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With the Prime Meridien and the Equator intersecting on its southern coast, Ghana is—geographically speaking—the centermost country in the world.

Ghana’s warm, tropical climate is matched by its reputation as one of the friendliest countries in West Africa, and its pace of life is described laid back, easy-going and civilized. Despite five centuries of European colonization, when its mineral wealth was plundered and its people enslaved, Ghana’s longstanding culture of kings, its social and artistic traditions, and even some of its gold, diamonds and cocoa survived. The Gold Coast, as the region was known during the colonial period, adopted the name Ghana in 1957, when it became the first black nation in sub-Saharan Africa to achieve independence.

Today Ghana is a West African country of approximately 20 million people, with a struggling economy and a tentative movement toward democracy, both bolstered by the appointment of Kofi Annan, a native son, as Secretary General of the United Nations. In its rainforests, savannas, and coastal waters, most Ghanaians still make their living from agriculture, fishing and mining. But unemployment is high, and the economy is burdened by an inflation rate of up to 20 percent. With half of Ghana’s population under the age of 20 and literacy and urban migration increasing, young people are looking for new opportunities and outlets for their talents and ambitions. read more..