Discover your Ghanaian roots

Questions to ask the older generation

Memories fade faster than photos. Ask these over a meal or a phone call, and write the answers down.

1. Which town or region of Ghana did our family come from? Was it near Kumasi, Tamale, Sekondi-Takoradi?
2. Who was the first in the family to leave Ghana, when, and why?
3. Which dishes from Ghana were cooked at home? Did anyone make Jollof rice or Fufu?
4. Does anyone in the family still speak Twi, or use a few words of it?
5. Were there songs, prayers, games or holidays from Ghana that the family kept?
6. Are there old photos, letters or documents from Ghana? Who has them?
7. If you could visit Ghana together, where would you go first?

A short history of Ghana

The kingdoms of Bonoman and Dagbon grew up in the forest and the savanna centuries ago, and in 1701 the Asante formed a union that became one of the strongest states in West Africa. From 1471 Portuguese, then Dutch, English, Danish, Swedish and German traders built forts along the coast, first for gold and then for the Atlantic slave trade. Britain took control in the 19th century after long wars with the Asante. In 1957 the Gold Coast became independent Ghana, and after years of coups it has been a stable multiparty democracy since 1992.

1. 1471

   Portuguese sailors reach the Gold Coast

   Portuguese ships reached this coast in 1471 and found people trading gold, which the Akan states inland had long sold northwards across the Sahara. Europeans soon called the land the Gold Coast.

2. 1637

   The Dutch capture Elmina Castle

   The Dutch West India Company seized Elmina Castle from the Portuguese in 1637 and took the rest of the Portuguese Gold Coast in 1642. English, Danish, Swedish and German traders followed, and more than 30 forts and castles rose along the shore, trading first in gold and then in enslaved people.

3. 1844

   The Bond of 1844

   Worried by Asante attacks, Fante chiefs on the coast signed the Bond of 1844, which let British officials try serious crimes such as murder and robbery. More than a century later, Ghana's independence day was set on its 113th anniversary.

4. 1900

   The War of the Golden Stool

   In 1900 the British governor demanded to sit on the Golden Stool, the sacred symbol of the Asante nation. Yaa Asantewaa, the Queen Mother of Ejisu, led an uprising. The British won and made Asante part of the colony in 1902, but the stool itself was never handed over.

5. 1957

   Ghana becomes independent

   At midnight on 6 March 1957 the Gold Coast, Ashanti, the Northern Territories and British Togoland became one independent country named Ghana, with Kwame Nkrumah as prime minister. The new red, gold and green flag carried a black star.

6. 1965

   The Akosombo Dam is completed

   The dam across the Volta River at Akosombo was completed in 1965 to power an aluminium smelter and the country. Its reservoir, Lake Volta, flooded 740 villages, and about 78,000 people had to move to new towns.

7. 1992

   A new constitution

   On 28 April 1992 voters approved a new constitution in a referendum, bringing back multiparty elections. The Fourth Republic began on 7 January 1993, and since then presidents have been elected for four-year terms, with a limit of two terms.

8. 2019

   The Year of Return

   Ghana invited people of African descent around the world to visit in 2019, 400 years after the first enslaved Africans landed in the English colony of Virginia in 1619. Many visitors came to the castles of Cape Coast and Elmina.

Family recipes to cook together

Jollof rice 1 h 20 min · serves 4Groundnut soup 1 h 15 min · serves 4Red red 1 h 30 min · serves 4Kelewele 30 min · serves 4Sobolo 1 h · serves 8

Twi words to teach the grandchildren

Towns and regions

• Accra, Greater Accra Region, on the coast: Independence Square (Black Star Square) and its arch, The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
• Kumasi, Ashanti Region, in the forest belt: Manhyia Palace, seat of the Asantehene, Kejetia Market, one of the largest markets in West Africa.
• Tamale, Northern Region, in the savanna: Dagomba culture and the kingdom of Dagbon, Gateway to the savanna of the north.
• Sekondi-Takoradi, Western Region, on the coast: Takoradi harbour, one of Ghana's two deep-water ports, The offshore oil industry.
• Cape Coast, Central Region, on the coast: Cape Coast Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, The University of Cape Coast.
• Elmina, Central Region, on the coast: Elmina Castle (St George's Castle), Fort St Jago on the hill above the town.
• Tema, Greater Accra Region, on the coast: The Prime Meridian (0° longitude) passing through the city, Tema Port, Ghana's biggest seaport.
• Ho, Volta Region, near the Togo border: The Volta Regional Museum, Ewe kente weaving in nearby Agotime-Kpetoe.
• Bolgatanga, Upper East Region, near Burkina Faso: Bolga straw baskets and hats, Leather goods and woven smocks.
• Wa, Upper West Region: The palace of the Wa Naa, chief of the Wala people, Roads north to Burkina Faso.
• Damongo, Savannah Region: The gateway to Mole National Park, The old mosque of Larabanga nearby.
• Akosombo, Eastern Region, on the Volta River: The Akosombo Dam and Lake Volta, Boat trips on the lake.