Ghana

The modern Republic of Ghana is named after the medieval West African Ghana Empire, which ruled territory in the area of modern Mauritania, Mali and Senegal c. 790-1076. The Greenwich Meridian passes through Ghana, specifically through the industrial city of Ghana-Tema; so it is said that Ghana is geographically closer to the "centre" of the world than any other country. More than 250 languages and dialects are spoken in Ghana, native Ghanaian languages are divided into two linguistic subfamilies of the Niger-Congo language family. Languages belonging to the Kwa subfamily are found predominantly to the south of the Volta River, while those belonging to the Gur subfamily are found predominantly to the north. The discovery of major offshore oil reserves was announced in June 2007, encouraging expectations of a major economic boost.