Markets are essential to the Economy of Ghana [1]
Markets are essential to the Economy of Ghana [1]
Trading in the country begun when the first settlers arrived in the region. Like many countries in Africa, the main method of trading was through the barter system. People used to exchange goods and services for commodities and services that was believed to measure up to what was being offered. As trade became more liberalized, people used to trade their goods and services for cowries known locally as "cedie". This later became the country's currency - the cedi.
The Accra Mall remains Ghana's prime supermarket. The mall, which started operations in the 2008, [2] sought to improve the Ghanaian shopping experience. It is located on the Spintex Road adjacent the Tema Motorway. Other major supermarkets include Melcom. [3] The company was established in 1989 and its primary shop was opened in Accra Central by 1991. It has branches across the regions of the country including the single largest shop in Ghana; Melcom Plus in Kaneshie, covering an area of over 90,000 square feet. [3]
There are sixteen administrative regions in Ghana with each having its own regional capital. Every region has at least one major street market where peculiar goods and services offered at minor street markets would be readily available and at a cheaper price. Some of the major street markets in the country are:
| Big markets | |
|---|---|
| Regional markets | |
| Small markets | |
| Supermarkets | |
| Other | |
Transport in Ghana is accomplished by road, rail, air and water. Ghana's transportation and communications networks are centered in the southern regions, especially the areas in which gold, cocoa, and timber are produced. The northern and central areas are connected through a major road system.
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, 20.4 km2 (7.9 sq mi), had a population of 284,124 inhabitants, and the larger Greater Accra Region, 3,245 km2 (1,253 sq mi), had a population of 5,455,692 inhabitants. In common usage, the name "Accra" often refers to the territory of the Accra Metropolitan District as it existed before 2008, when it covered 199.4 km2 (77.0 sq mi). This territory has since been split into 13 local government districts: 12 independent municipal districts and the reduced Accra Metropolitan District (20.4 km2), which is the only district within the capital to be granted city status. This territory of 199.4 km2 contained 1,782,150 inhabitants at the 2021 census, and serves as the capital of Ghana, while the district under the jurisdiction of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly proper (20.4 km2) is distinguished from the rest of the capital as the "City of Accra".
Kumasi is a city in the Ashanti Region, and is among the largest metropolitan areas in Ghana. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region near Lake Bosomtwe, and is the commercial, industrial, and cultural capital of the historical Ashanti Empire. Kumasi is approximately 500 kilometres (300 mi) north of the Equator and 200 kilometres (100 mi) north of the Gulf of Guinea. Kumasi is alternatively known as "The Garden City" because of its many species of flowers and plants in the past. It is also called Oseikrom, after Osei Kofi Tutu I who was a king in the Ashanti empire.
The Regions of Ghana constitute the first level of subnational government administration within the Republic of Ghana. As of 2020, there are currently sixteen regions, which are further divided for administrative purposes into 260 local metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.
The Ashanti Region is located in the southern part of Ghana and it is the third largest of 16 administrative regions, occupying a total land surface of 24,389 km2 (9,417 sq mi) or 10.2 percent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, however, it is the most populated region with a population of 4,780,380 according to the 2011 census, accounting for 19.4% of Ghana's total population. The Ashanti Region is known for its major gold bar and cocoa production. The largest city and regional capital is Kumasi.
The Upper East Region is located in northern Ghana and is the third smallest of the 16 administrative regions in Ghana. It occupies a total land surface of 8,842 square kilometers or 2.7 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. The Upper East regional capital is Bolgatanga, sometimes referred to as Bolga. Other major towns in the region include Navrongo, Paga, Sandema, Bawku, and Zebilla.
The Greater Accra Region has the smallest area of Ghana's 16 administrative regions, occupying a total land surface of 3,245 square kilometres. This is 1.4 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. It is the most populated region, with a population of 5,455,692 in 2021, accounting for 17.7 per cent of Ghana's total population.
Sunyani is the capital town of the Bono Region and the Sunyani Municipal of Ghana. Sunyani had a population of 1,208,649 at the 2021 population and housing census. The city consists mainly of the Bonos other tribes.
Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly is one of the 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana. It forms part of the forty-three districts in Ashanti Region, Ghana with Kumasi being its administrative capital. The metropolis is located in the central part of Ashanti Region and has Kumasi as its capital city.
Articles related to Ghana include:
Societe Generale Ghana Limited (SG) is a bank that is based in Ghana, previously known as Société Générale - Social Security Bank (SG-SSB). The bank is part of the Société Générale banking group. The bank is based in Accra and its stock is listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange. It is a component of the GSE All-Share Index. According to its website it is the 7th largest bank in Ghana and has 45 networked branches in Ghana.
The railway stations in Ghana serve a rail network concentrated in the south of the country.
The Ghana Prisons Service is responsible for the safe custody of prisoners in Ghana, as well as their welfare, reformation and rehabilitation. It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior.
The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) formerly Ghana Standards Board (GSB) is a Government of Ghana agency responsible for the maintenance of acceptable standards for product and services and sound management practices in industries and public institutions in Ghana.
The 2011–12 Ghanaian Premier League season was the 53rd season of top-tier football in Ghana. The competition began on 5 September 2011, and ended on 27 May 2012.
Melcom is a supermarket chain consisting of 65 shops spread all over Ghana. It was started in 1989 by Indian magnate Bhagwan Khubchandani. His late father, Ramchand Khubchandani, had arrived in the then Gold Coast in 1929 as a 14-year-old to work as a store boy. Melcom Group of Companies is a family business.
The National Archives of Ghana were located in Accra. The efforts to create an archive started in 1946 and the first Ghanaian chief archivist was J. M. Akita in 1949. The National Archives was replaced by the Public Records and Archives Administration Department in 1997.
Ghana was initially referred to as the Gold Coast. After attaining independence, the country's first sovereign government named the state after the Ghana Empire in modern Mauritania and Mali. Gold Coast was initially inhabited by different states, empires and ethnic groups before its colonization by the British Empire. The earliest known physical remains of the earliest man in Ghana were first discovered by archaeologists in a rock shelter at Kintampo during the 1960s. The remains were dated to be 5000 years old and it marked the period of transition to sedentism in Ghana. Early Ghanaians used Acheulean stone tools as hunter gatherers during the Early stone age. These stone tools evolved throughout the Middle and Late Stone Ages, during which some early Ghanaians inhabited caves.
