As Ghana approaches its 60th birthday, optimism and worries for the future continue to be present in equal measure. Economic growth in the last decade has been high by historical standards. Indeed, recent rebasing of GDP figures has put Ghana over the per capita income threshold into Middle Income Country status. However, structural transformation has lagged behind. Fiscal discipline has also eroded significantly and there is heavy borrowing, especially on the commercial market, while elements of the natural resource curse from oil have already occurred. The question most observers ask is whether the gains from two decades of reforms are being reversed. Given this background, this volume brings together leading established and young economists, from within and outside Ghana, to analyze and assess the challenges facing Ghana's economy as it enters its seventh decade and the nation heads towards three quarters of a century of independence. The chapters cover the major macroeconomic and sectoral issues, including fiscal and monetary policy, trade and industrialization, agriculture and infrastructure. The volume also covers a full range of social issues including poverty and inequality, education, health, gender, and social protection. The book also examines the implications of the oil boom for Ghanaian development, and the role of institutions.

"This is one of the best books reflecting on Ghana's half-a-century of often tumultuous transformation. Ivor Agyeman-Duah has gathered together a group of scholars, educators and government, business and civil society leaders to debate the trajectory of Ghana's economic history. Their views centre on three fundamental themes: structures and institutions in a postcolonial economy, the role of public policy, stimulus and innovation." "A timely volume as Ghana celebrated its 50th Anniversary of Independence in 2007 under President Kufuor's 2-terms of eight-years of relatively peaceful democratic rule. Contributors include: Jeffrey D. Sachs, Anthony Akoto-Osei., Richard Anane, Joyce Aryee, Ellen Bortei-Doku Aryeetey, Ernest Aryeetey, Moses Asaga, Ken Ofori-Atta, Gareth Austin, Annan Arkyin Cato, Mary Chinery-Hesse, T. Oteng-Gyasi, E. Gyimah-Boadi, Dirk-Jan Omtzigt, D.K. Osei, Isaac Osei, Nii Moi Thompson and Charles Wereko-Brobbey, et al." "This is unquestionably one of the best contemporary economic history books about Ghana drawing on the expertise and knowledge of Ghanaians as well as international experts and leading lights to reflect on 50 years of Ghana's economic challenges and achievements." "Contributors include leading economists such as Jeffrey D. Sachs, Earth Institute, Columbia University and Advisor to the UN Secretary General; eminent Ghanaian scholars such as Professor Ernest Aryeetey of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana; and Mary Chinery-Hesse, Chief Advisor to the President of Ghana. The contributors focus on three aspects: Structures and Institutions in a Postcolonial Economy: A Vampire Economy with a Silver Lining and Crossing the Jordon: Stimulation and Innovation with a Foreword by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka." "This volume will be a valuable tool for studies on African Economic History with specific emphasis on Ghana but could also double as a yardstick for comparing the economic histories of other well performing African economies such as Botswana, Mauritius, Cape Verde, Namibia and South Africa - according to the World Bank annual good governance rankings released in 2006."--BOOK JACKET.

Originally published in 1969, this book presents a historical geography of Ghana from the earliest times onwards. It describes the people and their social organization, migrations, agriculture, artefacts, manufacturing and history. Numerous illustrative figures, appendices and a detailed bibliography are also provided. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Ghana and the development of historical geography.

As urbanization of the world’s population grows at an ever-increasing pace, the need to understand the effects of globalization on cities is at the forefront of urban studies. Traditional scholarship largely employs a framework of analysis based on the globalizing experience of Western cities. In Globalizing City, Richard Grant draws on ten years of empirical research in Accra, Ghana’s capital city, to show how this African metropolis is as deeply transformed by globalization as the cities of other world regions. Grant reveals the ways in which international, transnational, and local forces are operating on the urban landscape of Accra, from elite gated communities to the poorest slums. Through interviews and extensive fieldwork, he examines how foreign companies, returned expatriates, and native Ghanaians foster globalization on multiple levels. Globalizing City offers an excellent case study of the complex social and economic dynamics that have transformed Accra, providing an essential guide for studying globalizing cities in general.

As Ghana enters its second half-century, there is a perception of the failure of the economic and political system. This book analyses the reasons for this failure and sets out an agenda as the basis of the course that the nations' policy makers have to steer if Ghana is to fulfil the promise of its independence in 1957.

Ghana, the former British West African colony of the Gold Coast, is known for its rich agricultural, mineral, and petroleum resources. Ghana has made tremendous strides in all areas of life and has become the gateway to West Africa, if not all of Africa. Observers now cite the country’s achievement of economic recovery, political stability, and democratized governance as an example worthy of emulation by other African countries. Historical Dictionary of Ghana, Fifth Edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 900 cross-referenced entries on important personalities as well as aspects of the country’s politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Ghana.

Robert Klein, one of the initial Peace Corps volunteers who served in Ghana from 1961-1963, describes the creation of the Peace Corps and the experiences of the first cohort of volunteer teachers serving in Ghana.

For more than a thousand years, from A.D. 500 to 1700, the medieval kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay grew rich on the gold, salt, and slave trade that stretched across Africa. Scraping away hundreds of years of ignorance, prejudice, and mythology, award-winnnig authors Patricia and Fredrick McKissack reveal the glory of these forgotten empires while inviting us to share in the inspiring process of historical recovery that is taking place today.

Ghana, the former British colony of the Gold Coast, is historically known for being the first country to the south of the Sahara to attain political independence from colonial rule. It is known for its exports of cocoa and a variety of minerals, especially gold, and it is now an oil exporting country. But Ghana’s importance to the African continent is not only seen in its natural resources or its potential to expand its agricultural output. Rather the nation’s political history of nationalism, the history of military engagement in politics, record of economic depression and the ability to rise from the ashes of political and economic decay is the most unique character of the country. This fourth edition of Historical Dictionary of Ghana covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 900 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Ghana.