The most exciting moment throughout the Peace Corps application process is when I receive the invitation package from the main office at Washington, DC. It is at this time that I find out what country I will be serving and what is my primary duty while I am there. So what did I know about Ghana the moment I found that it is my host country you ask? To be honest, practically nothing. The internet, as always, proves to be a great resource. I have summarized here what I found after hours of googling.

Ghana is located in Western Africa just a few degrees north of the equator. It is bordered by the Gulf of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire (or Ivory Coast), Togo, and Burkina Faso.

Ghana is approximately a third of the size of Texas. Accra is the capital and the largest city. The northern half of the country is generally hot and dry (temperatures can be as high as 37C, or 99F), especially when the harmattan winds are blowing in from the Sahara. The southern half of the country is hot and humid throughout the year. The two rainy seasons are from June through August and from October to November.

Ghana is consisted mainly of low plains with the Eastern Guinean tropical forest belt running through the southern part of the country. Ghana has a diverse and rich resource base by West African standards. Mineral resources include gold, diamonds, manganese ore, and bauxite (main ore of aluminum). Forest resources are significant, and the offshore waters are rich in fish. Minor resources include petroleum and natural gas.

Ghana has roughly twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Ghana's economy is predominantly agricultural, which accounts for 40% of the GDP and employs 60% of the work force. The biggest cash crop is cocoa. Rice, coffee, cassava, corn, shea nuts, and bananas are also widely grown. Major exports include gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, manganese, ore, and diamonds.

Ghana was previously call the Gold Coast. The first contact with Europeans was in 1470 when a party of Portuguese landed and met with the King. During the next three centuries, the English, Portuguese, Swedish, Danes, Dutch, and Germans controlled various parts of the coastal areas. Many forts were built along the coast line to serve as slave exchanges. In 1844, agreement was signed with the British to legally establish colonial status of the coastal area. In 1957, under the leadership of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the Convention People's Party won majority in the Legislative Assembly, and Ghana became an independent state on March 6. As the economy began to worsen, multiple military coup broke out and suspended the constitution. A new constitution was restored in 1992 and Jerry Rawlings was elected in free elections of that year and also in 1996. The constitution prohibited him from running for a third term, John Kufuor, the current president, is now in his second term.

Although English is the official language of Ghana, the major languages spoken are Twi, Fante, Ga, Hausa, and Ewe. Soups are the primary component in Ghanaian cuisine and are eaten with fufu (either pounded plantain and cassava or yam), kokonte (cassava meal cooked into a paste), banku (fermented corn dough), boiled yam, rice, bread, plantain, or cassava. The most common soups are light soup, palmnut soup, and groundnut (peanut) soup. Fresh fruits and vegetables are seasonal but generally available.