A country in Western Africa, Ghana is made up of different ethnic groups. While almost forty percent are Akin peoples, other ethnic groups include Ewe, Ga-Adangme, Hausa, and Mole-Dagbani. Each has their own language, customs, and traditions, though some overlap. There are more than fifty native languages in the area, though about a quarter of the population speaks English, the official language of the government.

By 1970, Ghana was politically unstable, in part because of the diverse interests of these groups. The second half of the twentieth century was marked by many political problems. Until 1957, Ghana (then known as the Gold Coast) was a colony of Great Britain. The country obtained its independence partially because of the efforts of Kwame Nkrumah.

A native of the Gold Coast, Nkrumah received a university education in the United States. Beginning in 1947, he began fighting for his native country's independence. He...