Ghana existed as an empire from the 7th to the 13th centuries.

In the early 20th century the British colonised the area as part of their commonwealth, naming it the “Gold Coast”. During this time, Ghanaians began trading on a global scale and grew their economy through the production of cocoa and coffee. The currency was changed from ponds to Cedis

On 6 March 1957, the Gold Coast (now known as Ghana) gained independence from Britain. Ghana became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and was led to independence by Kwame Nkrumah who transformed the country into a republic, with himself as president for life.

 “We believe in the rights of all peoples to govern themselves. We affirm the right of all colonial peoples to control their own destiny. All colonies must be free from foreign imperialist control, whether political or economic.”

Nkrumah, Kwame, Fifth Pan-African Congress, Declaration to Colonial People of the World (Manchester, England, 1945).

On 6 March 1957, Ghana (formerly the Gold Coast) became the second sub-Saharan African country to gain its independence from European colonisation

In 1957, Ghana became the first self-governing country on the African continent under president Kwame Nkrumah. Their new flag incorporated the Pan-African – an ideology of political unity between all who live in Africa – colours of red, yellow, green and black.

Ghana was made up of a number of independent kingdoms, including Gonja and Dagomba in the north, Ashanti in the interior, and the Fante states along the coast.

The flag of the newly independent state was designed by Theodosia Salome Okoh. The red signified those who had died for independence, the gold is the mineral wealth with the green representing the rich grasslands of the area. The black star is the symbol of the people and of African emancipation. 

Ghana’s precedent in 1957 inspired other countries to seek liberation and 17 African countries gained independence in 1960.