as well as gold. In the 1700s the Ashanti,
an Akan people, developed a kingdom
in the south. They supplied slaves to the
Europeans.
The British defeated the Ashanti and
made the Gold Coast a colony in 1874.
Beginning in 1949 Kwame Nkrumah
led a movement for independence. The
people held protests and set up their
own government. In 1957 Britain gave
Ghana its independence. Ghana was a
model for other colonies to follow in
their independence movements.
Independent Ghana was ruled at first by
a prime minister. In 1960 the country
became a republic with a president.
Nkrumah was elected the first president.
He took away some freedoms for groups
that opposed his rule. In addition, the
country became poorer.
The army and the police seized control
of Ghana in 1966. Many different
groups tried to take control for the next
26 years. In 1981 one government
banned political parties. In 1992 the
country gained a new constitution that
restored democracy and political parties.
..More to explore
Accra • Ashanti
Local fishermen in Ghana use a small boat
to search for fish.
Facts About
GHANA
Population
(2008 estimate)
23,383,000
Area
92,098 sq mi
(238,533 sq km)
Capital
Accra
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Accra, Kumasi,
Tamale, Tema,
Obuasi
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Ghana 111
Ghana Empire
Ghana was a powerful trading empire in
western Africa. The empire was most
active from the 700s to the 1200s. It
grew rich and strong by controlling large
amounts of gold. The empire’s lands are
now partly in Mauritania and partly in
Mali. It was not related to the current
country called the Republic of Ghana.
Ghana was founded by the Soninke
people. To their north lived Arab and
Berber peoples who had salt and wanted
gold. To their south lived African tribes
who had gold on their lands and wanted
salt. The Soninke handled trade between
the two groups.
By 800 the Soninke had become highly
organized. They conquered other tribes
to form a mighty empire. They called
their empireWagadu, but other people
called it Ghana because ghana was the
king’s title.
Several times in its history Ghana
moved its capital. The last capital city
was Kumbi. It was located about 200
miles (320 kilometers) north of modern
Bamako, Mali. At its peak, before 1240,
Kumbi was western Africa’s largest city,
with more than 15,000 people.
In 1076 a northwestern African Muslim
group called the Almoravids took control
of Kumbi. The Almoravids ruled for
only a short time but did lasting damage
to the empire. They disrupted trade
routes and destroyed croplands with
their flocks of grazing animals.
In 1203 the various groups living under
Ghana’s rule began to break away. One
of these, the Susu, occupied Kumbi. In
1240 a chief named Sundiata destroyed
the city. Sundiata then incorporated
what was left of the Ghana Empire into
his new Mali Empire.
#More to explore
Mali Empire
Giant Sequoia
The giant sequoia is a huge evergreen
tree. It grows only on the western slopes
of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the
U.S. state of California. Its scientific
name is Sequoiadendron giganteum. It is
related to the redwood.
The giant sequoia is so large that it is
sometimes called simply the big tree.
Some giant sequoias are more than 280
feet (85 meters) tall. They have huge
trunks that are sometimes more than
100 feet (30 meters) around at the bot-
112 Ghana Empire BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
tom. The reddish brown bark can grow
to more than 12 inches (30 centimeters)
thick. Giant sequoias usually have
branches only near the top because the
lower branches fall away as the tree
grows. The leaves are blue-green.
The giant sequoia is a conifer, which
means that it produces cones that hold
its seeds. At 3.5 inches (9 centimeters)
long, the cones are tiny compared to the
tree.
Giant sequoias can live to a very old age.
Some are more than 3,500 years old.
The wood is rich in chemicals that keep
away insect pests and prevent rotting.
The thick bark does not burn easily and
helps to protect the giant sequoia from
fire.
#More to explore
Conifer • Redwood • Tree
Gibbon
Gibbons are small apes of the rain forests
of southeastern Asia. They spend
most of their time in trees. They use
their long arms to swing quickly from
branch to branch. A gibbon can travel
an amazing 10 feet (3 meters) in a single
swing. On the ground, gibbons walk
upright on two legs.
All apes belong to the group of mammals
called primates, along with monkeys,
humans, and some other animals.
Gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and
bonobos are called great apes. Gibbons
are called lesser apes. They are smaller
and less intelligent than the other apes.
There are 14 species, or types, of gibbon.
They vary in length from about 16
to 35 inches (40 to 90 centimeters). The
Gibbons live high up near the
tops of the trees in rain forests.
They have long, thin hands and
feet that help them climb and
hold onto branches.
Giant sequoias tower above
tourists in Sequoia National Park
in California.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Gibbon 113
siamang is the largest of the gibbons.
Like all apes, gibbons lack tails. But gibbons
have longer arms and thicker hair
