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The ancient Empire of Ghana was located to the north and west of current-day Ghana, and its name was adopted as a reference to the descendants of the Empire. In 1957 Ghana, known as the Gold Coast, became the first country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana practices a multiparty parliamentary democracy based on a constitution. By regional standards, it is a well-administered country, widely regarded as a model for political and economic reform in Africa. Ghana is the second largest producer of gold in Africa. Rich mineral resources such as gold, diamonds, manganese, limestone, bauxite, iron ore as well as various clays and granite deposits are major sources of foreign exchange. In 1999, Ghana produced 2,620,096 million ounces of gold and 684,033.4 carats of diamonds. Ghana is located on the Gulf of Guinea, only a few degrees north of the Equator. A tropical rain forest belt extends northward from the shore. The climate is tropical, with the eastern coastal belt warm and dry, southwest corner, hot and humid, and the north, hot and dry. Although English is the official language, over 100 linguistic and ethnic groups have been identified in Ghana, and these groups could be classified into two major linguistic families: the Kwa and the Gur. The capital city is Accra. |
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