ghana hinges on culture of neglecting education amongst the people in rural areas and lack of access to modern social services.

Problem 3: Poverty

Like in many other third world countries, poverty has been a big problem in Ghana because it has mostly affected people living in Ghana’s rural areas. More than a half of the country’s population live in rural areas and most of them have limited access to necessities like electricity, good road networks and telephone services (Yeboah, 2010, p. 51).

The northern savannah region of Ghana has the poorest people who are food crop farmers. The problem of poverty, mostly in the rural areas, has been prevalent for long time and even though policy makers have labored greatly to improve the situation, little has changed.

There has been low productivity and poor markets for agricultural products, which has resulted to poverty in the rural areas. The driving factor that keeps the issue of poverty in the rural areas of Ghana is lack of basic social services. As Todaro and Smith put it, poverty affects the quality of life and it promotes inequality in the country (2009, p. 380).

Policy 1: AIDS

In response to the AIDS problem in Ghana, the government in 2001 formed Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC); a body that coordinates all the activities related to AIDS in the country. Since its formation in 2001, the body has dealt with National Strategic Framework on AIDS prevention.

Sex education has been one of the policies used by the Ghanaian government through Ghana AIDs Commission to prevent spread of AIDS: a course that has been supported by Non Governmental Organizations and other international organizations across the world.

Education about AIDs in Ghana has helped to reduce the spread of the virus, which has consequently improved the lifestyle of many people living in the country. With decreased spread of AIDS, the economy of the country has grown because people have become more productive.

According to Teye (2005), the use of condoms has been one of the policies that have been used by GAC in preventing the spread of AIDS (p.70). The commission has ensured that there is a proper channel of condom distribution for safer sex. Nevertheless, the policy has been faced with numerous challenges of prices where people from some areas complain of high prices.

The partial failure caused by the high prices of condoms increases the spread of AIDS in Ghana and the problem has to be dealt with befittingly. Failure by the government to supply enough condoms and regulate prices of the same underscores the reason why some people cannot practice safe sex through condom use.

Policy 2: Education and Literacy

The policy used in the past to promote literacy in Ghana was Mass Education, which aimed at wiping out illiteracy in the country. Kwame Nkrumah, a former president, initiated the policy in 1951 and it was referred to as Nkrumah’s Mass education by then. However, the current policy being used to promote literacy by the government of Ghana is The Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education.

The implementation of the latter policy has led to changes in the economy because individuals are able to carry out their daily activities. People are able to understand labels and read signpost on the roads. Individuals who could not participate in the national development are now able to participate and it has brought great positive changes in the economy.

Individuals from Ghana have changed their lifestyles because they are able to understand machinery instructions. The number of illiterate people in Ghana is decreasing due to the introduction of the education policy and this has been proved by the United Nations Development Program statistics, which ranked Ghana at position 149 with 65% literacy rate in 2009.

The program has succeeded in reducing illiteracy amongst the young people according to Literacy projects in Ghana bear fruits (1996, p.10). Many people have enrolled for the basic education and positive results have been realized so far. The only failure that has been associated with the education problem is that most of the adults in interior rural areas are not able to access education due to lack of interest and detrimental culture that disregards education.

Policy 3: Poverty

In 2008, the government instituted the Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty Program aimed to help the poor people improve their lives. Importantly, the aim of the programme was to provide schooling to the orphans, health insurance, and economic empowerment to the poor.

The programme has brought changes to the economy because individuals are able to get necessities, which has led to a GDP growth of 7.3 percent in 2008, from 4.8 percent in the past decade. Individuals have changed their lifestyles because they receive health insurances and orphans get access to education. The extremely poor people improved their livelihood and they no longer spend nights without food.

Unfortunately, the success of the program did not last for a long time because the policy collapsed and allowances are no longer paid. The government has been the reason behind the failures but nothing much is lost and if necessary measures take effect, a lot can be salvaged in terms of economic growth.

To minimize the spread of AIDS infections, more awareness should be created through increased sexual education. People in Ghana should be taught how to be cautious in sexual matters. The benefit of sexual education is that it covers available prevention methods.

Teachers in schools should teach students how to control the epidemic. Increased education to all age groups will reduce and stop the spread.

The country should seek to have many education programs and policies that will enable the country to fight and reduce if not eliminate illiteracy. The country should invest in the rural areas where most of the illiterate people live. The programmes used should adjust to the people’s lifestyles; for example, the adults can be taught in the evening at their free time.

To reduce poverty levels in the rural areas, the country is supposed to revive the Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty Programme. This will bring back the gains that have been lost by the government. The country should also help the rural people to access basic services for such will help people to improve their farming and reduce the poverty levels.

The three biggest problems in Ghana, a developing country, have been poverty, illiteracy and AIDS. The policy, initiated by Ghana AIDS Commission, to use condoms failed because of lack of proper planning.

Together with sex education, the government should control the prices of condoms in all districts and make sure that there is proper distribution. Illiteracy has deprived the country some of the advantages that are associated with literacy.

Education programmes should adjust to the needs of people; they should target children and youth in the rural areas that are at the risk of being illiterate. Poverty, which has been a great problem in Ghana rural areas, should be addressed by promoting agriculture in the country.

Literacy projects in Ghana bear fruit. (1996). Reading Today , 14(1), 10. Retrieved from EBSCO host .

Opoku-Amankwa, K., & Brew-Hammond, A. (2011). Defining and developing literacy in Basic schools in Ghana. International Journal of Bilingual Education & Bilingualism , 14(1), 100.

Patterson, A. S., & Haven, B. (2004). African State Policies on HIV/AIDS: A Comparison Of Ghana and South Africa. Conference Papers — Midwestern Political Science Association , 30-36.

Teye, J. (2005). Condom use as a means of HIV/AIDS prevention and fertility control Among the Krobos of Ghana. Norwegian Journal of Geography , 59(1), 67-73.

Todaro, M, P., Smith, S, C. (2009). Economic development. New York: Prentice Hall.

Yeboah, M. (2010). Urban Poverty, Livelihood, and Gender: Perceptions and Experiences of Porters in Accra, Ghana. Africa Today , 56(3), 50-55.

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IvyPanda. (2023, November 29). Three Biggest Problems in the Developing Country-Ghana. https://ivypanda.com/essays/three-biggest-problems-in-the-developing-country-ghana/

"Three Biggest Problems in the Developing Country-Ghana." IvyPanda , 29 Nov. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/three-biggest-problems-in-the-developing-country-ghana/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Three Biggest Problems in the Developing Country-Ghana'. 29 November.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Three Biggest Problems in the Developing Country-Ghana." November 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/three-biggest-problems-in-the-developing-country-ghana/.

1. IvyPanda . "Three Biggest Problems in the Developing Country-Ghana." November 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/three-biggest-problems-in-the-developing-country-ghana/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Three Biggest Problems in the Developing Country-Ghana." November 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/three-biggest-problems-in-the-developing-country-ghana/.

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• Our Country Essay

500 Words Essay On Our Country

India, our country is the finest example of ‘unity in diversity. People from different backgrounds and religions live here in peace and harmony. Moreover, our country is known for having a variety of languages. So much so that you will find a different language at every 100 kilometres in our country. Through our country essay, we will take you through what India is.

Unity in Diversity- Our Country Essay

India is a unique country that harbours different kinds of people that speak different languages, eat different foods and wear a variety of clothes. What makes our country special is that despite so many differences, people always live together in peace.

Our country, India, lies in South Asia. It is a large country that is home to approximately 139 crore people. Moreover, India is also the biggest democracy in the whole world. Having one of the oldest civilizations, it is a very rich country.

Our country has fertile soil that makes it the largest wheat producer in the whole world. India has given birth to famous personalities in the field of literature and science. For instance, Rabindranath Tagore, CV Raman, Dr Abdul Kalam, and others are Indians.

It is a country that is home to thousands of villages. Similarly, the fields of India are fed by the mighty rivers. For instance, Ganga, Kaveri, Yamuna, Narmada, and more are rivers of India.

Most importantly, the coasts of our country are guarded by the deep oceans and the mighty Himalayas are our natural frontiers. Being a secular state, India has a variety of religions that prosper happily together.

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Famous Things of Our Country Essay

The culture of our country is immensely rich and famous worldwide. The different languages we speak and the different Gods we worship does not create differences between us. We all share the same spirit.

The spirit of India runs throughout the country. Further, India is famous for having a lot of tourist spots. For instance, the Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Gateway of India, Hawa Mahal, Charminar, and more are quite popular.

These attractions bring together people from all over the world. Similarly, we have Kashmir which is known as paradise on earth. The natural beauty of Kashmir, the mighty rivers and gorgeous valleys truly make it a paradise.

Besides that, India is famous for having a very rich food culture. There are so many cuisines found within our country that it is not possible to have it all in one trip. We get to have the best of everything due to the richness.

Conclusion of Our Country Essay

All in all, our country has a thousand-year-old culture. It is also given the world the gifts of yoga and Ayurveda. Besides that, India has contributed significantly to the field of science, music, maths, philosophy, and more. It is an essential country in almost every sphere globally.

FAQ on Our Country Essay

Question 1: What makes our country special and different from other countries?

Answer 1: Our country is special and unique as it is responsible for giving many inventions to the world like the number zero, the game of chess, the value of pi, and more. There are around 90,000 kinds of animals in our country and about 50,000 plant species.

Question 2: How can we improve our country?

Answer 2: We can improve our country by sharing resources so we lower our ecological footprint. Further, it is essential to promote education and empower women. We must work together to reform the system so everyone gets a better life in our country.

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Essays About Moving to a New Country: Top 5 Examples

Being in a new country comes with both disadvantages and opportunities to thrive. If you are writing essays about moving to a new country, check out our guide.

Most of us can say that we have moved homes at least once before; if this is daunting on its own, what more a completely different country? People often move to have better opportunities for a job or a lower cost of living, but moving to a new country gives us a chance to thrive beyond that. A life-changing experience also presents us with many challenges, some quick to face and others that take months or even years to overcome. 

The experience of moving to a new country is only what you make of it. You can learn so much from such a dramatic lifestyle change, but only if you embrace it and make the most of it. This is not to say you shouldn’t feel stress, sadness, or confusion with the change, but change is constant in life and should not be shunned. Take advantage of the opportunity and thrive.

5 Top Essay Examples

1. moving to a new country essay by rosh, 2. what nobody will tell you about moving to a new country by zulie rane, 3. getting adjusted after moving to a new country by laura mueller, 4. how to cope with stress when moving abroad by josh jackman, 5. when moving to a new country please don’t do this by iva ursano, 1. why move to a new country, 2. where would you move, and why, 3. advantages and disadvantages of moving to a new country, 4. my experience moving to another country, 5. migration and immigration today, 6. lessons a new country can teach you.

“It goes without saying that moving to a new place is a thrilling adventure. The endless list of foods that you have never tasted before, visiting places that you have always seen on the television screen, smells and sounds that have captured your imagination and experiencing the cultures and traditions that are outright different from yours is something that no one wants to miss.”

In this essay, Rosh lists why one might want to move to a new country. These include professional growth, a new adventure, and making new friends. Moving can be a great new experience that can teach you a lot while being exciting at the same time. Rosh also describes a few problems to consider when moving to another country, such as the language barrier and financial issues. 

Looking for more? Check out these essays about moving to a new place .

“I wish I’d had a little more perspective back then. I wish I’d been a little better at detangling what I liked and what I didn’t like, and what the root cause was. I wish I’d been less caught up in the idea of myself as a worldly traveler, and a little more honest about what I aimed for in life. I wish I’d believed I could have stayed and made a difference about the things I cared about, instead of fleeing east.”

Rane discusses how she left Georgia, U.S.A., for the U.K. and why she regrets it. She was at odds with the slow pace of life, her peers’ political views, and her high school experience, so she decided to apply for college abroad. However, reflecting on it now, she is homesick and regrets her decision. She laments how moving is idealized without showing the negative aspects of such a change. 

“Think about the things that you’d like to achieve after moving to a new country, be it becoming fluent in the language, finding a job, finding a group of friends, etc. Then take active steps to achieve it. Working toward distinct goals will give your day’s purpose at a time when everything may seem so up in the air, and the goals themselves will help you become more a part of your surrounding community.”

In her essay, Mueller writes about several tips that can help you get used to a new country, such as learning a bit of the language and culture, going out to explore, and adjusting your routine to one more standard for the country you are in. Most importantly, she suggests setting new goals for your new country, so you have something to focus on. Mueller also stresses the importance of staying connected with your loved ones back home. Check out these essays about home .

“If moving abroad is all you think about for most of the next year, it will take your joy and your sanity – so take a break every so often. When you feel like you’re underwater, clear your thoughts, take a deep breath or five, and give yourself a moment to be silent. Then consider doing something else for a while, before you tackle the next moving issue.”

Similarly to Mueller, Jackman lists down several ways to adjust to the stress that comes with moving to a new country, such as selling some of your unnecessary belongings and listing what you are excited about. He also discusses the importance of self-care, saying it’s fine to take a break and relax, even taking time off work if necessary. You might also be interested in these articles about immigration .

“It was horrible. Downright pathetic. I showed up as an entitled North American not realizing that I’m the stranger here now. I’m the visitor. I’m the guest. If I didn’t like it, any of it, I could move. No one forced me to live here. Actually, no one even invited me or asked me to move here. Not a soul. I did this on my own.”

Ursano reflects on how she was when she moved to Guatemala, fresh from Canada. Having moved from a first-world country to a third-world country, she was, at first, incredibly entitled. She constantly complained about the internet service, language barrier, and “dirty” city. She explains that when you move to a different place, it can take a while to get used to it. But now, she loves Guatemala and never wants to leave. 

6 Prompts To Help You Begin Writing On Essays About Moving To A New Country

People move to other countries for many reasons, whether financial, social, political, or otherwise. In your essay, research the most common causes of moving to another country. Cite surveys, statistics, and research to support your claims, and be sure to explain your points adequately. 

Think of a country you would want to move to and consider the advantages and disadvantages. Then, for your essay, briefly describe your chosen country and explain what makes it so appealing to you. Then, describe some aspects of the country that make you want to move there, such as culture, economic opportunity, and laws. 

As stated previously, moving has its advantages and disadvantages. First, think of the different obstacles and opportunities moving to a new country may pose and discuss each one in your essay. Then, conclude whether you would personally want to move to a new country; consider whether it would be worth it or not. 

Looking for more? Check out these essays about personal growth .

If you have moved to another country before, reflect on this time and write about it in your essay. Describe why you or your family decided to move, how you initially felt moving and how your feelings changed over time. Also, explain how this big step in life has helped make you who you are today.

In an increasingly connected world, more and more people are leaving their countries to move to new ones. Research this phenomenon and discuss its causes and implications for the countries involved. You can also discuss statistics related to this, such as the nations where most people flee or go to. Lastly, discuss your feelings on this matter and how you would like to see this resolved: do you think more should be done so that people don’t feel the need to leave their countries? Answer this question in your essay.

Moving can give you a whole new outlook on life and can teach you a lot. Based on personal experience and research, decide on some lessons and life skills that moving to a new country can give you, including independence, tolerance, and an understanding of a new culture. Then, describe how each of these can make you a better person. 

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.If you’re still stuck, check out our general resource of essay writing topics .

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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Talk About Your Favorite Country: IELTS Speaking (Cue Card With Example Answer)

In part two of your IELTS Speaking test, you might be asked to talk about your favorite country. The cue card will probably read: “Describe your favorite country.” And it will give you some suggestions on what to say.

Let’s look at how to answer this question for a band-seven score. Below, you can also read a good example answer ( go straight to the answer here ).  

Which Country to Choose

For a question like this, it’s best to talk about a country you’ve already been to. This is because you can quickly remember your time there and talk about that.

However, you might want to talk about a country that you haven’t been to, but would like to visit. Or you could choose a country you love because of its movies, art, culture, weather, or food.  

Of course, you can also talk about your own country, which is probably the simplest option of all.  

In part two of IELTS Speaking, always choose the option that’s easiest to talk about.  

What You Can Say

When you’ve chosen a country, here are some things you can talk about:

• The culture
• The weather
• What this country is famous for  
• Why it’s a perfect place for vacation
• Sights to see there
• Things to do there
• Why it’s the perfect place to live
• Cost of living
• Quality of life
• Your experience when you visited that country
• Some interesting experiences you had there
• Why you want to visit that country
• How often you go there
• How long you’ve lived there
• Anything else that comes to mind

Tell a Story

In part two, you should always try to tell a short story. With a simple story, you can:

• Keep speaking easily for 30 seconds or more
• Show that you can use good past tenses (past simple, past continuous, past perfect…)

It’s easy to tell a story about a country because you can simply remember when you visited that country and say what you did there.   So before your IELTS test, prepare a few stories about countries you’ve visited.  

You can then use these stories for lots of different questions. For example, you can use your country story for questions about vacations, adventures, travel, interesting experiences, food, family, friends, and more.  

Focus on Vocabulary

In part two of your IELTS Speaking test, you can get a band-7 score by:

• Talking for two minutes without hesitation
• Using some interesting, less common vocabulary
• Not making too many mistakes

One great way to prepare interesting vocabulary is to memorize word groups .  

A word group is a collection of interesting words, phrases, and idioms that describe one aspect of a place, person, activity, or thing.

For example, you might prepare a ‘busy place’ word group that includes words like: ‘bustling, hectic, crowded, industrious, fast pace of life, as busy as a bee…’ and more.

You can then use this same ‘busy place’ word group to answer many different questions about places. For example:

• Describe your favorite city
• Describe your hometown
• Describe a place you like to visit
• Describe a vacation you went on  
• Describe a city you’d like to live in
• And many more part-two questions

So for this ‘favorite country’ question, it’s a good idea to prepare a word group now that could describe a country you like.  

In the example answer below, you’ll see a ‘natural place’ word group in use.  

Use Anki App to Memorize Words

One of the fastest and surest ways to memorize English vocabulary is to use a good flashcard app like Anki App.  

You can also use other apps like Cake , Elsa , and IELTS Prep App to help you learn faster.  

Now, let’s look at a good example answer…

Favorite Country Cue Card

Describe your favorite country.

You should say:

• What this country it is
• If you’ve visited this country before  
• What this country is known for

And say why this is your favorite country.

I’m going to talk about Switzerland, which is a stunningly beautiful country in the center of Europe. I love Switzerland because it has an abundance of natural beauty . Most of the country is covered by mountainous terrain and there’s so much magnificent scenery with endless  spectacular views to enjoy. The whole country is full of impressive mountains and glistening lakes .  

I’ve only visited Switzerland once in my life, but I will always remember that vacation. I went on a camping trip there with my family about seven years ago. I remember driving through the picturesque mountains, soaking up the incredible views . It was a real escape into the great outdoors .  

We stayed at many campsites beside the quiet waters of beautiful lakes. It was wonderful to wake up in the morning to the sound of birdsong . I recall we stayed in one idyllic natural spot for many days, right next to the water. I remember sitting outside our tent in the morning, enjoying a cup of tea and looking at a breathtaking view of a massive snowcapped mountain .  

We went for many hikes through forests and meadows , enjoying the fresh air, scents of the forest, and beautiful fields of wildflowers . There were many cows with little bells around their necks and we could always hear the bells ringing gently.  

I think Switzerland is a fantastic place to live because it’s very safe there. To be honest, Switzerland is a little expensive and the food isn’t the best food in Europe. But when you’re there, it’s really easy to drive to neighboring countries like Italy, France, or Germany because Switzerland is right in the middle of Europe and it’s a very small country. So that’s another reason why I like it.  

(Word Group Used: ‘Natural Place’)

An abundance of natural beauty, Magnificent scenery, Spectacular views, Breathtaking views, Sweeping vistas, Idyllic natural spot, Stunningly beautiful, Surrounded by nature, Close to nature, Windswept, Sun-drenched, Awe-inspiring, Picturesque, Beautiful beaches, Glistening lakes, Mountainous terrain, Snowcapped mountain peaks, Verdant valleys, Undergrowth, Greenery, Foliage, Vegetation, Underbrush, Flora and fauna, Scents of the forest, Meadows, Fields of wildflowers, Escape into the great outdoors, A place with all four seasons, The cheeping and chirping of birdsong, Awaken to the sound of birdsong, Soaking up the views.

See many more word groups here .

Your Turn to Try

Do you think it’s hard to give a great answer like this one?  

Don’t worry. When you’ve memorized a few good word groups, you’ll be amazed at how easily you can give a fantastic answer.

Try to answer this question now yourself.

First, choose a country you can talk about easily (preferably a country you’ve visited before).  

Next, choose a word group you can use to describe that country. You could think of your own word group or use a word group from this site (see many choices for ‘place’ word groups here ).

Finally, prepare a story about that country.

Now it’s time to answer the question…

Set up the recorder on your phone and ask yourself to talk about your favorite country.

Prepare your ideas for one minute, then start talking. Try to talk for two minutes without hesitation.

When you’ve finished, listen to your recording, and see if you can improve it with more interesting vocabulary.

Keep repeating this process. This is a wonderful way to get ready for part two of your IELTS Speaking test.  

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Write a letter to your friend describing independence day celebrations in Ghana

Table of Contents

(Your city name…)

(Postal code…….)

Dear friend,

I hope you are very fine and doing well in your life. You asked me about how we celebrate independence Day in Ghana. So I am writing this letter to you.

Independence day which is celebrated on 6th March of every year is very special day for Ghanaian people. It was the day when Ghanaian people got free from British ruler. People celebrate this day with great joy and happiness. A public holiday is given in schools and offices to celebrate this with great pride. We also pay great respect to our brave freedom fighters who fought for freedom.

The celebration starts after playing the national anthem of the country.People decorate public places with the national flag and festoons. The different varieties of food items are also made on this day in every house. Ghanaian people who lives abroad too celebrate this day with great pride. This day is very special day for all the Ghanaian people living globally.

Many other activities can also been seen on this day. Hope you could visit to Ghana to see how we celebrate our independence day. You would love to see the celebration on this special day.

Don’t forget to write me back.

Yours Faithfully, (Your name…..)

Write a letter to your friend abroad explaining how independence day in ghana is celebrated

(City name…) (Postal code…) (Country…)

(Date…..)

Dear Jack, Hope you are fine and doing very well with your study. I am too healthy and strong and studying hard to get good rank in my exam. You wanted to know about how independence day is celebrated in ghana, right? Today I am going to share you how we celebrate the day.

Independence day is very especial day for all Ghanaian people living within the country or out of the country. Official national and public holidays are given in this special day. We often meet with our relatives and share our stories with them. Different food items are made on this day. I with my friends go to visit the black star square waving our flags with love and pride. We remember the sacrifices of our ancestors who fought for the freedom of our country. We often go to visit Accra on this day. Thousands of people gather there with flags. We too carry flags with us. The independence parade show huge respect to the freedom fighters. People sing, dance, eat delicious food, talk with their relatives and loved ones.

The roads on this day are jammed by the independence parade. On this day, we can’t see the vehicles on roads as we see as usual because we celebrate the day with lots of enjoyment and respect to our ancestors.

Hope you loved reading how we celebrate our independence day. If you get holiday for long time, you can come to visit us on this day. We shall celebrate the day together.

Don’t forget to write me soon. Give my regards to uncle and aunt.

Yours faithfully, (Your name…)

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