The History of Ghana

Ancient Ghana was inhabited by several ethnic groups and was divided into several kingdoms. The ethnic groups were involved in trade with the Muslims, Andalusians and the Europeans. As trade increased, so did the population of Ghana. Gradually, political organizations began to exist and political entities began to take control of some geographic regions.

In the eighth century, the Empire of Ghana began to form, with the tribe of Soninke as its founder. The Soninke were traders who were involved in trade operations with the northern and southern merchants. With trade routes being developed across the deserts and through the introduction of the camel, the Ghana Empire enjoyed economic prosperity. It traded gold, salt, ivory and slaves in exchange for textiles and manufactured goods. The economy of the Ghana Empire continued to prosper, allowing urban centers to be developed. Arab and Berber merchants dominated its business district while the royal family and other wealthy residents lived in other parts of the kingdom.

At the beginning of the 11th century, the Ghana Empire began to experience a decline. It lost monopoly of the gold trade as many other gold mines were opened in neighboring areas. It also suffered attacks from its neighbors, particularly the Berbers and the Almoravids. The Almoravids, led by Abu Bakr, launched a massive attack on Ghana and succeeded in defeating Audaghost, one of Ghana's cities. Consecutive attacks weakened the Ghana Empire and it eventually was broken into independent states.

In the 15th century, the Portuguese, British and French discovered the gold mines of Ghana and settled there. They were joined by the Dutch in 1598. In mid-17th century, other European traders joined in including the Danes, Swedes and English. They traded gold, ivory and slaves and also fought for dominance in the area. The British prevailed, and in 1957, they named Ghana the Gold Coast because of the rich mines of gold found in the area.

The Republic of Ghana is named after the ancient Ghana Empire, but does not share any physical territory with the former. It is believed that the present day inhabitants are remnants of the inhabitants of the ancient Ghana. Those living in the country today are believed to be descendants of the inhabitants of the Ghana Empire, who escaped the kingdom during the turmoil. Ghana continues to be a country of numerous gold mines. The gold jewelry made there, is of the utmost quality.