AFRICA

GHANA
Location:
Ghana is located on West Africa's Gulf of Guinea only a few degrees north of the Equator. To the south is 330 miles of
coastline. To the north, Ghana shares a border with Burkina Faso. To the west is the Ivory Coast, and to the east is Togo.

Capital:
The capital city of Botswana is Accra

Key Features:

Ghana is one of the leading countries of Africa, partly because of its considerable natural wealth and partly because it was the
first black African country south of the Sahara to achieve independence from colonial rule.

Cultural Aspects:

A strong sense of community and great respect for the elderly. The most widely spoken language in Ghana is Twi.

Economy Overview: The economy of Ghana has a diverse and rich resource base,
including the manufacturing and exportation of digital technology goods,
automotive and ship construction and exportation, and the exportation of
diverse and rich resources such as hydrocarbons and industrial minerals.

Key Industries: mining, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food

processing, cement and small commercial ship building.

Economic Stability: Ghana has generally experienced economic stability

with several positive indicators.

Politics Political System: Politics of Ghana takes place in a framework of a

presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president of
Ghana is head of state and head of government

Political Stability: The Republic of Ghana, the first sub-Saharan African

country to gain independence from colonial powers in 1957, is one of the
most stable democracies on the continent and boasts almost three decades
of peaceful transitions of power.

Sociology Language and Culture: The official language of Ghana is English, which
was inherited from the British colonial era. English is used in government,
education, and business, and is spoken fluently by many Ghanaians. The
most widely spoken language in Ghana is Twi, particularly in the southern
regions of the country. Akan is the most widespread indigenous language
in Ghana. Known for its rich cultural traditions, including music, dance,
and art.

Education: The quality of education is considered reasonably high,

evidence that human resources are more significant than material
resources. In an effort to attract international enrollment, all Ghanaian
universities operate on a modular, semester system.

Healthcare: Healthcare is variable throughout Ghana. Urban centers are

well served, and are where most hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies in the
country can be found. Rural areas often have no modern healthcare
services. Patients in these areas either rely on traditional African medicine
or travel great distances for healthcare.
Population Population Size: The current population of Ghana is 34,367,383 based on
projections of the latest United Nations data. The UN estimates the July 1,
2023 population at 34,121,985.
Environmental Status and Factors Conservation: Environmental conservation in Ghana involves efforts to
protect and sustainably manage the country's natural resources,
biodiversity, and ecosystems. Ghana, located in West Africa, is known for
its rich biodiversity, including tropical rainforests, wildlife, rivers, and
coastal areas.

Natural Resources: Rich mineral resources such as gold, diamonds,

manganese, limestone, bauxite, iron ore as well as various clays and
granite deposits. Ghana is the second largest producer of gold in Africa.

Climate Change: Rising sea levels threaten rapidly urbanizing coastal

areas, increasing vulnerability to flooding and waterborne disease.
TRIVIA World’s second-largest cocoa producer:

Ghana is one of the largest cocoa producers in the world, second only to
Côte d’Ivoire. Cocoa is Ghana’s main agricultural export, accounting for
about 25% of the country’s total export earnings. Ghanaian cocoa is
known for its high-quality and distinct flavor, produced by smallholder
farmers who cultivate cocoa on small family farms.
Diverse Population:

Ghana has a diverse population with more than 100 ethnic groups and
several religions, including Christianity and Islam: Ghana is a
multicultural society with a rich diversity of languages, traditions, and
religions.

KENYA
Location:
Kenya is located in East Africa. Its terrain rises from a low coastal plain on the Indian Ocean to mountains and plateaus at its
center.

Capital:
The capital city of Kenya is Nairobi.

Key Features:

Kenya became fully independent from British in 1963 after a prolonged struggle.
Known for its scenic landscapes and vast wildlife preserves.

Cultural Aspects:

Kenyan culture is very communal in nature. Kenyans share everything from clothes, food, and even space. At home, personal
items are often shared with every member of the family. Kenya is a multilingual country. The two official languages of
Kenya, Swahili and English are widely spoken as lingua francas.

Economy Overview: Kenya has a market-based economy and is generally

considered the economic, commercial, financial and logistics hub of East
Africa.

Key Industries: Kenya’s key industries are agriculture, forestry, fishing,

 mining, manufacturing, energy, tourism and financial services.

Tourism: Kenya is one of the world's magnificent wildlife destinations. Its

parks, reserves and private conservancies are home to some of the highest
and most diverse populations of wildlife on the planet.
Politics Political System: The politics of Kenya take place in a framework of a
presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is
both head of state and head of government.

Independence: Kenya became fully independent on Dec. 12, 1963.

Political Stability: Kenya has maintained remarkable stability, despite
changes in its political system and crises in neighboring countries.

Sociology Languages and Cultures: There are two official languages in Kenya:
English and Swahili (Kiswahili).

Education: Issues such as poor-quality teaching and large class sizes still
affect the quality of children's learning.

Healthcare: A quarter of the Kenyan population regularly lack access to

healthcare.
Population Population Size: Kenya 2023 population is estimated at 55,100,586
people at mid year.

Urbanization: Kenya has been experiencing significant urbanization, with

a growing proportion of its population residing in urban areas.
Environmental Status and Factors Desert Environment: Kenya, like several other countries in East Africa,
has areas characterized by arid and semi-arid conditions including the
Chalbi Desert.

Wildlife Conservation: To protect, maintain and develop Kenya's natural

wildlife resources for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future
generations of Kenyans and the people of the world.

Climate Change: Like many countries, Kenya is susceptible to the impacts

of climate change, including Droughts, floods, and livestock diseases
TRIVIA Great Rift Valley:

It was formed more than 25 million years ago by geological tension in the
earth’s crust and is approximately 6500 kilometres long and 60 kilometres
wide.

Home to some beautiful national species

The national animal of Kenya is the East African lion, a species currently
considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of
Nature. The African Lion is one of the Big 5, joining other magnificent
African animals including the African leopard, the African elephant, the
Cape buffalo, and the rhinoceros.

Lake Turkana

While its global claim to fame is that it is the world’s largest desert lake,
Lake Turkana is also Kenya’s largest lake. It’s located in the north of the
Great Rift Valley, and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part
of the three Lake Turkana National Parks – Sibiloi National Park, Central
Island National Park and South Island National Park.