Saturday, March 19, 2016

Ghana Flag History

By Alex Frank


The Republic of Ghana is named after the medieval Ghana Empire of West Africa. The actual name of the Empire was Wagadugu. Ghana was the title of the kings who ruled the kingdom. It was controlled by Sundiata in 1240 AD and absorbed into the larger Mali Empire.

That cargo is gold, and the Gold Coast becomes the European name for this part of Africa. The trade in gold with the Europeans makes possible the development in the early 17th century of Akwamu, the first African state to control an extensive part of the coast.

Called the Gold Coast, the area was first seen by Portuguese traders in 1470. They were followed by the English (1553), the Dutch (1595), and the Swedes (1640). British rule over the Gold Coast began in 1820, but it was not until after quelling the severe resistance of the Ashanti in 1901 that it was firmly established. British Togoland, formerly a colony of Germany, was incorporated into Ghana by referendum in 1956. Created as an independent country on March 6, 1957, Ghana, as the result of a plebiscite became a republic on July 1, 1960.

The current version of the flag of the Republic of Ghana was adopted on February 28, 1966. The flag was designed by Mrs. Theodosia Salome Okoh and was first adopted on March 6, 1957, following the country's independence from the British rule. The flag underwent a few alterations; between 1964 and 1966 when the middle gold stripe was replaced by a white one.

The banner of the Republic of Ghana has three flat stripes: red, gold, and green. The hues used as a part of the banner are the Pan-African hues. Red speaks of the progressive soul in their battle for independence; gold symbolizes the wealth of minerals found in this country; and green speaks of the lavish greenery, common assets, and the backwoods of Ghana.

The center stripe includes a five-pointed dark star that stands for the liberation of the country and the solidarity showed by the comrades in their battle against the expansionism. The star was acquired from the banner of a delivery line called Black Star Line. Flag Company Inc decided to assist with the history development by providing special decals and banners to make it easy to build a bit of Ghana Flag history right at home.




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