Fun Facts About Ghana

First Edition

~Located in West Africa, Ghana was the first country the Peace Corps Volunteers served in 1961.

~Lake Volta, the world's largest artificial lake, extends through large portions of eastern Ghana.

~Located a few degrees north of the Equator, with the Greenwich Meridian passing through the country, Ghana is geographically closer to the "center" of the world than any other country.

~More than 250 languages and dialects are spoken in Ghana. Twi is the language that I am expected to learn whilst in training. It is mostly spoken in rural areas, and English is mostly spoken in urban areas.

~The capital city is Accra, and has over 2 million people. This is where I'll be spending the first three months of training with the Peace Corps. The population of the whole country is about 21 million.

~Ghana has twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. The main exports are gold, timber, cocoa, diamond, bauxite, and manganese. The exchange rate of the Ghana Cedi is $1 USD =Gh¢ 0.93.

~Ghana has a parliamentary form of representation. The current President is J.A. Kufuor. There is open debate and a positive political climate in Ghana.

~Internet access and telephone agencies are located in all major cities and most towns. Letters and packages are always welcome and below is the address that I can be reached while in Pre-Service Training (PST) until August 30.

Katie Caldwell, PCT
Peace Corps/Ghana
P.O. Box 5796
Accra-North, Ghana
West Africa