Also, the tree accounts for 70% of the total plant species of these forests. The area most affected by malnutrition is the savanna region of Ghana. However, an estimated 90% of the vegetables used in Ghana are generally restricted to local or ethnic groups. The list represents less than half the vegetables used - either cultivated, tended or collected from the wild. Our vegetation map is a illustrator vector file. Ghanaians have realized the importance of agriculture in Ghana and the government has put in place various inputs to assist in improving the sector. The vegetation map of Ghana clearly shows the kind of vegetation that grows in each part of the country. Kumasi is the former capital of Ghana’s Ashanti Kingdom in southern-central Ghana. By the late … The land surface of 92,100 square miles (238,540 square kilometers) is dominated by the ancient Precambrian shield, which is rich in mineral resources, such as gold and diamonds. Ghana’s official language is English. Ghana has one of the stronger economies of sub-Sahara Africa due to its array of natural resources. The participation of independent power producers (IPPs) in Ghana has continued to grow since the thermal Takoradi Power Station was first built in Aboadze in 2004. Native to the tropical regions of the Americas, cocoa has been cultivated worldwide for thousands of years. However, the exploitation of these resources, coupled with the overall lack of environmental awareness, has devastated the country's forests. The empire’s capital is believed to have been at Koumbi Saleh on the rim of the Sahara desert. The Ashanti are famous artisans, their gold jewelry and trinkets are famous throughout the world, as is their Kente cloth and wood-carved stools. Importance of agriculture in Ghana. Agriculture is the main source of income for Ghanaians, and there are an abundant amount of indigenous trees and plants, as well as some imported ones, like cocoa. Climbers or Creepers are the second important floral members of the rainforests. Formerly known as ‘Gold Coast’, Ghana has interesting things to offer to the world. Important Plants of Ghana Ghana is blessed with rich and fertile soil. Both of these destinations have international terminals. Cocoa tree. Ghana is a West African nation bordered by Ivory Coast to the west, Togo to the east, Burkina Faso to the north and Gulf of Guinea to the south. This is because the nutrients are stored in the vast numbers of trees and plants rather than in the soil. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Burkina Faso, Togo, and the Atlantic Ocean. Ghana vegetation map. It’s also easy to travel to some of Ghana’s other important cities – like Kumasi in the forested Ashanti region, and Tamale in the northern region. World Facts Index > Ghana > Geography Map of Ghana. It extends for over 320 miles and can be seen from space. The Ghana Empire flourished in West Africa from at least the 6th to 13th century CE. Medicinal plants are of considerable importance to both rural and urban populations. Tree roots bind the soil together, while the canopy protects the soil from heavy rains. Since colonial times a number of studies have highlighted the medicinal uses of plants in Ghana (Dalziel, 1937; Irvine, 1961; Ayensu, 1978; Abbiw, 1990). Our collection of vegetation maps is a part of our reports for the African Development Bank. Ghana cedi (GHS) is its official currency. To raise awareness of the country's natural resources, we will introduce three plants of great economic value to Ghana. Vegetables of national importance are listed in Table 1. A list of some of these vegetables is found in Table 2. Geography: Ghana Is Essentially a Tropical Country, Though It Has 2 Very Distinct Split Seasons; Geography: Lake Volta in Ghana Is One of the Largest Man-made Lakes in the World ; Food: Cocoa Beans Are Ghana’s Largest Export Product; Economy: The Country Is the World’s 7th Largest Producer of Gold; Celebrity: Kofi Annan Was Born and Raised in Ghana and Began His Career There; … Drainage Features. Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants, and is, by far, the most abundant biotic element of the biosphere. Digital map means you can modify any color or any part of the map easily. Cocoa tree /VCG Photo. The diversity of plants is great enough that one hectare of land accounts for 40 to 100 species. Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean, in the subregion of West Africa. Ghana has a large variety of native and introduced plants. Our Vegetation map series covers all countries of Africa individually. All files are created as illustrator vector files. In the coming year we’ll add more plants to this list. Some of this material are; plastic, gum, wood, and paper that stands as raw materials for producing seats, wiring, tire, ropes, books among others. The Vegetation of Ghana Types of Vegetation Factors that Influence Vegetation Mineral Deposits in Ghana Summary Powered by GitBook. Trade was facilitated by the abundance of iron, copper, … It has three bordering countries that are Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Togo. Processes called erosion, mass movement and weathering break down and remove material from the coast. Ghana is a West African country with a coastline on the Gulf of Guinea and occupies a total area of 239,567 sq. Vegetation … Indeed, the tropical rainforest accounts for 90% of all climbing species. (Español • français • português) The Government of Ghana must declare Atewa Forest a National Park, to protect it from bauxite mining. km. Of the total, only the young leaves of The country shares borders with Côte Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to the east. Ghana, which lies in the center of the West African coast, shares borders with the three French-speaking nations of Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Togo to the east, and Burkina Faso (Burkina, formerly Upper Volta) to the north. Kumasi is Ghana’s second largest city with a population of around 1.5 million. Kwame Appah / EyeEm / Getty Images Capital City: The capital of Ghana is Accra, located on the country's southern shore. The forest class (represented primarily by Ghana’s dense evergreen rain forest and moist deciduous forest) shows a small decline in area from about 16,400 sq km in 1975 to 15,500 sq km in 2000, a reduction of 5 percent. As one of roughly forty castles used to imprison enslaved people, Cape Coast Castle forms a central part of Ghana’s painful and complex history. 4) What is Ghana’s history? Forests in the southern part of Ghana are considered more economically viable than forests in the rest of the country. Facts About Ghana's Culture, Geography, and History. Accra is its capital and largest city. Drainage Features. However, if trees are removed from the forest, the nutrients are removed with it. The range of native plants is very diverse. To the south are the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. To the south are the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. It’s impossible to mention all the plants in Ghana in this post, which is why we have selected a number of plants. Lake Volta is the largest artificial lake in the world. Many factors affect the rates of coastal erosion and the landforms created. Drainage refers to the distribution of water bodies in an area. Ghana is home to at least 3725 species of vascular plants, of which 1.2% are endemic. 4.6% of Ghana is protected under IUCN categories I-V. 2011 Update In May 2011, Sassan Saatchi of Caltech's Jet Propulsion Lab and colleagues published a paper in PNAS with new carbon stock estimates for global tropical forests. The number of Ghanaian students enrolled in degree programs abroad climbed from 8,964 in 2012 to 12,559 in 2017 ( UIS ) – an increase of 40 percent. The deciduous region covers land of 3% of the total area. As of 2004, Ghana's forest cover was roughly 39.6%, the area under forests had increased dramatically which is partially due to the Ghanaian government emphasizing the importance of forest conservation. Learn and revise how developmental indicators such as GDP and GNP measure the standard of living and development of country with BBC Bitesize KS3 Geography. It has an area of 238,533 square km. Not connected geographically to the modern state of Ghana, the Ghana Empire was located in the western Sudan savannah region (modern southern Mauritania and Mali) sandwiched between the Sahara desert to the north and the rainforests to the south. Another important land cover change in Ghana is the degradation of forest. Cocoa tree /VCG Photo . Location and Geography. Indeed, IPPs are quickly catching up to public generation in terms of capacity. The Mayans believed cocoa was the food of the gods and the beans were used as currency. These are the foundation of agronomy in Ghana's economy. This study investigated the impact of cocoa farming on vegetation in relation to three land‐use types of increasing cocoa production intensity from remnant native forest through shaded to unshaded cocoa farmlands in Ghana. Geology, relief, climate, vegetation, soils, and the responses of people to the patterns of its biophysical resources through human land uses all tend to be arranged along east-west belts. A Little Geography. While being dwarfed by the much more populous Nigeria, Ghana has become an increasingly important sending market of international students in the sub-Saharan region over the past seven years. The study used transects and forty‐two 25 m × 25 m vegetation plots. When a tree dies and its trunk falls to the forest floor, it decays and the nutrients it contains are recycled. Ghana is located on the west coast of Africa, approximately midway between Senegal and Cameroon. As observed on the map above, Ghana is dissected by the largest artificial lake on the planet (Lake Volta), nearly 50% of Ghana lies less … They are rivers, lakes, ponds, lagoons, dams, the sea and wetlands. Related products. Ghana is situated on the west coast of Africa and is a land of lowland hills. Geography: With a total area of 92,098 miles/ 238,533 square kilometers, Ghana is similar in size to the United Kingdom. Plants that thrive in Ghana include grains, yams, cocoa, timber, oil palms, and kola nuts. Vegetation is an important natural resource that has helped the man with the provision of materials from some special trees by special means. Most people who live in the area eat monotonous, staple-based diets that are deficient in essential micro-nutrients. They are beneficial not just for food, but also for medical purposes. Ghana’s economic development and eventual wealth was linked to the growth of regular and intensified trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt, and ivory, which allowed for the development of larger urban centers and encouraged territorial expansion to gain control over different trade routes. Kakum National Park is a priority area for conservation in Ghana. 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