Name: Frank Hanson
This is the King of the Ashantis, the largest and most dominant ethnic group in the country
Gold is one of the major resources in the country. Ghana is blessed with huge amounts of this natural resource, even to the point it used to be called the “Gold Coast” until we gained independence from the British in 1957
This is the Golden Stool of the Ashantis. It is a sign of prosperity to come. Prophets are said to summon this from the sky, almost as an emblem that represents the promise of the gods to protect and help the people thrive
This is the independence arch. It was built as a constant reminder of the struggle for independence in the country. It has the year of independence inscribed on the top section of the arch
This is another monument that is part of the Independence Arch. It is where the country holds an annual parade on the 6th of March to celebrate the day Ghana got independence from the British
This is El Mina or Castelo de Sao Jorge da Mina (St. George of the Mine) castle. It was a Portuguese castle that was used heavily during the slave trade. It was the most used slave trade port at the time, and it is now recognized as in the UNESCO World Heritage site
This is the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. It is a park created to remember Kwame Nkrumah, the key leader during the fight for the nation
This is The Big Six. They are the major leaders of the independence movement, much like MLk and his colleagues were for the civil rights movement. They are on all the Cedi denominations, the national currency of Ghana
Cocoa is one of the major exports of Ghana. Ghana used to be the world leader in cocoa, until Ivory Coast, its neighbor to the West overtook them in 1978, making it second in the world currently. As of 2017, it was responsible for 3% of Ghana’s GDP. It is so important that Ghana has their own national brand of chocolate called King’s bite that is consumed widely
Kwame Nkrumah in some ways is represented as a sort of father figure for the country. He is idolized much like Stalin and Lenin are in Russia. Throughout the country, there are a bunch of memorial sites dedicated to his image, much like a recognition for his contribution to the country.
This is the Jubilee House. It is where a huge portion of highly sensitive government affairs is conducted. It is akin to combining the Pentagon and the White House in the US into one central building
This is the flag of Ghana. It was designed by Theodosia Okoh. It is a good representation of Ghana is. The black star represents the unity of the country. Even though there are over 100 ethnic groups and over 80 languages spoken, there is a lot of unity, something that cannot be said for other countries in the region. The red represents the blood shed during the fight for independence, the gold for the rich resources the country has, and the green for the lush forests and vegetation in the country
Adding Context
– Why did you decide to have several images that represent the independence from the UK (and actually no image that speaks about the current political system, neither in Ghana nor in Egypt
There are so many pictures related to independence because independence is a big source of pride to us. For one, we were the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence, and we had plans to liberate other countries in the region from their European rulers. It is also important because the way they designed the country and crafted the national image is paramount to why there is a lot of peace in the country even though there a lot of different ethnic groups that had been for centuries.
The political system is modeled after the British so there is nothing really special to talk about in that process.
– Which ethnic group is yours?
My mother is a Ga. They are the ethnic group concentrated in the capital of Accra and they are known for their heavy fishing culture. They have a lot of political power even though they are a smaller portion of the population because they are concentrated in the capital.
My father is a Fante. The Fantes, Ashantis, and some other smaller ethnic groups make up a group called the Akans- who make up like 50% of the population or more. There is a close relation between the Fantes and the Ashantis in their language and culture so there is not much difference.
– For Ghana, I am aware that it is a very polyglot country where many different languages are spoken. Which language/languages is/are official national languages and does every single person speak it?
English is the official language of Ghana but more people speak Twi than any other language in the country. Most people often times speak Twi and English, Ga and English, or all three (which is really common.) I speak Twi, English, Ga, Fante, and Pidgin English.
Egypt
These were the original pyramids. Over time, the changed into the pyramid shapes were see in Giza because they were easier to build, they lasted longer, and they saved materials as stone was expensive at the time
The Egyptians invented the Chariot. It completely revolutionized war at the time because it improved mobility and deadliness at the time since archers could ride on it and shoot targets at targets in closer proximity
The Abbasids were a dynasty of Sunni Islam that ruled Egypt from 750 to 1517 after they overthrew the Umayyad Caliphate in the Abbasid Revolution of 750 CE
This is an icon of a Pharaoh. The Pharaoh was the title given to the ruler of Egypt. It was not used commonly until the rule of Merneptah in 1200 BCE. The Pharaoh was seen as a representation of the gods in human form
The Eagle is an important part of Egyptian culture to this day, even showing up in the flag of the country. The Eagle represents wealth and power, and it was associated closely with the royal family and the gods at the time. Central gods in the Egyptian pantheon like Ra were shown to have eagle representations like their face
The Cat was important to Egyptians because they believed that it was a protector of the dead, and they believed that it was the manifestation of the God Bast/Bastet who would protect them from evil. It was also the form Ra took sometimes during his fight every night to bring back the Sun and kill the serpent.
This is an example of the Book of the Dead. It was a personal manuscript made for people who good pay for it and the rich and elite in Egyptian society. It was thought to contain spells and directions that helped people when they died to reach the Field of Reeds
Islam still plays a huge role in Egyptian society like it did in the past. They are known for their libraries, mosques, and public study areas that make Egypt the front runner when it comes to Islam learning, much like the Vatican is to Christianity. It is estimated that 94.9% of Egyptian populations are Islamic
The Papyrus was the first form of paper used. It was used for a lot of religious writing and the production of the Book of the Dead for the people
This is the library of Alexandria. It was burnt down in the 48 BC, but then it was rebuilt in 20 BC. It has a lot of books about Islam and technological and scientific advances at the time
The Ankh is a representation of life, immortality, and reincarnation represented by the god Osiris
This is the Sphinx. It is important because it is the guardian of Khafre’s pyramid. It was important because it represents the architectural marvels of ancient Egypt