Large Development Projects in Ghana
What is a large development project and why would a country wan to have one? A large development project is a project like Akosombo Dam in Ghana, a big investment in which the country hopes it will pay for itself, as in it will produce more tourist or goods to sell. Countries want this because they believe it is a quick way to make a lot of money and to improve the infrastructure of the countries, so the country will be generally improved. Therefore I will investigate the Akosombo Dam in Ghana; first I will give some background information, photos/ diagrams, its history, pros and cons etc.
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Some background information on Ghana is useful for you so that you can understand more about the country itself. Ghana is on the West Coast of Africa. It shares boundaries with Togo to the east, Cote d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north and the Gulf of Guinea, to the south. The country's economy is dominated by agriculture, which is about 40 percent of the working population. Ghana is one of the leading exporters of cocoa in the world. It is also a significant exporter of luxuries such as gold and lumber. A country covering an area of 238,500 square kilometres, Ghana has an estimated population of 22 million, with more than one hundred ethnic groups - each with its own unique language; English is the official language.
In 1957, Ghana was known as the Gold Coast and they became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence. After leading the country for nine years, the nation's founding president, Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown in a coup d'etat in 1966, so it is therefore a democracy. [pic]
The dam was thought of in 1915 by geologist Albert Ernest Kitson, however no plans were started until the 1940s. The development of the Volta River Basin was proposed in 1949, but because there was not enough money, the American company Valco loaned money to Ghana so that the dam could be constructed. Kwame Nkrumah adopted the Volta River hydropower project.
[pic]
Some background information on Ghana is useful for you so that you can understand more about the country itself. Ghana is on the West Coast of Africa. It shares boundaries with Togo to the east, Cote d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north and the Gulf of Guinea, to the south. The country's economy is dominated by agriculture, which is about 40 percent of the working population. Ghana is one of the leading exporters of cocoa in the world. It is also a significant exporter of luxuries such as gold and lumber. A country covering an area of 238,500 square kilometres, Ghana has an estimated population of 22 million, with more than one hundred ethnic groups - each with its own unique language; English is the official language.
In 1957, Ghana was known as the Gold Coast and they became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence. After leading the country for nine years, the nation's founding president, Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown in a coup d'etat in 1966, so it is therefore a democracy. [pic]
The dam was thought of in 1915 by geologist Albert Ernest Kitson, however no plans were started until the 1940s. The development of the Volta River Basin was proposed in 1949, but because there was not enough money, the American company Valco loaned money to Ghana so that the dam could be constructed. Kwame Nkrumah adopted the Volta River hydropower project.