The Solar System:

The solar system consists of the sun and eight planets. It also includes the moons, stars,
asteroids, meteors and satellites’. Milky Way Galaxy

A Comet

An Asteroid
1. The Stars Stars
Stars are dense clouds of very hot glowing gases (Pic 38). They contribute to the brightness of
the Earth because they are luminous or produce light. Light from stars travels through space.
The brightest star near to the Earth's surface is called the Alpha Centauri. A group of stars is
called Galaxy. There are countless galaxies in the universe. Each galaxy consists of billions of
stars. We can see about 6000 stars from the Earth at a time. Our stars belong to a giant galaxy
called the Milky Way (Pic 37). The study of stars and planets is called Astronomy. A person
who studies the stars and planets is called an Astronomer
2. The Sun
The Sun is at the centre of our solar system. The Sun is a huge dense cloud of hot burning gases
(Pie 39) Hest and light from the Sun help support life on Earth The Sun is located at an average
distance of about 148 million km from the Earth
The temperature of the Sun is 6000 ° C. All the planets revolve round the Sun and they are of a
great distance from the Sun. The light from the Sun, travelling at a speed of about 3,000,000 km
per second, takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach the Earth's
surface.
The Sun's gravitational pull holds the planets in orbit and its radiation
affects everything in the solar system.
The Sun

3. The Planets
A planet is an astronomical object that orbits the Sun and does not shine with its own light,
The Planets is an astronomical object that orbits the sun and does not shine with its own light
There are now eight planets in the solar system. The planets move around the sun along paths
called Orbits (sce Pic 36). These orbits are not perfectly circular but elliptical. We can group
the planets into inner planets and outer planets.
Inner Planets: The inner planets are the four planets closest to the Sun. They are Mercury,
Venus, Earth and Mars (Pic 40).These planets have hard and rocky surfaces and are therefore
called terrestrial planets.
(a) Mercury is the first and smallest planet in the Solar System and the most closest to the Sun.
Its surface is similar to the Earth's moon and it is hot enough to melt cad. Mercury takes 88
days to orbit the Sun and 59 days to turn once on its axis One day on Mercury lasts for a very
long time. Mercury has no atmosphere, life and satellites.
(b) Venus is the second planet next to Mercury. It is full of volcanoes and has an atmosphere
so heavy that keeps the surface hot enough to melt lead. Venus takes 243 days to turn once on
its axis and orbit around the Sun at 225 days.
(c) Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Because of its blue colour, the Earth is often called
the Watery Planet or Blue Planet. It is the only planet with known life. The Earth takes 24hours
to make one complete rotation on its axis (one day) and takes 365 days (one year) to make one
complete revolution around the Sun.
(d) Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is often called ' the red planet '. Mars is full of
vast plains and is home to Olympus Mons - the largest volcano in the solar system. A day on
Mars is only 36 minutes longer than that on Earth. Thus, Mars takes 24 hours and 36 minutes
for one complete rotation on it axis. The planet takes 686 days to orbit the Sun. Many
astronomers have travelled to Mars and one day they hope to send humans there.

Outer Planets: The outer planets lie beyond the Asteroid belt. It includes Jupiter, Saturn,
Neptune and Uranius (Pic 40). These planets called gas giants. are mostly gas and have no solid
surface and are
 (a) Jupiter is the largest and fifth planet in the solar system. It is a gas planet. Jupiter turns
once on its axis every 10 hours. It takes nearly 12 years to orbit once around the Sun. Jupiter
has the greatest number of satellites or moons.
(b) Saturn is the second - largest planet in the solar system and the sixth planet from the Sun. It
takes about 30 years to orbit the Sun. It is a gas giant and has spectacular rings.
(c) Uranus is the seventh and third - largest planet in the solar system. It takes 17 hours to turn
once on its axis and takes 84 years to orbit once around the Sun. Night and day each last 42
years on Uranus because of the way the planet rotates.
(d) Neptune is the eighth planet and the fourth - largest planet in the Solar System. It has faint
rings as well as the fastest winds in the solar system reaching speeds up to 2000km per hour. It
takes 16 hours to turn once on its axis and it takes 165 years to orbit the Sun.

On 24th August 2006 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) excluded Pluto from the list
of planets at a meeting held in Prague in the Republic of Czech. The planet is now considered
as a dwarf planet or a small planet because of its size and mass Pluto is about 5.9 billion
kilometers from the Sun and has one moon (satellite) called Charon. It takes 250 years to go
round the Sun.The planets are located at considerable distance from their source of energy, the
Sun. Some of them have a number of moons or satellites which revolve around them (Table 8).

Table 8: The Planets, their distance from the Sun and satellites
Planets Distance from the sun No of satellites or Name of some
moon satellites or moons
Mercury 58 0
Venus 108.2 0
Earth 148.8 1 The moon
Mars 227.9 2 Phobos, Deimos
Jupiter 778.4 63 Adrastia, carme
Saturn 1,429.4 47 Atlas, Helene,pan
Uranus 2,872.0 27 Juliet, Cordelia
neptune 4,468.0 13 Despina, Triton

1. Pluto is no more considered as a planet

2. Every year, new moons are discovered
Relationship between the Sun, Planets and Moon in the Solar System
Within the solar system, there is an important relationship between the Sun, the Moon and the
planets. The Sun gives energy and heat to the planets. The Earth has a special relationship with
the Sun and the Moon. The Earth revolves around the Sun and the Moon revolves around the
Earth. The Earth also rotates on its axis as it revolves round the Sun. These motions of the Earth
cause variation in day and night seasons tides and eclipses
Eclipse of the Moon and Sun
Eclipse of the Moon (also called lunar eclipse) occur when the Sun, the Earth and the Moon are
in a straight line during which the Earth lies between the Sun and the Moon (l'ig 11) Eclipse of
the Moon usually occurs at night.
Eclipse of the Sun (also called solar eclipse) occurs when the Sun, the Earth and the Moon are
in a straight line and the Moon lies between the Sun and the Earth (Fig 11).
Always, the Sun is only able to light half of the Earth's surface and the other half remains dark.
The darker side of the Earth casts a shadow, which is always conical in shape and tapers away
from the Earth. This shadow is completely dark because it does not receive any light from the
Sun. It is called the umbra. Around the umbra zone, the Sun gives partial light to a zone of faint
shadow. This zone is called penumbra.

Eclipse of the Moon

Eclipse of the Sun
Movement of the Earth
The Earth has two (2) movement: (a) Rotation and (b) Revolution

(a) The Rotation of the Earth

The movement of the Earth on its axis from west to east within a period of 24 hours constitutes
one complete rotation (Fig. 12). The rotation of the Earth results in the occurrence of day and
night, differences in time, deflection of winds and ocean currents and the daily rising and
falling of tides.
Effects of the Earth's Rotation
1. Day and Night
The rotation of the Earth on its own axis results in day and night at different parts of the Earth.
The Earth does not have any light of its own. The rays of the Sun reaching the Earth illuminate
the side facing the Sun (Y) causing day, while the other half (X) which is turned away from the
Sun lies in darkness causing night. As the Earth rotates from west to cast, part Y facing the Sun
moves into the dark while part X which was in dark, experiences daylight (Fig. 13). Thus,
owing to the Earth's rotation, a part of the Earth steadily comes under the Sun (day) or moves
away into darkness (night).

The Occurrence of Day and Night due to rotation

2. Deflection of winds and ocean currents
The rotation of the Earth deflects air (winds) and water flow (ocean currents). The deflection
usually occurs towards the right in the Northern Hemisphere and towards the left in the
Southern Hemisphere. This phenomenon is known as Coriolis Effect and the Ferrel's Law.
3. Daily rising and falling of tides
 The rotation of the Earth causes regular occurrence of tides twice a day. Tides are the periodic
rise and fall in the level of water in the occans and seas about twice a day. The interval between
two successive high tides and two successive low tides is about 12 hours and 30 minutes.
4. Rotation brings about division of the earth into time zones.
5. Differences in local time
The Earth's rotation causes difference in time between places e.g. villages, towns or cities
and countries. Also, the differences in time occur because the places are located on different
longitudes. We can calculate differences in time between places by understanding the
following:
(a) The Earth completes one rotation or full circle of 360 ' in 24 hours.
(b) The Earth is divided into 24 time zones. Each time zone is a narrow belt running from north
to south with an east - west extent of 15 longitudes.
(c) There is a difference of one hour in time between two places which are 150 apart. For
example, Ghana and Nigeria are 15 ' apart and therefore experience a difference of one hour
between their times. Thus, when the time is 5:00 pm in Ghana, Nigeria will be 6:00 pm (i.e. 1
hour ahead).
(d) The Earth completes one rotation or a full circle of 360 ° in 24 hrs. This means that in plan
angle measure, the Earth turns 15 ° every 1 hour (i.c. 60 minutes + 15 ° = 4 minutes per 1 ").

Procedure for Calculating Local Time

(a) Procedure A: Locate the places involved in the question.
(b) Procedure B: Workout or find the difference in longitude between the places.
(c) Procedure C: Change the longitude difference to time.
(d) Procedure D: Adjust the time according to the direction of movement (Westor East).

Example 1
Calculate the time in Nigeria on longitude 15'E if the time is 7:00 pm in Ethiopia on longitude
450E.
Nigeria (150E) Ethiopia (450E)
In Fig. 14, there are two lines Nigeria has to come first
before Ethiopia because the longitude increases from 0 ° to
W E 180 ° E towards the east. Hence, 15 ° E comes before 45 °
E.

Subtract 7:00 pm
(b) Formula for procedure B: To find the longitude difference, understand that when the two
The positions have the longitudes;
i. East East means Subtract
ii. West West means Subtract
iii. East West means Add
iv. Greenwich Meridian (00) West or East means Add or Subtract
From the question, both countries ' longitudes are in the East (i.e.15°E and 45°E). So we
subtract
Therefore, the longitude difference using procedure B (i) is 45 ° E -150E = 300

(c) Procedure C: To change the longitude difference to time understand that

3600=24 hours
150 = 1 hour or 60 minutes
10 = 4 minutes

From the question, the longitude between the two countries is 30 ". Therefore, we must convert
30 " to time.
Since 150 = 1 hour
30°
Therefore, 300 = 15° ×1 hour=2 hours

(d) Procedure D: To adjust the time like 2 hours to direction of movement (West or East) we
must understand that
East = Gain = Add
West = Lose = Subtract
That is if the arrow points to the question mark (?) to the East, it means we gain time so we add
the time to the one in the question, but if the arrow points to the question mark to the West, we
lose time and therefore must subtract 2 hours from the time i.e. 7:00 pm - 2 hours = 5:00 pm.
Hence, the local time in Nigeria is 5:00 pm
Example 2
The time in Accra on longitude 0 0" is 8 am. What is the time in Cairo on longitude 30° E?

Solution
(a) Procedure A: Locate the two cities involved in the question

Accra (00) Cairo (300E)

W E

8:00 am Add

Longitude 300E comes after longitude 00 because the longitude increase towards the east from
00 to 1800E.
(b) Procedure B: Longitude between two cities is 300E + 00 = 300 or = 300 using procedure
B(iv)
(c) Procedure C: Change 300 to time. 150 = 1 hour and 10 = 4 minutes
0
30
∴300= ×1 hour =2hours
150
(d) Procedure D: since the arrow points to the question mark to the East, we add 2 hours to
8: 00am. Therefore we obtain 8: 00am + 2 hours = 10 : 00am
Example 3
A total eclipse on June 21, 2001 was telecast by TV Station 4.30 pm from Denver on longitude
105 W. At what time and date did television viewers in Durban eclipse?

(a) Procedure A:
Denver (1050W) Durban (310E)

W E

4:30pm Add

(b) Procedure B: Since the two cities are in East and West, we add their longitudes
(Using procedure B (iii)]
Hence we obtain the longitude between them as

105 ° W + 31 ° E = 136
(c) Procedure C: Change 136 ° to time.
15 ° = 1 hour and 1 ° = 4 minutes
136 °
360 °= ×1 hour=9 hrs remainde r 1°
15 °
∴ Total time = 9 hrs 4 minutes

(d) Procedure D: Since the arrow points to the question mark to the East, we add 9 hrs 4
minutes to the time 4:30 pm to get 1:34 am the following morning (i.e. 4:30 pm + 9 hrs 4
minutes = 1:34 am). Since the time is now a.m. the following morning, the day, date and time
will be Friday, 22nd June, 2001 at 1:34 am. Therefore viewers in Durban watched the eclipse
on their televisions on Friday, 22nd June, 2001 at exactly 1:34 am.
Therefore viewers in Durban watched the eclipse on their television on Friday, 22nd June, 2001
at exactly 1: 34 am.

Calculating Longitudes from Local Time

Sometimes we may have to find the longitude of a place from a local time. To find the
longitude from local time, we revise our procedures for calculating local time as follows:
(a) Procedure A: Locate the places involved in the question.
(b) Procedure B: Find the time difference between the two places
(c) Procedure C: Convert the time difference to longitude.
(d) Procedure D: Adjust the longitude to the direction of movement (West or East),

Example
What is the longitude of Cairo whose time is 10:00 am when the time of Accra (on longitude
00) is 8:00 am the same day?
Solution
(a) Procedure A: the time of accra (8:00am) has to come first before time of Cairo (10:00am)
because 8:00am comes first before 10:00am the same day.
(b) Procedure B: Find the time difference between 8am and 10am – 8:00am = 2 hours.
(c) Procedure C: Convert 2 hours to longitude.
Since 15 °=1 hr ,then 2 hours=2× ×15 ° ° =30°
(d) Procedure D: since Accra on longitude 00 comes before Cairo, we add their longitude:
longitude of Cairo = 0 ° +30 °=30 °

(b) Revolution of the Earth

 Revolution refers to the movement or motion of the Earth around the Sun. The Barth revolves
around the Sun in anti - clockwise direction (i.e. from west to east) at a speed of about 30 km
per second or about 1.08.000 km per year. The Earth travels a total distance of 940 million km
to complete one revolution around the Sun
The Earth takes about one year to complete one revolution. This is called the annual motion of
the Earth. Actually, the Earth takes 365 days to make one complete revolution i.e about one -
fourth day more than the calendar year of 365 days, Owing to this, the extra one fourth day
adds up to one full day every four years. We add this full day to make the month of February 29
days long and the year 366 days long. This extra day is called a leap day whilst the year in
which the day is added to February becomes a leap year. For example, the year 2008 is a leap
year around the Sun is called the orbit.

The fixed imaginary path along which the Earth revolves

The plane through which the Earth revolves around the Sun is called the plane of ecliptic.
The Earth nears the Sun on 3rd January and distant from the Sun on 4th July

Effects of the Earth's Revolution

The revolution of the Earth causes the following effects:
1. Variation in the length of day and night.
Revolution causes equal length of day and night at the equator throughout the year but unequal
length in day and night as one moves to the poles.

2. Length of days and nights in the Polar Regions.

Revolution causes six months continuous daylight and six months continuous darkness at the
North and South Poles.

3. It causes the eclipses of the moon and sun.

4. The phenomenon of seasons.

Revolution brings about the four seasons of summer, autumn, winter and spring in temperate
areas such as Canada, Korea, USA and Japan and wet or dry seasons in tropical areas such as
Africa (e.g. Ghana), India and China.

(i) Summer (June 21)

Summer is a season that runs from June to August in the Northern Hemisphere and from
December to February in the Southern Hemisphere. During summer, the Arctic Circle at 66 % '
N receives 24 hours daylight while the Antarctic Region at 66 % ' S experiences total darkness
for 24 hours. The Southern Hemisphere experiences the shortest day during summer (Fig. 17)

(ii) Winter (December 22)

Winter season is the coldest season of the year and it runs from around November or June to
December to February or March in the Northern Hemisphere and from June to August in the
Southem Hemisphere. In winter, the Sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Capricorn with the
South Pole inclined towards the Sun while the North hours away from it. The region from the
Antarctic Circle to the South Pole experiences 24 of daylight (day), while the region from the
Arctic Circle to the North Pole experiences 24 hours of darkness (night). The equator
experiences 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night, The day is short but the night is long in the
Northern Hemisphere whilst the Southem Hemisphere has long days and short nights (Fig. 17).

(iii) Autumn (September 23)

Autumn occurs between summer and winter (Fig 21) Autumn usually lasts from 23 September
to 21 December in the Northern Hemisphere and from and 21 March to 21 June in the Southern
Hemisphere. During Autumn, all places in the Southern Hemisphere the Northern Hemisphere
experience equal day and night, that is 12 hours.
(iv) Spring (March 21)
Spring occurs between winter and summer during
which many plants bring forth leaves
and flowers. Spring runs from March to May in the
Northern Hemisphere and from
September to November in the Southern
Hemisphere (Fig. 17) During spring, the Sun
shines vertically over the equator or latitude 0 ' and
therefore all places along the equato
receive equal duration of day and night, i.e. 12
hours.
The Phenomenon of the Seasons
Note the following carefully
1. During the seasons the Sun makes two annual crossings of the equator, once in each
direction .
This brings equal duration of day and night everywhere on the Earth. Equinox therefore
means ' equal days and nights ' Equinoxes occur twice each year, on 21st March (called Vernal
or Spring Equinox) and 23rd September (called Autumnal Equinox), See Fig. 17
2. On 21st June, the sun is vertically overhead at midday (12 noon) on the Tropic of Cancer ..
3. The North Pole receives 24 hours of sunlight when the sun is overhead the Tropic of Cancer.
4. Areas in the Southern Hemisphere experience
Summer when the sun is overhead the Tropic of
Capricorn
The Structure of the Earth
The Earth is the third planet from the sun and the fifth largest of the eight planets. The Earth is
not a perfect sphere but is slightly pear - shaped. The structure of the earth consists of the Core,
Mantle, Earth Crust, Hydrosphere and Atmosphere.

The Structure of the Earth

The Core:
(a) The Core is the innermost part of the earth
(b) The Core is divided into two parts: the laner Core and the Outer Core
(c) The Core has a radius of about 3,476 kilometres
(d) The Core is made up of Iron and Nickel which produce the Earth's magnetic field.
(e) The Core has a temperature of about 1972 ° C Temperature of the inner core may reach
5.500 ° C
(f) The Inner Core is in a solid state whereas the Outer Core is in a liquid state.

The Mantle:
(a) The Mantle is the layer of the earth between the Crust and the Core.
(b) It measures about 2900 km thick.
(c) It is made up of heavy rocks.
(d) It is divided into the Upper Mantle and the Lower Mantle.
(e) The Lower Mantle is mainly solid in spite ofits high temperature.

The Crust:
(a) The Crust is the outermost layer of the earth.
(b) It represents 30 % of the earth surface and is the part on which we live
(c) It is about 10-50 km thick. However, the thickness of the Crust varies from one place to
another.
(d) It is made up of two layers (ie. Upper Crust and Lower Crust).
(e) The Upper Crust forms the continents such as silica and aluminium, known
(f) The Upper Crust is made up of lighter rocks or minerals as sial.
(g) The Lower Crust forms the floor of the ocean basins.
(h) The Lower Crust is made up heavier rocks such as silica and magnesium which is called
sima.

Hydrosphere (oceans):
(a) The hydrosphere consists of the oceans, inland seas, lakes, rivers, and underground water
bodies.
(b) It is the liquid portion of the earth.
(c) The oceans cover 70.8 % of the earth's surface.
Atmosphere (ocean):
(a) The Atmosphere is the air which surrounds the Earth.
(b) The Atmosphere is made up of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapour.
(c) About 99 % of the Atmosphere lies within 30 km of the surface of the Earth.

Major Structures of the Earth

Landform features or structures are a major part of our Earth. Landforms occur on the surface
of the Earth and within the Earth. In this unit, we shall identify and describe the main structures
of the Earth such as volcanic land forms, mountains, plateaus and rift valleys

1. Volcanic Landforms
Volcanic landforms are features created within or on the surface of the Earth as a result of
volcanic activities or eruptions. A volcanic eruption is the ejection of rocks in a liquidor molten
state called magma from the interior of the Earth (Crust). Volcanic landforms may be extrusive
or intrusive,
Intrusive features are volcanic landforms created by magma within the Earth. Some examples
of intrusive features are
(a) Dykes: Dykes are wall - like features formed by solid magma and lie vertical to the
sedimentary layers within the Earth (Pic 41). An example is the Thyolo Scarp in Malawi.

(b) Batholiths: A batholith is a large mass of igneous rocks composed of granite formed deep in
the Earth's crust and ejected in a molten state (Pic 41) e.g. Cape Coast Batholith (Ghana),

(C) Laccoliths: A laccolith is a dome - shaped mass of igneous rocks lying between beds of
sedimentary rocks within the Earth's crust (Pic 41), e.g. the Bush Veldt (South Africa)

(d) Sills: A sill is a horizontal layer of igneous rocks forced between layers of sedimentary
rocks with the Earth crust (Pic 41). An example is the Sekondi Sill in Ghana.

Extrusive features are features created by solidified magma on the surface of the Earth. Some
examples of extrusive features are

(a) Volcanoes or Cones: Volcanoes are a natural opening (vent) through which hot materials
 such as magma, water and pieces of rocks are ejected from the hot interior of the Earth to
its surface. There are many kinds of volcanoes: ash or cinder cones (formed from less fluid
acid lava and consists of cinder, ash and loose rock fragments), composite cones (formed by
accumulation of various layers of volcanic materials) and shield cones (formed from light and
less thick lava). See Pic 42.

(a) Volcanic plugs: Volcanic plugs are formed duet the filling of the vent of extinct volcanoes
e.g. the North Berwick Plug and Castle Rock all in Scotland)
(b) Craters: A crater is a circular funnel shapes depression produced by volcanic eruption
(Pic 43), eg Bosumtwi Meteorite Crater (Ghana)
(c) Caldera: A caldera is an enlarged form of a crater (Pic 43). It has steep walls and is formed
usually due to the collapse of the crater. It may contain a lake. Examples are Krakatoa Caldera
in Indonesia and Vesuvius Caldera (Italy)

1. Mountains
 Mountains are steep - sided landmasses which rise several metres above the ground. They are
created by natural processes which causes faulting and folding of the Earth's crust. Some
examples of mountains in Ghana are Afadjato, Adansi, Bosumkese and Somutwetwe.

Forms of Mountains
(3) Mountain range: This is a linear system of mountains and hills having several ridges, peaks
and valleys e.g. Akwapim - Togo Ranges, Atewa - Atwiredu Range and Kwahu - Mampong
Koforidua Ridge of Ghana (Pic 44).

(b) Mountain chain: This several parallel long and narrow mountains formed at different
periods e.g. the Andes Chain in South America (Pic 44).

(c) Mountain system: This is several mountain ranges formed at the same period and are
separated by valleys e.g. Alps of south - central Europe, Appalachians of eastern North
America and Himalayas in south - central Asia (Pic 44).

(d) Mountain group: This is several unsystematic patterns of different mountain systems.

(e) Cordillera: This is several mountain groups and systems joined together e.g. Western
Cordillera in North America.

Types of Mountains
There are five types of mountains namely
(a) the fold mountains (d) the dome mountains
(b) the block mountains (e) the residual mountains
(c) the volcanic mountains

(a) Fold Mountains

Characteristics of Fold Mountains
i) Fold Mountains contain very old hard rock with steep sides.
ii) Fold Mountains occur in a layered form.
iii) Fold Mountains form the highest mountain ranges.
iv) Fold Mountains often contains active volcanoes.
Formation of Fold Mountains
 Fold Mountains are formed by forces of compression which cause two continental plates to
collide forcing sedimentary rocks that lie between them to fold or push up in the form of
wrinkles (Fig. 19).

Examples of Fold Mountains

i) Old Fold Mountains eg. Akosombo Mountains and part of the Akwapim - Togo Ranges
(Ghana) the Urals, the Appalachians and Aravalis (India)
ii) New Fold Mountainseng, the Himalayas, the Alps, the Rockies and the Andes.

(b) Block Mountains or Horst

Characteristics of Block Mountains
i) Block Mountain is an elevated block of land between two parallel faults.
ii) Blocks of the mountain are separated by fault valleys.
ii) Block Mountains have an almost flat or levelled summit (top).
iv) The elevated blocks may be tilted to form tilt blocks or may be horizontal to form Horsts
v) Block Mountains have steep slopes and are often associated with rift valley
Formation of Block Mountains compression.
Block Mountains are formed from faulting caused by forces of tension and
Faulting (weakness in rocks) break the crust into blocks. These blocks move upward or
downward to create a raised mountain known as a Block Mountain.

Examples of Block Mountains are the Ruwenzori Range in east- central Africa. Black Forest in
Germany, the Vosges in northeast France, the Sierra Nevada intern California (USA), the
Benbulben in north - western Ireland and the Salt Range in Pakistan

(c) Volcanic Mountains

Characteristics of Volcanic Mountains
i)Volcanic Mountains are made up of lava (solid magma)
ii) Volcanic mountains have irregular sides with a conical shape
(Fig. 21).
iii) Volcanic Mountains consist of volcanic bombs, ash and
cinders arranged in layers.
iv) Volcanic Mountains occur as independent, isolated
highlands in chains or in groups.

Formation of Volcanic Mountains

Volcanic Mountains are formed due to volcanic activity on the surface of the Earth. When a
volcano erupts, hot magma accumulates or pile up around the vent in successive layers to form
a cone - shaped mountain called Volcanic Mountains or Mountains of accumulation

Examples of Volcanic Mountains are Mountains Kilimanjaro, Kenya Ruwenzori and

Cameroon (all in Africa), Etna and Vesuvius (Italy) Fujiyama (Japan) Krakatoa
(Indonesia). Rainier (USA) and Mayon (Philippines).
(d) Residual Mountains
Characteristics of Residual Mountains
i) Residual Mountains have irregular surfaces
with steep sides.
ii) Residual Mountains occur in varying height
and sizes.

Formation of Residual Mountains

Residual Mountains are formed due to the erosional work of rivers, wind and glaciers (flowing
ice). These agents remove the natural protective covering of mountains (weaker rocks) and
reduce the originalheight, shape or form of an existing fold mountain. The more resistant rocks
become remnants that form residual mountains (Fig. 22).

Examples of Residual Mountains are the Catskill and Manadnock Mountains of USA, the
Rajmahal Hills India and Highlands of Scotland

(e) Dome Mountains

Characteristics of Dome Mountains
i) Dome Mountains lie uniformly outwards from the centre of a dome.
ii) Dome Mountains consist of igneous rocks often exposed by erosion.

Formation of Dome Mountains

Dome Mountains are formed due to upward intrusion of igneous magma from within Earth.
The intrusion causes the ground to bulge or swell.

Examples of Dome Mountains are the Black Hills of South Dakota (USA), the Big Horn
Mountains of Wyoming (USA) and the Adirondack Mountains of New York (USA)

3. Plateaus
Characteristics of Plateaus
i) Plateaus arc elevated upland or highland.
ii) Plateaus have extensive flat or level surface which usually descends sharply to the
surrounding lowland. They are called table lands because of their flat surface.
iii) Plateaus have gentle slopes.
iv) Plateaus are tabular in shape, steep - sided with rough and irregular surfaces.
v) Most Plateaus are remnants of ancient mountain ranges.

Types of Plateau
The three types of plateaus based on the mode of formation are
(a) tectonic plateaus. (b) volcanic plateaus and (c) dissected plateaus.

(a) Tectonic plateau

Tectonic plateaus are formed due to movements within the Earth's crust which causes some
areas to uplift and others depressed. The uplifted areas of the level or undulating landform form
a tectonic plateau while the depressed areas form basins. Examples of tectonic plateaus are the
Deccan Plateau in India (see Pic 45). Mesetal Plateau (Central Liberia) and Harz Plateau
(Germany). There are two types of tectonic plateaus, namely

i) Tableland is a tectonic plateau in which the uplifted area of the level land slope down to a
surrounding lowlands e.g. Artherton Tableland in Australia (Pic 46).
ii) Intermontane is a tectonic plateau in which the uplifted area of the level land slopes up or
is enclosed by fold mountains e.g. Tibetan Plateau between Himalayas and Kunlun (Pic 47) and
the Bolivian Plateau between two ridges of the Andes Mountains.

(b) Volcanic or Lava plateau

Lava plateaus are formed from molten lava which erupts onto the Earth's surface around the
vent in successive layers. The lava cools and solidifies to form lava or volcanic plateaus. Some
examples of lava plateaus are the Antrim Plateau of Northern Ireland, the Columbia Snake
Plateau of north - western USA and the Haruj el Asward in Libya.

(c) Dissected Plateau

Dissected plateaus are created due to the work of erosive agents such as rivers, wind and
glaciers that cross plateaus. These agents cut deep valleys and canyons in a plateau region and
change the smooth surface of its plateaus. Some examples of dissected plateaus are the Jos
Plateau in Nigeria, edges of Fouta Djallon Plateau in Guinea and the Kumasi Plateau in
Ghana

4. Rift valleys or Graben

Characteristics of Rift Valleys
i) A rift valley is a long, narrow and very deep depression caused by vertical and horizontal
movements in the Earth's crust (Fig. 23).
ii) Rift valleys vary in length and width and are bounded by steep walls.
 iii) Rift valleys occur with volcanoes or in regions of volcanic activity
iv) Rift valleys usually contain lakes whose beds are below sea level.

Formation of Rift Valleys

Rift valleys are formed due to the displacement of rocks of the Earth's crust and the collapse of
the middle portion of such rocks. A rift valley may be formed in two ways

(a) When rocks in the middle part of a faulted crust sink while the two blocks on either side of
the sinking rock remains stable;

(b) When a block in the middle part of a faulted crust remains stable whilst the two side blocks
on either side of the middle part are raised upwards.

Examples of Rift Valleys are the Death Valley in Southern California (USA), the Dead Sea in
Asia, the Valleys of Narmada and Tapi Rivers in India, the Rhine Valley in Germany.

4. Rocks
A rock is defined as a large mass of stones or a mass mineral material found in the earth's
crust.
Rocks are made up of aggregate of minerals which are important sources of national wealth.
The minerals composition of rocks includes gold, diamond, aluminium, iron, micas etc.
Types of rocks
Based on their mode of formation, we have mainly three types of rocks namely
 Igneous Rocks  Metamorphic Rocks
 Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Igneous rocks are generally massive, crystalline, shiny and hard rocks with broken joints. They
are composed mainly of primary minerals such as quartz, feldspars and hornblende.
Mode of formation of igneous rocks
Igneous rocks are formed from the cooling and solidification of hot liquid mass called molten
lava (or magma of hot erupted from the centre of the earth

Types of igneous rocks

There are two types of igneous rocks viz. They are:
1. Plutonic (or intrusive) igneous rocks. Examples are: granite,
gabbro and diorite.
2. Volcanic (or extrusive) igneous rocks Examples are basalt and
quartz.

Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary rocks are referred to as stratified rocks. They are rocks
formed by the accumulation and hardening of sediments of pre -
existing rocks. They are generally composed of secondary minerals
such as dolomite, gypsum, calcite and clay minerals.

Mode of formation of sedimentary rock

They are formed from the deposition of sediments from other weathered rocks. The sediments
are accumulated in layers or strata, one on top of the other and after a long period of time, they
become hardened by compression to form sedimentary r
Types of sedimentary rocks
There are three types of sedimentary rocks:
1. Mechanically - formed sedimentary rocks. Examples are sandstone, clay, breccia, limestone
and conglomerate
2. Organically - formed sedimentary rocks. Examples are: coal, peat and lignite.
3. Chemically - formed sedimentary rocks.Examples are: potash, sodium chloride, gypsum and
dolomites.

Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks result from changes in the form of either a sedimentary or an igneous rock.
Examples are marble, slate, diamond, schist and gneiss
Mode of formation of metamorphic rocks have been subjected to tremendous heat and pressure
Metamorphic rocks are formed from rocks which (high temperature, high pressure) and hence
changes in form.
Thus either igneous rock or a sedimentary rock can change its form into metamorphic rock
under high pressures and temperatures. Examples are marble, slate, schist, gneiss, serpentine,
and quartzite.
Metamorphosis of Rocks
Shale → Slate
Sandstone → Quartzite
Limestone → Marble
Conglomerate → Schist
Granite → Gneiss

Economic importance of rocks

1. Formation of soil 7. As ornaments
2. Sources of plant nutrients 8. Sources of fuel and power
3. Building and construction 9. Sources of salt
4. Erosion control 10. Sources of minerals
5. Sources of tourist attraction 11. Raw materials for industries
6. Sources of metals 12. Sources of water such as springs.

Using Contours to Show Relief Features or Landforms on Maps

Surface or landform features such as mountains, plateaus, valleys and ridges can accurately be
shown on contour maps. Contours are imaginary lines drawn on maps which join the points or
places having the same height above sea level. Below are some examples of relief features and
their contours representation (Fig. 24).

1. A conical hill is a hill which resembles a cone. It is wide at the lower ground but narrow and
pointed at the top. It is shown with concentric contour lines which are evenly spaced.
2. A color a saddle is a depression or a gap between two hills. The gap provides the route
through a highland. A col is a short steep - sided depression, whereas in a saddle the depression
is broad and low. A col becomes a pass if a road or footpath lies between its hills.
 3. An escarpment is a long regular and steep face of a hill or ridge. It has close contour lines
one side and widely spaced contours on the other side.
4. A knoll is a very low isolated hill which is round in shape. A knoll is shown with small encl
contours which are circular in shape whereas well - spaced contours show a plain.
5. A ridge is a long, steep - sided hill which has a narrow highland area. The contours show
ridge are very close together.
6. A spur is a highland which projects into a lowland. It is shown by V - shaped contours, but
unlike that of a valley. The arms or bottom of the V points to the higher ground and the tip or
apex of the ' V ' to the lower ground.
7. A valley is a low lying area between two hills or ridges and often occupied by a river. it is
shown by V - shaped contours. The contours point to the heart of the hill. Thus the apex points
to the higher ground and its arms to the lower ground.
8. A plateau is a flat - topped highland that rises steeply above the surrounding region. The top
of plateau is almost without contours or has very few contours, whereas the sides its shown by
closely spaced contours. When a river (usually shown with a blue line) contours of a plateau,
the feature formed is called a dissected plateau
 Fig. 24: Relief Features Shown with the Help of Contours
9. Spot heights are accurately measured figures to show the height of places on maps and
ground. It is indicated by a dot or small circle with the height written against it. For example
120 or 120

10. Trigonometrical points or stations are points on the ground that has been measured
accurately. On maps they are represented by a triangle with a dot in it and figures written
besides it. Example, 1820. They are marked by pillars on the ground.

11. Hachures are lines used to show directions of flow of the rivers from higher to lower
grounds. It also shows the nature of the slope. Thick crowded lines represent steep slopes while
widely spaced lines represent gentle slopes. Very flat areas are left blank. Hachures do not give
specific information about the height of the land.

Using contours to show slopes

It must be emphasised here that the interval
between contoursshows the gradient or slope
of the land. There are four main types of
slopes. These are
a) Gentle Slope: The land form of gentle
slope rises gradually from the ground to the
top. The slope is always gentle in nature and
it is sometimes referred to as a slope with
contour lines spaced apart (see Fig. 25).
 b) Steep Slopes: Contour lines that indicate steep slope are closely packed to show that the land
form they represent rises more rapidly (see Fig. 26).
c) Concave Slope: A concave slope is a type of
slope of a highland which starts gently but
becomes steep from the mid portion to the
summit. Its contours are widely spaced at first on
the ground (at the lower part) and gradually
become close as it rises above the sea level (see
Fig 27).
d) Convex Slope: Convex slope is a slope in
which the land is steep at first on the lower
ground and gradually becomes gentler on the
higher level. The contours of the convex are
closely packed at the beginning and then widened
as the land rises higher (see Fig. 28).

Significance or Importance of Relief Features

1. Relief features such as mountains, plateaus and ridges serve as windbreaks which has
prevent soil erosion and damage te crops.
2. Relief features such as mountains, plateaus, craters and lava plugs contain minerals such
gold and diamond
3. Mountains provide rocks for the construction of houses, bridges and roads.
4. Relief features such as lava provide fertile soils for the cultivation of crops.
5. Relief features such as mountains, plateaus and ridges offer cooler climate for human
settlements
6. The grasslands in a plateau region are extensively used for livestock farming.
7. Relief features such as mountains, crater lakes and valleys offer scenic attraction for tourists.

5. Rainfall water
Rainfall is the release of excess condensed water vapour in the atmosphere into the earth. To
put it simply, rainfall is the amount of water that falls in area over a period of time. The amount
of rainfall of a place is measured by an instrument called Rain - Gange.
How Rainfall is Formed
(a) During the day the Sun heats up the surface of water bodies such as seas lagoons and rivers.
(b) The heated water turns into vapour. This process is called Evaporation.
(c) The vapour is light and therefore rises quickly into the skies.
 (d) As the water vapour goes higher into the skies it cools and turns into small drops of water
process is called Condensation.
(e) The small drops of water come together and become big and as they get bigger they
become heavy and fall as rain.

Types of Rainfall
There are three main types of rainfall. These are convectional rainfall, relief or orographic
rainfall and cyclonic or frontal rainfall.
1. Convectional rainfall
(a) It occurs when the heating of the land surface causes
evaporation of warm moist air.
(b) The warm moist air becomes light and it is forced to
rise by convection currents.
(c) The moist air cools in the upper atmosphere.
(d) The moist air condenses and forms cumulus rain
clouds (Fig 29)
(e) The cumulus clouds cool further and form thick and
dark clouds called cumulo - nimbus.
(f) Torrential or heavy rainfall occurs often with lightning
and thunder.
(g) Convectional rainfall occurs in the tropics and temperate regions during summer.
(h) Convectional rains occur in the equatorial regions of low latitudes during afternoons when
the land becomes heated.

2. Orographic or Relief Rainfall

(a) Relief rainfall takes place when warm moist air from
the sea, lake or any water body blows against a mountain
barrier (Fig.30).
(b) The air is forced to rise above the highland.
(c) The forced air becomes cooler in the upper atmosphere
(d) The air condenses to form cumulus clouds.
(e) With further cooling, the cumulus clouds turn into
cumulo - nimbus clouds.
(f) Much rainfall occurs on the windward side of the
mountain while the leeward side experience little or no rainfall The leeward side is often called
a rain - shadow zone
(g) Relief rainfall may occur in any season. It is more widespread and the duration of rain is
usually long
Areas in Ghana that Experience Relief Rainfall
In Ghana, relief rainfall occurs in the following areas:
i) Aburi - Akuapem (Akwapim - Togoland ranges)
ii) Kusa area near Formena, Atewa Range.
iii) Kwahu Range
iv) Parts of Volta Region (Amedzofe area)
v) Asante Mampong area (Ashanti Region)

3. Cyclonic or Frontal Rainfall

(a) Cyclonic rainfall occurs when two air masses (i.e.
cold and warm air masses) meet.
(b) The cold air mass and the warm air mass meet at
a plane called a front.
(c) The cold air mass usually settles below the front
because it is heavier (Fig.31).
(d) The warm air mass rises over the cold air mass into the upper atmosphere.
(e) The rising warm air condenses to form cumulus cloud.
(t) The cumulus cloud cools further to form cumulo - nimbus cloud.
(g) The clouds produce rain which falls ahead of the cold front.
(h) The rain falls in showers and often covers a wide area.
(i) Cyclonic rains occur in temperate and tropical regions of the world.

The Benefits or Importance of rainfall

Rainfall gives man many benefits. Below are some of the benefits of rainfall:
1. Rainfall provides water for domestic uses (washing of clothes, drinking, cooking)
2. Rainfall helps to cool the weather and maintain the vegetation green.
3. Rainfall helps farmers to plant their crops.
4. Rainfall makes grass to grow to provide pasture (food) for animals.
5. Rainfall provides water for use in the dry season (irrigation)

Geographical Divisions of the World or Earth

The world is divided into five geographic zones. These are
1. The Hemispheres
The hemisphere refers to the lands at the top or bottom - half of the Earth (World).
The equator at latitude 0 " (fig. 32) divides the world into two hemispheres:
(a) Northern Hemisphere covers the part of the Earth from the equator towards the north
This part of the world comprises the North Pole (latitude 900N). Tropic of Cancer 23
" N) and the Arctic Circle (66½0 N).

(b) Southern Hemisphere covers the portion of the Earth from the equator towards the south
(fig. 32). This part of the world comprises the South Pole (latitude 90'S), Tropic of Capricom
(23 ½S) and the Antarctic Circle (66 ½S).

The hemispheres have lines of latitudes and longitudes which help to locate and describe
places on the Earth's surface.

The International Date Line (IDL)

The International Date Line is the imaginary line that separates two consecutive calendar days.
It sits on the 180 ° line of longitude in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is not a perfectly
straight line and has been moved slightly over the years to accommodate needs of varied
countries in the Pacific Ocean. Note how it bends to include all of Kiribati in the Eastern
Hemisphere (Fig 33).

Immediately to the left of the International Date Line (the date) is always one day ahead of the
date (or duy) immediately to the right of the International Date Line in the Western
Hemisphere.
On the time and date codes shown below, note that ' Tonga and Samoa have the same time but
are one (1) day apart as Samoa is in the Western Hemisphere, on the opposite side of the
International Dateline from Tonga

As you travel further west, note that the time in Fiji is one (1) hour earlier than Tonga. You will
also notice that Hawaii, further to the east of Samoa, is one (1) hour later in time.
So, travel cast across the International Date Line results in a day, or 24 hours being subtracted.
Travel west across the International Date Line results in a day being added.

Importance of the International Date Line

Without the International Date Line, people who travel west around the planet would discover
that when they returned home, it would seem as though an extra day had passed. It has helped
to avoid confusion resulting from differences in time between different places in the world.
Before fixing the line, travelers had to adjust their watches several times to keep a correct date
and time between their place of departure and destination.
2. Continents
A continent is a large area of land on the Earth's surface which contains many countries. The
world is divided into seven (7) main continents, each of which varies in size (Table 9). The
continents cover about 149 million square kilometres of the Earth's surface. Australia is a
continent as well as a country

World – major continents and their size

Name of Continent Description
Asia The largest in the world
Africa The second largest in the world
North America The third largest
South America The fourth largest
Antarctica The fifth largest
Europe The sixth largest
Australia The seventh largest in the world

 The continents of Europe and Asia are often considered by many as one large landmass
called Eurasia. Also, the continents of North America and South America together are
called The Americas.
 There are no permanent human residents in Antarctica

3. Oceans
The world has five (5) main oceans. The oceans cover about 360 million square Kilometers of
the Earth's surface and they vary in area or size (see Table 10)
World – main oceans and their areas
Name of ocean Description
Pacific ocean It is the largest in the world
Atlantic ocean It is the second largest in the world
Indian ocean It is the third largest in the world
Antarctic ocean It the fourth largest in the world
Arctic ocean It is the fifth largest in the world
Importance of Oceans
1. Oceans serve as a cheap source of transport for goods and passengers
2. Oceans give employment to people such as fishermen, fish mongers and divers
3. Oceans provide fish for human consumption
4. Oceans provide petroleum products and mineral salts.
5. Oceans serve as a habitator home for sea organisms.

4. Climatic regions
The world is also divided into the following different climates:
(a) Tropical climate e.g. East Asia, Western Guinea and the Sahara, Arabia, Kalahari, Thar,
Australia, Atacama and Nubian deserts.
(b) Temperate climate e.g. south China, Paraguay, North America, southeast Brazil, north -
eastern Argentina and Veld of South Africa
(c) Equatorial climate e.g. Amazon lowlands, Congo Basin (Africa) and Madagascar
(d) Mediterranean climate e, g. Cape Town (South Africa), central California (USA), central
Chile and Murray Darling basin in southern Australia

5. Vegetation zones
The world is divided into different vegetation zones such as Tropical rain forest, Temperate
grasslands and Mediterranean forest and Desert and Mountain forests. The vegetation zones
occur within the climatic zones mentioned above.

POPULATION GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Introduction
The manor economic problem which faces Ghana now is how to provide enough food to feed
her rapidly increasing population. In our Ghanaian society, people are producing too many
children and more rapidly than they can adequately cater for.
Rapid population growth affects the quality of life and development of the individual, the
family and the whole nation. The present population growth rate of about 2.6 percent per
annum means that the population will double in about 28 years. However, food production and
economic growth increase at a much slower rate. Apart from this, the total land size of the
country is always the same Because of these factors the government finds it very difficult to
adequately provide employments, food, accommodation and social amenities like schools,
hospitals, electricity and many others for everyone.

Also, a very fast growing population brings about a lot of social problems such as poorer lack
of education, early marriage of girls, teenage pregnancies, drug abuse, street children,
inadequate medical care and malnutrition. All these problems make it difficult for us to
progress as individuals, communities or as a nation.

Objectives of the Chapter

The main purpose of this chapter is to enable you the learner to recognise the effects of
rapid population growth on social and economic development.
Specifically, it is hoped that by the time you finish reading this chapter you will be able to do
the following:
i) Explain the term population: understand what is meant by ation census:
(ii) Describe some of the characteristics of Ghana's population:
(iv) Analyse the effects of rapid population growth in Ghana on the family, community and the
nation;
(v) Identify and explain some of the social problems connected with rapid population growth in
Ghana:
(vi) Suggest ways in which rapid population growth could be checked or reduced;
(vii) Suggest ways in which social problems could be checked or minimised

EXPLANATION OF TERMS
1. What is Population?
The term population ' refers to the total number of people living in a particular place given
period of time. We can have for example, the population of a particular village town city. This
involves the people who are living in that particular village, town or city that time. Similarly,
when we talk of the population of Ghana in 2004, we are referring to the total number of people
living in the country in that particulars

2 What is a Census?
Census is a survey conducted by a government to obtain information about the society that it
governs. Censuses examine such aspects of a nation as population, house agriculture and
information and manufacturing. A population census determines the size of a population and
such information as the age, employment income race and sex of people. Most governments
conduct censuses at regular intervals, such as once every 10 year. This method ensures regular
measurement of changes and trends in society.
 Why do governs conduct census National and local government analyse census data to
determine the extent of economic and social problems. These data also help identity resources
available to solve such problems. Most governments publish Information to make able to the
public

Business executives’ use census figures to help them plan company policies. Statistics provided
by a population census affect the assignment of funds for economic development programmes,
housing, school aid and such public services as welfare and social security

Problems Involved in Census

In the third world countries, especially those in Africa, population censuses have always failed
to count some people particularly among the rural areas where there is little or no access to
these areas.

There is also the problem of logistics and financial resources to cater for the vast rural areas.
Some people also refuse to give the government information about them.

Rapid Population Growth

The term population growth refers to the increase of the size of the population of a place over a
period of time. Rapid population growth, therefore, involves a situation where there is a
continuous and fast increase of the size of the population of a particular place.

Characteristics or Nature of the Ghanaian Population

The characteristics of a country's population deal with those essential parts of the population
that can n easily be noticed and used to describe it. They include the size of the population, age
sex structure or composition.

The Population Size

 The total population of Ghana has been growing over the year. For example, in 1970 the total
population was 8.5 million. The 1984 population census showed that the number has increase to
12. 2 millions and according to the 2000 census, Ghana now has a population had growing at a
rate of 18,912,079. The size of Ghana's population is estimated to be growing at a rate of 2.5
percent per annum. This means that between 2000 and 2001 the population of the country grew
by about 500,000 people. Unofficial sources even estimate the annual growth rate of the
population at 3.0 per cent.
The Sex Composition or Structure or Distribution
The 1984 and 2000 population censuses showed that in Ghana there are more females than
males. For example, the 1984 census showed that out of a total population of 12,287,228,
6.232.233 were females and 6,063.848 were males. This means that 50.7 percent of the
populations in 1984 were females and 49.3 percent, males. Similarly, the 2000 census showed a
total of 9,357,382 males and 9,554,697 females. This gives us a grand total of 18,912,079.
Again, the 2000 census showed that females form about 51percent while males constitute about
49 percent of Ghana's population.

The Age Structure or Composition of Ghana's Population

The age structure of a population deals with the distribution of the population among the
various age groups. There are several ways of distributing population according to age.
In our case however, we shall discuss the age structure of Ghana's population under five
divisions. These divisions are shown in the table below.

Ghana age structure

As of the beginning of 2022 according to our estimates Ghana had the following population age
distribution:

36.5 60 3.6

- percentage of population under 15

- percentage of population between 15 and 64 years old
- percentage of population 65+

In absolute figures (estimate):

 11,750,661 young people under 15 years old ( 5,939,962 males / 5,810,699 females)
 19,337,191 persons between 15 and 64 years old ( 9,667,951 males / 9,668,918 females)
 1,147,247 persons above 64 years old ( 519,630 males / 627,295 females)
We prepared a simplified model of the population distribution pyramid which is broken down
into 3 main age groups. The groups are the same as we used above: population under 15,
between 15 and 64 and population which is over 65 year old.

65+
15-64
0-14
male female

Note: The pyramid provided is not corresponding to data given above because the age groups
have different number of years.

As we can see the Ghana population pyramid has an expanding type. This type of pyramid is
common for developing countries with high birth and death rates. Relatively short life
expectancy, as well as low level of education and poor health care are also describe such kind
of population age distribution model.

Normally, those between the ages of 15 and 60 are described as the active population.
This is because those in these age groups form the working population. Those who are less
than 15 years and those above 64 years are described as dependent population in
Ghana. This is because the people in these age groups rely on those who are active and working
for their needs to be met.

The 2000 census showed that Ghana's population who fall below 15 years form 41.3 per cent
while those above 60 years form only 5.3 percent. The census also showed that 46.6 per cent
depend on others for their basic needs like food, clothing and shelter It must be noted however,
that most of those who are in the working age group cannot even provide for their own needs,
much more to provide for others.
Effects of Rapid Population Growth in Ghana
Ghana's population is said to be growing too fast. The present population is about three times
what it was in 1960 and more than doubles its size in 1970. With the present growth rate of 2.5
per cent, it is estimated that the population will be double its current size by 2028 (that is in 23
years ' time). This will lead to some negative effects on the family, community and the whole
society.

Effects on the family

The effects of rapid population growth on the family include the following:
(i) Poor maternal and child health: When the total family size increases continuously and too
fast the family will not be able to adequately cater for the health needs of all the members.
Those who will be most affected include pregnant women, nursing mothers and children. The
family may not have the resources to ensure that pregnant women and children regularly attend
hospital or clinic for check up and treatment when they fall sick. Also, nursing mothers may not
have enough to eat and may not be in the right condition to ensure the healthy growth of both
mother and child. Children of such families often lack certain basic nutrients and therefore,
suffer from diseases like kwashiorkor. Frequent births also put the woman's health at risk
(ii) High dependency burden: Another effect is that when the population is growing too fast it
results in an increase in the number of children under 15 years. These children and the elderly
will have to depend on the few members of the family who are adults and working. This means
that those who are working will have to take care of more people than their income can cater
for. There is, therefore, a high dependency burden on the few family members who are
working.
(ii) Breakdown of the family as a unit: Rapid population growth often leads to a situation
where members of the extended family find it difficult to adequately cater for their immediate
family needs, as well as the needs of the other members. People therefore, tend to pay more
attention to the needs of their immediate family members and neglect those of the extended
family members. This leads to the breakdown of the extended family as an institution that
unites all the members together.

(iv) Low level of education or high illiteracy rates of family members: Rapid population
growth also affects the family's ability to cater for the educational needs of its members. When
the family size is increasing rapidly, it will be difficult to save enough resources that will be
used to educate its members. As a result, many members of the family will be illiterate or lowly
educated.

Effects on the Community

(i) Rapid population growth affects the ability of local institutions to adequately cater for the
needs of the people. Institutions such as schools, courts, police stations, markets, hospitals and
so would have to be expanded to meet the needs of the growing population. This means that
community institutions such as the District Assembly, Town and Area Councils would be
compelled to use their scarce resources to expand the existing social institutions to enable them
cater for the needs of the people.

(ii) Pressure would be put on existing social facilities like roads, water, housing, transportation
and so on. The overuse of some of these facilities would cause them to spoil early and therefore
will have to be repaired or replaced.

(iii) Land in the community would be over used leading to loss of soil fertility and erosion. For
example, the 2000 census indicated that in some communities like Greater Accra, Central,
Ashanti, Upper East and Eastern Regions, the number of people per square kilometre is more
than 100. Greater Accra region has a population density of 897, central,161 and Upper East,
104 percent kilometer all these are above the national population density which is 77 person per
square kilometer. What this means is that in the Greater Accra Region, Central , Upper East and
Ashanti, there is more pressure on the land. The effect is more observe in the Upper East
Region where the land has lost almost all its fertility due to the constant and over use of it for
farming and other purposes

(iv) Migration: Rapid population growth makes it very difficult for the community to provide
employment for everybody, especially the youth. In the rural areas for example, due to the
decreasing size of farmland per head and the low yield perform some people leave and settle in
the urban areas in search of jobs.

Effects on the nation

(i) At the national level, the fast growing population results in the overuse of natural
resources such as agricultural resources, minerals, forest resources and the water
bodies. It is estimated that less than two million acres of Ghana's forest is left. This
means that if the present population growth rate and indiscriminate cutting down of
trees for timber continues, the forest will be depleted in less than ten years time.

(ii) Low income per head. A fast growing population would result in a decrease in the
amount of income each person would get if the total income of the country is shared
among the population. The decrease in income per head would continue if the country
is not able to produce enough to earn more money. A decline in the income per head
has an effect on the quality of life of the people. This is because decline in income per
head leads to poverty and this in turn affects the people's ability to afford good food,
buy good clothing and provide good accommodation for them. All these imply that
the people have a low standard of living.

(iii) High debt burden: Rapid population growth would force the government to borrow
money from other countries and individuals or banks in the country to enable it feed
and provide other amenities for the people. If the people are not able to produce
enough goods and services to enable the government sell and pay the debt, the
government should become a permanent borrower.

(iv) High population growth rate also affects the government's ability to provide adequate
jobs for the large number of people.

(v) At the national level also, there is pressure on social amenities such as roads, schools
of higher learning like the Universities, Polytechnics. Teacher Training Colleges and
so on, electricity, transportation and many others.
Problems that result from rapid population growth
Some of the problems that are connected to rapid population growth are the following:

(i) High rate of unemployment and its associate problems. As indicated above, rapid
population growth without a corresponding increase in employment facilities leads to
unemployment. Most people would not get work to do and earn income Such
unemployed people may be forced to engage in doing certain bad things like armed
robbery, gambling, prostitution, drug abuse and so on.

(ii) Poverty: Another problem is the increase in poverty among the population Because
the majority of the population are the youth who do not work, the dependency burden
on those who work is high. This means that the majority of the people will not be able
to save any money and invest in business. Such people will therefore, live in poverty.
Also, pressure on agricultural land will result in low yield per unit land. Many people
who depend on agriculture will therefore also become poor

(iii) Development of slums: Many of the people who are not able to provide good
accommodation for themselves will be forced to live in areas that are overcrowded,
and in dirty houses. Such settlements are referred to as slums

(iv) Break down in marriages: When the population grows too fast, it leads to the
problem of broken homes. Husbands who are unable to provide the basic and other
needs of their family members often free quarrels from their wives. This may
eventually lead to the breakdown of the marriage.

(v) Teenage pregnancy and early marriage: Because rapid population growth is
connected with poverty, parents are sometimes forced to give out their daughters to
marry at an early age. Some girls also engage in early sex because of poverty. These
problems often lead to teenage pregnancy and its associated problems.

(vi) Poor or lack of education: Another problem connected with high population growth
is poor or lack of education. Parents with too many children will not be able to send
all of them to school. Even some of those who attend school may be forced to drop
out because their parents may not be able to continue paying the school fees. Apart
from this the government may not be able to provide schools and other materials for
every community.
 (vii) Frequent outbreak of diseases: Uncontrolled population growth is connected with
the problem of poor sanitation. The issue of sanitation has been of a major concern to
the government and many individuals in Ghana. In areas where the population is high,
there is improper disposal of waste like plastic bags, human excreta, dirty water and
spoilt foods. This often leads to the outbreak of diseases like diarrhoea, cholera,
malaria and so on.

(viii) Other social - related problems of rapid population growth are juvenile
delinquency, substance abuse (drug abuse) leading to crimes, inadequate medical care
and malnutrition.

How to control the Rapid Population Growth be controlled.

There are several ways by which the high population growth in Ghana can control. Some of
these include the following:
(i) Encourage female education: In order to check the rate at which the country's
population is growing, there is the need to encourage female higher education.
When females are made to attain higher education they will be forced to postpone
giving birth at an early age. It is because of this reason that the government is
encouraging more girls to attend higher educational institutions like the universities,
polytechnics, training colleges, and other tertiary institutions.

(ii) Implementation of the national population policy: Ghana has a population policy
which aims at improving the quality of life of everyone. Some of the ways by which
the policy seeks to achieve its aims include education, the provision of information
and advice to couples wishing to space or limit their births. There is the need for the
government to implement this policy by improving the campaign on family planning
and family life education. Family planning clinics should be established in every
community or village. People should be educated on the effective use of
contraceptives like condoms, pills and others.
(iii) Sex Education: Efforts should be made to educate the youth about the effects of early
sex and prostitution. Couples and other individuals should be educated on how to use
the menstrual cycle in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

(iv) Rewards to couples and individuals who have smaller families: Couples and
individuals who produce smaller families could be given rewards like money free
medical care and free education for their children. This will encourage others also to
produce smaller families.

(v) Legal Measures: The Government can also come out with a law on the number of
children a family is allowed to have. Those who disobey the law should be sent to
court and if they are found guilty they should be punished.
Ways to check or minimize the social problems connected with rapid population growth
Some of the ways in which the social problems could be checked or minimized include the
Following:
(i) Proper upbringing of children: The problem of juvenile delinquency, armed robbery,
drug abuse, early sex and others can be minimized if children are properly brought up as
responsible individuals. Some cultural values such as honesty hard work, love for life
and others should be emphasized during the upbringing of the child

(ii) Implementation of the national population policy: Social problems such as poor or
lack of education, poverty, inadequate medical care and malnutrition, development of
slums can be reduced if individuals are educated to adopt family planning and other
methods. This will enable them produce the number of children they can adequately cater
for,

(iii) Education on the negative effects of early marriage and teenage parenthood: Parents
and adolescents should be educated on the negative effects of early marriage and teenage
parenthood on the individual family and the society. Some of the negative effects include
drop out from school, poverty, and poor health for both the teenage mother and the child.

(iv) Accessibility of family life education programme: There is also the need to give
special attention to adolescents by making the population and family education
programme more accessible. Through this programme, adolescents would be educated on
the functions of the sex organs and how they can be used more responsibly. This will
help reduce such problems as sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/ AIDS, prostitution,
early sex and teenage pregnancies.

(v) Provision of adequate services to meet the growing needs of the population:
Government can also help to minimize the problems by providing some of the services to
meet the ever growing needs of the population, especially children. There is the need to
provide more schools, recreational facilities, textbooks, and other things. When education
is made cheaper the school dropout rate will reduce. This will go a long way to reduce
juvenile delinquency, early marriages and illiteracy.

(vi) Employment and job creation: There is also the need for everybody to be hardworking
and productive. By doing so, government will have enough resources to create jobs for
the unemployed. When everybody gets a job to do the rate of armed robbery, poverty
drug abuse, early marriages, diseases and malnutrition will be minimized.

(vii) Increasing Equality between Males and Females: Another way to deal with the
problems of rapid population is to give equal opportunities for education to both males
and females. Men and women must have equal access to resources. This can be done
 through the removal of discriminatory laws and practices Again, certain customs that
encourage early marriage should be eliminated. Both women and men must be given
equal rights to make decisions that affect their lives. All these will help to reduce
problems such as poverty, early marriage and teenage pregnancies, prostitution, lack of
poor education among women and many others.
SUMMARY
The main objective of this chapter was to enable you to recognize the effects of rapid
population growth on social and economic development. To do this, the meaning of the terms
“population “and “population growth” have been explained. Population refers to the total
number of people residing in a particular place at a particular time. Population growth on the
other hand, involves a continuous increase in the size of the population.
Other issues about the topic that have been discussed include the characteristics of Ghana's
Population, effects of rapid population growth in Ghana, ways of controlling rapid population
growth, problems connected to rapid population growth and how such problems can be
minimized.

Concerning the characteristics of Ghana's population, the size, age and sex structures have been
explained. The size of Ghana's population has been increasing over the years with its present
size being 18.9 million. There are more females than males. Females form about 51 % while
males constitute 49 %. The population is described as young and growing because there are
more younger people than adults. The rapid population growth affects the quality of life at the
family, community and national levels.

To control the rapid population growth in Ghana, there is the need for individuals and
government to adopt certain measures. These include education, family planning, rewards and
the passage of laws on the number of children a family can have.

The chapter also discussed the social problems connected with rapid population growth. These
include poverty, development of slums broken homes, and teenage pregnancies.

To solve these problems requires efforts from both individuals and the government. There
is the need for the proper upbringing of children, education, increase in awareness on the
effects of teenage parenthood and early marriage, provision of adequate services to cater
for the needs of the growing population, and gender equality.

EXERCISE
1 In your own words, explain the meaning of the terms population and population growth
2. Describe the age composition of your family. Compare the age composition of your family
with the age composition of Ghana's population.
3. How is the age composition of Ghana's population affecting our effort to develop?
 4. What is population growth? Describe the effects of rapid population growth on the family,
community and the nation.
5. Mention some of the social problems connected with rapid population growth. How can
such problems be solved?
6 What do you think should be done to check rapid population growth in Ghana?
7. Look around you and list some of the problems of rapid population growth your community
is facing.
8. Give reasons why it is necessary to control the rapid population growth in Ghana.
9. Use the projections for the year 2000 Ghana population census to describe the age structure.
b) What are the implications of this structure?
c) Write down three sentences to explain why governments conduct
population census.

GOVERNMENT, POLITICS AND STABILITY

GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY
Introduction
Government refers to institutions or organized bodies of persons that are in charge of the
running of the affairs of the state, regions, districts, localities or even organizations.
Government includes the legislative, executive and judicial bodies in the state, which are
responsible for making, administering and interpreting law.

In Ghana, there are two main levels of government. One level is the national or central
government. The other is the local authorities in the form of District/ Municipal or Metropolitan
Assemblies. But in between the Central or National government and the District Authorities are
the Regional Coordinating Councils. It is the effective contribution of people in the country
towards the work of these government bodies that will bring about the development of the
country.

However, many people have wrong ideas about the governing bodies. Such people think the
governing agencies have unlimited powers and resources. Because of that, many people expect
the government bodies (whether national or district level) to do a lot for them. But the truth is
that the resources (especially money) of the central and local government bodies are limited.

It is important, therefore, for citizens to become aware of how the country as a whole and the
districts are organised and administered. This will enable the citizens to know the problems of
those governing bodies and how to help by means of suggestions and other contributions to
bring about good governance.

Objectives
By the end of the study of this chapter, the pupil will be able to:
(i) explain the idea or concept government ' as the body or structure used to rule the country or
any local area;
(ii) state the main structures or bodies of rule at the national, regional and district levels;
(iii) describe the functions of the main organs of government at the national level;
(iv) describe how the District Assembly works:
(v) identify some of the problems facing the District Assemblies and how these can be solved:
(vi) give reasons why the District Assemblies are important in the development of the country.

1. Meaning of Government and Society

It is important that you should be able to explain these two main words ' Government ' and '
society ' that form the topic.
I am sure you have heard the word ' Government ' on the television or radio many times.
The word “Government ' is used in three ways. For example, there is a subject which is studied
at the Senior Secondary School called Government. In that case, the word " Government '
means a subject of study about the ruling of states, and localities as well as how countries relate
to one another. In one sense too, Government is used to refer to the type of rule a country
adopts. For example, we can say civilian government, military government, federal
government, capitalist government or socialist government. After this lesson, go and look up
the explanations of these types of government from a dictionary.

Apart from these two ways in which the word " government ' is used, we have a third meaning
of government ' which is the one we need to know for this lesson.

By Government ', we mean the bodies or institutions which are responsible for performing the
functions of the state, or any local area. Briefly then, Government can be defined as a body or
bodies of persons who rule a state, a local area or any organised group.

Society
“Society ' means organised people living in a community. People from many societies even in
a community or town. Name some groups in your town. These people group together as
members of different churches, or clans, etc. These, we can say, belong to different societies in
the community.

In this study, society ' refers to all the people in the country who create the governing bodies
for their benefit. The society creates the government and supports it to work so as to achieve the
goals of the society.

2. The structure of Government at the National Level

 There are three main separate bodies who perform the functions of government at the
national level. These separate governing bodies for the whole country are:

1 The Executive 3. The Judiciary

2 The Legislature

They are very often referred to as Organs of Government.

Fig 7.1: Organs of Government.
The Executive Branch of Government
The Executive refers to the group of people who make policies for the country, take decisions
on issues in the country and who together with public servants implement laws and policies for
the country.

By now, I am sure you know somebody who belongs to the Executive branch of government.
Mention any institution that is part of the Executive branch of government. Yes, the President
of Ghana and his Cabinet form the Executive.

How does somebody become the President in Ghana? The constitution of Ghana states the
person who qualifies or is allowed to be elected as President should be a Ghanaian by birth and
must be at least 40 years old The method for his nomination and election are all stated in the
constitution of Ghana. Get the abridged Fourth Republican Constitution of Ghana (1992) and
read those sections on the election of the President.

The President nominates his Vice - President while standing as candidate for the election.
Therefore, if he wins the election, his candidate for Vice President also becomes the Vice
President.

The Cabinet is made up of Ministers who help the President and his vice. You may note that the
President Vice President and the Ministers are politicians who normally belong to one political
party.
In the Fourth Republican Constitution of Ghana (1992), it is requested that the President should
appoint the majority of his Ministers from Parliament. Therefore, some members of Parliament
(M.Ps) are also Ministers. Do you know any M.P. who is also a Minister? Mention any two of
the Ministers who are also M.Ps. What problem do you think this practice can bring to such
Ministers?

Apart from the President, Vice President and Ministers of state who are the small political
group forming the Executive, there is a large body of officials who work with them. These are
called Public Servants. All those who work in government departments such as Ministries of
Education, Health, Agriculture, Finance and other departments are all public servants. They
carry out the policies and decisions of the President and his Cabinet. A section of the Public
Servants called the Civil Service work closely with the Ministers, giving them advice, writing
letters, circulars, and deputising for them. The civil service instruct the other public servants as
to how to go about their duties in the Ministries and Departments. They do these on behalf of
the Ministers.

Functions of the Executive Branch of Government

The major functions of the Executive are these:
(i) They maintain law and order in the state. If there is a disturbance or conflict, the executive
will send more police personnel and sometimes soldiers to the place to arrest offenders and
keep peace. Also, the fact that the police, the courts and the prisons are present in the country,
some people may be afraid to break the law for fear of punishment.
(ii) They implement the policy decisions of the government, the laws passed by parliament and
judgement by the courts. The implementation is done by the public servants on behalf of the
President and his ministers.
(iii) The executive do the day - to - day administration of the affairs of the country.
(iv) They are required to protect and defend the people in the country against attackers from
outside and also keep the territory of the country intact. The Executive do this by employing the
Armed Forces for defence. Sometimes too, the Executive may order the Armed Forces to attack
other nations or for peace keeping operations outside the country.
(v) The Executive present a lot of Bills to Parliament for them to consider and approve. An
example is the Budget which is a Money Bill.
(vi) They promote economic activities in the country. They do this by giving credit loans to
productive groups like farmers, small and medium scale industries and employing people to
work in offices, industries and construction work.
(vii) The Executive provide social and welfare service through the provision of educational
institutions and their facilities, health services, stadia theatres and supplying food, drugs,
blankets, and other things to disaster areas
(viii) The Executive, in the person of the President with the Minister for Foreign Affairs,
conduct diplomacy on behalf of the country. The President or the Minister for Foreign Affairs
signs treaties and agreements with foreign countries and bodies: foreign ambassadors appointed
to Ghana and he also sends out ambassadors to represent Ghana in foreign countries
(ix) By their role, the Executive keep the country united.
(x) The Executive again in the person of the President appoints many important officials of the
state: for example, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, the Attorney General. Ambassadors to
Ghana's enbassies abroad, the Chief Justice, Ministers of state, and members of the Supreme
Court. But these officials who have to be nominated by the President must be approved by
Parliament.

Because of the many important functions performed by the Executive, when the
word government is mentioned it means only the Executive to many people. But
the Executive, as hinted above, is only one of the three organs of government in the
country. In Ghana, the Executive has its headquarters in Accra. However, there are
Regional and District offices of the ministries and departments of the Executive

The Legislature
The legislature or legislative branch of government is the law - making body for the
whole country

In Ghana, the legislature is called Parliament Members elected to it are called Members of
Parliament. Who is the Member of Parliament (MP) of your area? The Legislature or
Parliament is the people's elected bodies who have been given power by the constitution to
make laws for the country. The country is divided into electoral areas called constituencies for
the purpose of electing members of parliament

Each parliamentary constituency is required to be represented by one member in Parliament.

The electorate (people qualified to vote) vote to choose one of the candidates, who contest for
the elections to be their representative or member of parliament During the elections, the
candidate who gets the highest number of votes among the contesting candidates wins the
election in his or her constituency. That person then becomes the Mernber of Parliament (MP)
for that constituency

In Ghana and in many countries of the world political parties are allowed by law to operate.
Therefore, political party’s select candidates to contest the parliamentary seats in the
constituencies. Independent candidates, not supported by political parties are also allowed to
stand as candidates for parliamentary elections.

At the end of the parliamentary election, the political party which wins more of the seats in
Parliament is asked to form the Majority Group in parliament. In Parliament, members of the
political party with the Majority Group sit at one side of the house. They are led by their
Majority Leader. Members of Parliament who belong to other political parties with less seats sit
at another side facing the Majority members They form the Minority Group or Parliamentary
Opposition Group. They also have a Minority Leader who speaks on their behalf.

At present, which political party forms the Majority Group in Ghana's Parliament? Who is the
Leader of the Majority Group in our Parliament? Who is the Leader of the Minority Group in
our Parliament? If you do not know, find out from either your friends or newspapers,

Officials in Parliament
The officer who chairs meetings of Parliament is called the Speaker of Parliament. There are
two Deputy Speakers of Parliament who assist the main Speaker of Parliament. The Speaker
and his Deputy Speakers are elected by Members of Parliament. Apart from the Speaker and his
Deputies, there is a Clerk of Parliament who writes all that happens in Parliament. There are
other Clerks and Secretaries who do a lot of office duties for Parliament and Members of
Parliament.

Functions of Parliament or the Legislature

The Legislative branch of government or the Parliament performs very important functions.
(i) Law - making. It makes new laws for the country. It can also amend or make changes in the
existing law. Again, it has the power to repeal or cancel an existing law which is no longer
useful.
(ii) It votes money to be used by the Executive. When the Executive present the Budget to
Parliament, it is in the power of the Legislature (Parliament) to either approve the whole budget
presented to it or make changes in the estimates. Sometimes, it can even reject the Budget and
ask the Executive to prepare a new Budget for approval. Thus, it is the Parliament that approves
of the Executive's income and expenditure proposals.

(iv) Parliament controls the Executive through the following ways:

(a) Debate and question time in Parliament.
(b) Criticizing government policies. This is often done by the members of the Minority
Group.
(c) Through investigation and report of the Public Accounts Committee. This committee
which is chaired by a Minority member checks how the executive use the money voted
for it.
(d) Its power to get the President and Ministers removed from office if they do not
follow the constitution (Articles 69 and 82) of Ghana's 1992 Constitution.
(iv) It approves the appointments to important state offices. The officers are nominated by the
President and the Parliament must approve of the nomination before they can be appointed to
those posts.
(v) It is through Parliament that the views and grievances of the electorate and some sections of
the country's population are made known to the government
 (vi) Issues of national interest and problems faced by the country are discussed seriously in
Parliament, and the decisions taken are sent to the Executive to act upon.
(vii) Through Parliamentary Proceedings, some members of Parliament offer useful advice and
information to the government on some bills and policies.

By now, you can explain why the Legislature or Parliament is seen as an important organ of
the ruling process in the country. We now turn our attention to the last organ of government -
the Judiciary.

The Judiciary
The Judiciary is the branch of government in charge of the administration of justice in the
country. The Judiciary consists of the Courts of Law in the state. These courts in Ghana
are the Superior Courts and the Lower Courts. The Superior Courts comprise the Supreme
Court, the Court of Appeal and the High Courts or Regional Tribunals. The Lower Courts
include the Circuit and Magistrate/ District Courts.

The Judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice. Other officers of the Judiciary are judges and
magistrates who sit on cases to pass judgements on them. There are also others who work at
the courts. They include the Judicial Secretary, Court Registrars, Interpreters, Bailiffs, Clerks
and other categories of workers.

Functions of the Judiciary

(i) The Judiciary interpretes the laws of the country. The laws of the country are many. But the
most important of them all is the Constitution. Others are the laws passed by the Parliament in
the form of Acts of Parliament. Even all laws passed by former Parliaments and other bodies
allowed to make laws continue to be part of the laws of the country. The courts explain what
the actual meaning of the laws are and apply them when cases are sent to them.
(ii) They settle all kinds of disputes and prescribe punishments for offenders.
(iii) The courts administer the property or estates of a deceased person according to
the person's will or the existing law such as PNDC law 111.
(iv) Judges swear in people into offices by administering the specific oath related to the post.
For example. Oath of secrecy. Oath of loyalty, etc.
(v) They grant marriage certificates and register aliens who want to become citizens of the
country.
(vi) Judges are sometimes called upon to sit at Commissions of Inquiry.
(vii) Generally, the Judiciary acts to maintain law and order and protects the rights of the
citizen
Independence of the Judiciary
To enable them do their duties well without bias and any kind of partiality or discrimination,
the Judiciary should be free from any kind of control or influence.
In Ghana, the Constitution states that the Judges and Magistrates are to be directed by the
constitution only. No person, not even the President or speaker of Parliament should control the
Judiciary. Thus the Judges and magistrates must be free to do their duties. This will bring about
fairness in their judgments to all who appear before them.
EXERCISE
1. a) Discuss the concept of government
b) Explain the meaning of society.
2. a) State the three arms of government at the national level
b) Write down three functions of each arm of government.
3. What can happen if a judge receives gifts or bribe from somebody who has a case at his/ her
court? If the President is allowed to control the judiciary what do
you think will be the effect?

THE NEW LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM

We have studied the main bodies that form the national government. We now come to the other
levels of government for the Regions, Districts and other local areas. The governments at these
levels belong to what is called Local Government.
Local Government may be defined as a sub - governmental body in charge of the
administration and running of local services as well as seeing to the general development of
the local areas.

The Local Government in Ghana at present is of four levels. In every Region, the Regional
Co - ordinating Council is at the top of the Local Government system.
It is then followed by Metropolitan/ Municipal/ District Assemblies. Below the Assemblies as
stated above are the Town/ Area Councils. At the bottom of them all are the Unit Committees.
Are there any Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies in your Region? Some Regions have no
Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies. We will now turn to discuss the composition and
functions of these levels of local government.

1. The Regional Co - ordinating Councils

Each region of Ghana has a Regional Co - ordinating Council (RCC) which oversees the work
of that Region's Assemblies. The Regional Co - ordinating Council consists of the Regional
Minister, who serves as the Chairman, the Deputy Regional Minister, the Presiding Members of
the District Assemblies in the Region, the District Chief Executives of the District Assemblies
in the Region, two chiefs representing the Regional House of Chiefs and the Regional Heads/
Directors of the decentralized ministries in the Region.

Functions of R.C.C
1. Each Regional Co - ordinating Council administers the region and co - ordinates or
brings together, the work of all government ministries
2. It monitors and makes sure that District Assemblies perform their functions well
3. It checks how the District Assemblies use money given to them by the national or
central government
4. It also supervises the work of public servants through the Regional Directors of the
ministries

You can see that the RCC does not make policies but rather ensures the of all District
Assemblies and Ministries or Departments in the region. Above all, it joins hands with the
Regional Security Council to maintain peace in the region.

The Regional Minister

The Regional Minister is in charge of the Region. He or she represents the central government
in the region. Every issue in the region is referred to the Regional Minister before it is reported
to the Minister of Local government or the Executive.

Structure of Government at the District Level

By the end of this discussion you will be able to describe the structure of the District level of
government and state their composition.
In which district is your school or town?
Which town serves as the head of your district?
Who is the Paramount Chief of your area?
Do you have more than one Paramount Chief in your district?

Traditional Government

You might have noticed that there are two parallel ruling authorities in your area. Yes, in
Ghana, in each area, we have the Traditional Government or Authority and the new District
Assembly with its sub - institutions. What name do we give to the Traditional Authorities? We
refer to that body or bodies as Chieftaincy or simply ‘rule by chiefs’. Chief's started ruling their
people long ago, even before Europeans brought the local government system.

In each Metropolitan/ Municipal/ District Assembly is a Traditional Council or Councils. The

Paramount Chief of the Traditional Area with his Divisional and sub - chiefs as well as their
Council of Elders form the Traditional Council. Some District Assemblies have more than one
Traditional Area and therefore, more than one Paramount Chief and more than one Traditional
Council. Find out four District Assemblies where we have more than one Traditional Authority,

Name the Traditional Councils in each of the four District Assemblies. As noted above,
members of a Traditional Council are:
(i) The Paramount Chief, who is its president,
(ii) The Divisional Chiefs
(iii) Sub - divisional Chiefs and chiefs of small towns and villages.

In areas with Queen Mothers, the Queen Mothers attached to the Paramount stools attend
meetings of the Traditional Council. Also, Kingmakers or Council of Elders of the Paramount
and Divisional Chiefs with their Chief linguists attend meetings of the council.

In Ashanti, it is the Asantehene who is the President of the Asanteman Council. Under him
are the other Paramount Chiefs of the various traditional states. Similarly, the Okyehene has
Paramountcies under him.

The traditional authorities rule the various areas. Topics like customary rites. chieftaincy,
community development, funerals, traditional marriage, land and other issues such as oaths and
festivals are the areas chiefs normally deal with.

Functions of Chiefs
What functions do chiefs in your area perform?
At every level that a traditional ruler or a chief operates, you will see that he performs the
following functions.
1. He unites his people. He does this through the stool or the skin which the people in his area
recognise and pay allegiance to
2. He with his Elders, is the policy and decision maker in customary matters. But they are using
the national constitution as a guide so that they do not make a policy against that of the
constitution
3. The Chief with his council members settles a lot of cases in areas within his control
3. He looks after the land and property of his clan and stool or skin
5 He performs a lot of customary rites on many occasions like festivals
6. With his council of Elders, the chief issues out bye - laws on marriage funeral rites and
other local matters
7. He lead his people to undertake self - help projects to improve or develop his area
8 He receives important visitors to his town or area on behalf of his people.

Representatives of chiefs are nominated by the President of the country to be members of the
District Assembly of the area. Also, the Paramount Chief of each Traditional Council becomes
an automatic member of the Regional House of Chiefs.
District Assembly
Ghana has been divided into District Municipalities and Metropolis under the local government
system. In 2003, there were one hundred and three (1) District Assemblies four (4) Municipal
Assemblies and the Metropolitan Assemblies Since most of the new Local Government
structures are District Assemblies, we will discuss the status composition and functions of
District Assemblies. Any area with about 75.000 people qualities to be made a District
Assembly

Composition of a District Assembly

The District Assembly is made up of the following
(i) The District Chief Executive Her She is nominated by the President of Ghana
There will be voting by the District Assembly to either approve or reject the
President's nominee. The person should obtain at least two - thirds (2/3) of the votes cast for
approval. The District Chief Executive is the central government’s agent in the district. He or
she presides over the very important Executive Committee of the District Assembly.
(ii) Two - thirds (2/3) of the members are elected by universal adult suffrage, not on political
party basis.
(iii) One - third (1/3) of the members are appointed by the President who has to consult the
Chiefs and interest groups in the district before the appointments.
(iv) The Member of Parliament or Members of Parliament in the District.
When the Assembly members meet, they elect a Presiding Member from among themselves.
The District Assembly is the basic ruling agency in the district and it has an office with many
officials who do the day to day administration of the Assembly.
The office of the District Assembly has the district co- ordinating officer as its head. The male
member of the district assembly is called assemblyman while the female member is called
assemblywoman.

Name sere two Assemblymen in your area or town. Do you have an Assembly woman in your
area or town? Why are there very few Assemblywomen at a District Assembly.

Functions of a District Assembly by means of debates

1 It discusses the main problems facing the district. It does this and other talks in the Assembly
2 Grievances of some local areas are also raised by Assemblymen or Assemblywomen of these
areas
3. The District Assembly makes bye - laws for the district.
4. It takes decisions on plans, budget and other issues referred to it.
5. It brings out plans and programmes which are useful for the development of the district
6. It is the duty of the District Assembly to find out the needs and resources of the district and
plan to use the resources to satisfy the people's needs.
7. The District Assembly through the national goverment's departments in the District and the
office of the Assembly implements the bye - laws policies, decisions and resolutions of the
Assembly
8. It helps the national and local security agencies to maintain law and order in the district
9. It supervises the work of the decentralised departments (ie central govemment departments)
in the district.
10. The District Assembly is responsible for the development of the district. The development
includes building of clinics, health posts, school blocks and supplying the necessary facilities
for the health and education sectors

It maintains sanitation in the towns and villages by employing cleaners for streets and gutters,
and those who weed public open spaces as well as building toilet facilities.
It maintains local and feeder roads, while ensuring that houses are built at proper places. It also
builds markets.

District Assembly Committees

District Assemblies work through many committees. The main committee is the Executive
Committee. It is the largest committee of the District Assembly. The Executive committee has
the District Chief Executive as its Presiding member. It is composed of about one third (1/3) of
the Assembly members. It has sub - committees under it to cater for all areas needed by the
Assembly. The chairman of the entire sub - committees is also members of the Executive
Committee.
The Functions of the Executive Committee are the following:
(i) The member co - ordinate plans of the sub - committees and send them as the main pian
action to the District Assembly.
(ii) They implement or carry out the decisions of the Assembly
(ii) Together with the Office of the District Chief Executive, the Executive Committee
administer the district
(iv) They control the officers of the decentralised government departments/ ministries and can
recommend their appointment or replacement.
(v) They adopt ways to develop and execute approved plans of the units, areas and towns.

From the names, you can identify the areas each of the sub - committees operates. For
example, Health Education and Water will be the areas that social services sub - committee

Assignment
1. Find out the projects the District Assembly has undertaken in your town/ village
2. Who is the District Chief Executive of your district?
3. How many Assemblymen and women are there in the District Assembly of your

Sources of Money for District Assemblies

1. How do you think District Assemblies get money to perform their various duties?
Yes " lampoo or Poll Tax now called Basic Rate is one of their sources of money.
But many citizens do not pay or they have refused to pay the Basic Rate. Basic
Rate used to be the main source of revenue for the local government bodies before
the fourth (4 *) Republic

2. At present, the main source of income for Assemblies is the District Assembly
Common Fund given to each Assembly. It is compulsory for the national
government to allocate or earmark not less than 5 % of the total revenue of Ghana
for the year to be distributed to all Assemblies whether District Municipal/
Metropolitan

3. Another source of income to the Assemblies is Ceded Revenue. Ceded Revenue is part of
the tax collected by the Internal Revenue Service. The total tax collected is sent to Accra and
part is sent back to the Assemblies for their work.

4 Assemblies issue out licences on a lot of items and activities to generate income
for their duties. For example, hawkers, store owners, artisans and operators of
hotels and restaurants need licences to allow them operate.

5. Tolls & Fees are charged on users of certain facilities in the District For example, users of
market stalls, slaughter house and users of public toilets
8. Property rate is collected from owners of houses and other buildings such as shops and
factories in the district.

7. The central government also gives money to District Assemblies to be used in paying
salaries and pensions of all District Assembly workers. Some District Assemblies receive part
of Stool Land Royalties, Timber Royalties and Minerals Development Fund.

8. Fines against offenders: Offenders of the laws of a district are also made to pay fines. For
example, those who exempt themselves from communal labour, illegal timber operators and
people summoned at court for living in dirty surroundings pay court fines.
9. The Assemblies also embark on projects which earn them some income.
10. Loans and other supports from NGOs and private organizations also form one source of
income for District Assemblies.

EXERCISE
Pupils must be grouped to find out:
(a) The Total Common Fund given to their District for the last 3 years.
(b) Projects undertaken in the District with money obtained from the Common Fund.
(c) Reasons why the amount received from Basic Rate has fallen so much.

Some of the problems facing District Assemblies and How they can be resolved
After discussing this sub - topic you will be able to identify some of the problems facin District
Assemblies and you will be in a position to suggest how those problems could be solved or at
least be minimized,

At your local electoral constituency level, what do you think are the problems facing your
Assembly man/ Assembly woman? Do people in the area quickly come to the Assembly man
when he calls meetings to discuss how to develop the area? You see, as the Assemblymen and
Assemblywomen face problems of co - operation in their areas, so do District Assemblies
have serious problems.

1. Most District Asemblies do not have enough Common fund projects. They rely mostly
on their share of the District Assembly for almost all their development projects. But
their allocation of the Common Fund although quite a large sum of money, may not be
enough to satisfy all their needs.
Income obtained from other sources of revenue is meager. This is because the District
Assemblies are unable to effectively collect money from those sources of revenue. Again,
people do not co - operate to pay their rates and fees.
There is also corruption on the part of the revenue collectors. Some receive bribes from those
required to pay the money. Because the tax rate and fee payers have given bribes to the officials
they are asked to pay very little sum of money to the District Assembly

2. The Assemblies also lack qualified staff such as Accountants, Budget and Finance officers
Planning officers and good secretarial officers/ workers to administer the activities of the
districts. This is because Local Government workers are poorly paid Qualified personnel
from Central government and Regional public officers are not willing to go on transfer to the
Districts, especially to those in the rural areas. However, there seems to be improvement in
the quality of officers working at District Assemblies recently. Why do you think some
officers did not want to be transferred to the District Offices?

3. Most District Assemblies do not develop clear plans for the development of the districts.
Many towns and villages simply put pressure on the Assemblies to supply them their most
felt needs. The Assemblies listen to these requests and provide those needs without
following any laid down plan. Some of the Assemblies also lack trained planning officers to
guide them in the preparation of good development plans

4. Because of the absence of good plans and other reasons District Assemblies do not attract
rich individuals or companies who will like to invest in the Districts, They do not want to
investor establish industries in the Districts

5. District Assembly offices do not have modern office facilities such as computers and still
done manually. The District Assemblies electronic typewriters. Most office work is lack
machinery like bulldozers and caterpillars to be used to repair feeder roads.
6. New Districts do not have adequate offices and houses for the workers.
7. Officers of the regional departments do not co - operate with the office of the District
Assembly. They prefer working under their Regional and Headquarters (Accra) offices to
working under District Assembly office in their area this situation is due to the fact that the
finance of the country has not been fully decentralized. Workers of the various departments
of the central government in the districts do not receive their salaries from the District
Assemblies.

Rather, their salaries are sent from their Departments ' Headquarters, to the Regional offices
and finally to their District Departments through the District Finance Office, The delay
resulting from the bureaucratic means of paying such workers discourage them to work with the
assemblies.

8. Mismanagement and misappropriation of resources is another problem of the assemblies.

Some workers at the assemblies do not use resources, especially money, for the right
projects or activities. Instead, they channel these resources to satisfy their self interest.
9. Sometimes, there can be a conflict between the traditional rulers and the assemblies. For
instance, the chiefs may not be willing to release for free, a piece of land for the assembly to
undertake a developmental project like a market. The assembly may also not see the need to
pay for the piece of land because the project is in the interest of the district. This can cause a
misunderstanding between the chiefs and the assembly

How the Problems of District Assemblies could be solved.

By now you are aware of the importance of District Assemblies to the people. Mention four
reasons why you think District Assemblies are necessary in the country. The Assemblies as we
have discussed are faced with some problems.

Suggest two ways we can use to obtain enough money for the Assemblies to enable them
undertake more development projects.

Yes, those who collect the taxes, rates and tolls for the Assemblies must be strictly supervised
to make sure they collect all monies due to the Assemblies. And they must render account to
the Assemblies all the money collected.

Again, the percentage of national revenue given to the Districts as Common Fund must be
increased from five percent (5 %) to about 7 % or 8 %. If this is done, the allocations to the
Districts will be higher than it is at present.

How can Assemblies get qualified Officers for their work?

Employment to offices should be done by advertising the vacant office in newspapers. Those
qualified should be called for interview. Only the best qualified and the experienced in that job
should be selected for the post Therefore, the employment should not be based on political
party membership, nor favouring some people to be employed secretly.

Again, salaries of the District Assemblies workers should be the same as those in other public
offices.

Good offices and bungalows/ quarters may be provided for officers and other workers of the
Assemblies. These will attract officers to accept transfer to rural District Assemblies.

District Assemblies must be guided by experts in development plan drawing. If they lack
qualified employees, the preparation of the plans can be given to a consultancy firm of experts
for some fees.
Also, the plan should be distributed earlier before financial year so that each Assembly area
will know what to expect. This will discourage any unplanned emergency projects.

To solve accommodation problems in the development plan a certain amount of income for the
year should be given for the building of specific offices or houses. Through education and full
adoption of decentralisation, departments officers in the districts will gradually come to accept
the authority of the District Assemblies and co - operate with them.

The traditional authorities and the assemblies must compromise on issues that affect the well -
being of the communities to ensure development.

Reasons why District Assemblies are important in the Development of the Country.
You will realize that the District Assemblies are very important because of the functions they
perform in the country.

1. Local people have the desire to provide and run their own services which are within their
financial means and resources The District Assemblies give them this chance. Therefore,
they plan what they need, approve and implement it. For example, building of schools.
provision of good drinking water etc. By this, they relieve the national government of
some of its duties.

2. Electing Assemblymen and women, taking part in decisions about which projects
to undertake in the Town/ Area Councils Unit Committees, and taking part in communal
labour are all examples of democracy at work. Therefore, the District Assembly system helps in
training for democracy. It again train people to be responsible members of the community.

3. Sharing of power between national and local government helps to check harsh rule or
dictatorship by the central government

4. District Assemblies provide a lot of services Examples are

(i) They provide Clinics Health Posts and Childcare centres
(ii) They provide preventive and control services such as refuse collection and destruction,
sweeping of streets and drains and conservancy. They inspect and supervise the preparation and
sale of food. Their officers inspect houses and compounds to make sure that people keep their
homes and compounds

5. District Assemblies through Town and Country Planning Department enforce bye - laws
and other regulations on the proper housing and layout of towns.
 6. They make bye - laws that help to regulate how we do things in their areas. This helps to
bring law and order as well as peace in the districts.
Summary
The chapter outlined and discussed the main bodies responsible for ruling at the national and
district levels. It was explained that the Executive, Legislature (Parliament) and the Judiciary
form the main agencies for national government. Local government in Ghana starts from the
Regional Co - ordinating Councils to different levels of Assemblies. Then comes the Town/
Zonal/ Area Councils. At the bottom should be the Unit Committees.

The functions of these national and local ruling bodies were discussed. Emphasis was laid on
District Assemblies. Their composition, importance, finance and problems were examined. Few
suggestions as to how to solve some of their problems were made.

EXERCISE
1. Class to visit the District Assembly in session to listen to discussions/ debates and observe
how their meetings are conducted.
2. Pupils must group to find out projects undertaken in the town, where their school was
located in the past five years.
3 List the composition of District Assemblies.
4. Why is the Judiciary important in the country?
5 How does Parliament check the President and his Cabinet?
6. State live main functions which the District Municipal/ Metropolitan Assemblies perform to
benefit the people in their areas.
7. What are the main problems facing District Assemblies?
8. Suggest two solutions each to three of the problems of District Assemblies.
9. Traditional Councils of Chiefs still have some functions to perform in every district in
Ghana. What are these functions?

PROMOTING POLITICAL STABILITY IN GHANA

Every country needs peace and stability in its efforts to develop. Ethnic and party rivalries
Introduction often create an atmosphere of instability. Unfortunately, Ghana has been
experiencing ethnic and party rivalries. Besides, new sets of administration often abandon
policies andprojects initiated by previous administrations. These have adversely affected the
country's development. The problem of instability shall be minimised if Ghanaian learn to
tolerate opposing political views and also if ethnic groups respect the culture of one another.
Ghanaians must also understand that democratic living is the only major means for the country
to tap the minds of citizens for the common good of all.

Objectives
After reading this chapter, the pupil will be able to:
(ii) examine the factors that promote the operation of democracy:
(ii) justify the importance of political parties in a democracy,
(iii) explain why it is important for people to vote during elections:
(iv) identify factors responsible for political instability in Ghana;
(v) suggest ways for resolving political conflict:
(vi) suggest ways for promoting political stability in Ghana:
(vii) perform his or her role in the election of members to the District Assemblies and to
parliament:
(viii) identify the areas of disagreement among political parties.

1 MEANING OF DEMOCRACY AND FACTORS THAT PROMOTE THE

OPERATION OF DEMOCRACY

Meaning of Democracy
The word ' Democracy is derived from two Greek words - ' demos ' meaning the people and '
kratos ' meaning " rule of ". Democracy therefore means, rule of the people. Democracy was
first practised in the ancient Greek city states where all adult male citizens met and elected their
leaders and also took important decisions that affected them. That was direct democracy.

Nowadays. democracy isa system of government in which all people's interests are represented.
Let us now define democracy. It is a system of government in which the wishes of the people
are taken into account in the process of government.

Factors that promote Democracy

The factors that promote democracy include:
(i) a good and workable constitution
(ii) respect for the rights and freedoms of the people!
(iii) observance of the rule of law. According to the rule of law, all citizens are equal before the
law;
(iv) the existence of political parties
(vi) free and fair elections

2. IMPORTANCE OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN A DEMOCRACY

A political party is a group of people with similar ideas about how the state should be governed
and who struggle to win political power. In other words, political parties provide the avenue for
people of like minds to come together as a group and express their views on the nature of
government they wish for the country

Every democratic state should allow political parties to operate because they
perform very important functions for the state. These include the following:
(i) they train and produce politicians and national leaders:
(ii) they communicate to the goverment, the opinions and desires of the people,
(iii) they educate the electorate - that is the people who vote on political issues
(iv) opposition parties also help the government to be efficient. They do so by talking about the
wrong things done by the govemment.

3. WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO VOTE DURING ELECTIONS

Voting is one of the civic responsibilities of citizens. It is the process of expressing one's
preference for a candidate in an election
We need to vote during elections to elect the people whom we believe will represent our
interests and opinions that is, people who will do the things we want them to do. If we do not
vote during elections, the people who vote mayvote for people who will not do the things we
may want them to do being therefore allows us to choose the people we want to represent us or
rules us.

4. FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR POLITICAL INSTABILITY IN GHANA

Political instability may be explained as a situation where there are frequent unconstitutional
changes in the government of a country. Where there is political instability, the government is
weak and lacks full control over the state.
Between the fall of Nkrumah in 1966 and the coming of the Provisional National Defence
Council (PNDC) under Flight Li. IJ. Rawlings, Ghana experienced a period of political
instability. Some of the factors responsible for political instability in Ghana are: part in

(i) not giving the opposition parties the chance to campaign and take elections:
(ii) heads of state holding on to power for too long;
(iii) mismanagement of the country's resources:
(iv) the desire of some military officers to rule leading to frequent coups d'etat.

5. WAYS FOR RESOLVING POLITICAL CONFLICTS

Political conflicts can be resolved through the following ways:
(i) parties must be tolerant and open - minded to the views of other parties that oppose them:
(ii) puties must initiate dialogue to discuss important issues rather than resorting to violence;
(iii) the decisions of government must be based on the provisions of the constitution and in
conformity with national interest;
iv) where differences persist, the case must be sent to the Commission for Human Rights and
Administrative Justice (CHRAI):
(v) the courts must be used as the last resort in settling differences.

6. WAYS FOR PROMOTING POLITICAL STABILITY IN GHANA

 A country is said to be politically stable if for a long time, it does not experience any
unconstitutional change in government.
Political stability can be promoted in Ghana by:

i) allowing freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom of association, etc.

ii) allowing free and fair elections:
iii) the government being open - minded and allowing criticisms:
iv) the government avoiding dictatorial practices that make people rebel against it
v) the government giving equal attention to all the regions and ethnic groups in the country in
terms of development and appointment to high offices

7. THE ROLE OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE ELECTION OF MEMBERS

TO THE DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES AND TO PARLIAMENT
Every individual in Ghana has some role to play in the election of members to the District
Assembly and to parliament. This includes:
i) registering as a voter at the age of 18 and above:
ii) attending public rallies on elections:
iii) maintaining an open mind in the election of a candidate;
iv) avoiding petty quarrels on party basis:
v) voting on election day, and
vi) accepting the results of elections.

8. AREAS OF DISAGREEMENT AMONG POLITICAL PARTIES

The aim of all political parties is to win political power and use it to rule the country. Despite
this common aim, there is always a disagreement among them.
The major areas of disagreement between political parties include:

i) Differences in what each party considers as priorities or which problems are more pressing
than others and should be solved first. For example, parties A and B may agree that rural areas
need electricity, potable water and schools. Despite the agreement that the three social
amenities are necessary, the two parties may disagree which of the three must be provided first:

ii) How to raise taxes: how much tax to impose and the type of tax to impose. For example, in
1995 there was disagreement between the ruling party and other political parties in the country
over the introduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT):

iii) How to use the country's money efficiently: that is, how to use the resources of the country
on projects that are beneficial to the people;

iv) How to design good programmes to solve the problems of the country,
9. WAYS FOR PREVENTING CONFLICTS IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN NATIONAL
UNITY AND STABILITY
For unity and stability to be maintained in the nation, political conflicts should be prevented.
Some of the ways through which political conflicts can be prevented are:

i) government should respect the rights and freedoms of individual citizens

ii) individuals in the state should respect the rights and freedoms of others and also tolerate
other people's views
iii) respect for the culture of other ethnic groups in the country. No one ethnic group should
feel that it is more important than others. Every region or ethnic group in the country
must have a fair share of the development projects undertaken by the government for
instance, schools, hospitals or roads
iv) even distribution of development projects by government to all parts of the country
v) government should avoid appointing people from one or a few ethnic groups to high
offices in the state.
vi) every political party should tolerate the views of the other parties;
vii) the government must be accountable to the people for its actions.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS FOR THE COUNTRY

For the people of Ghana to live peaceful and decent lives the following are considered most
important
i) there must be peace of the individual must be protected and law this means that the rights and
freedoms and order must be maintained:
ii) there should be good education for citizens to acquire knowledge and employable skills:
iii) good health facilities must be made available:
iv food should be available at prices the people can afford:
v) government should be accountable for its actions to the people;
vi) there must be availability of jobs so that people can work and live decent lives.

Summary
In this chapter, the meaning and factors that promote the operation of democracy, the
importance of political parties, why it is important to vote during elections, and factors
responsible for political instability in Ghana have been discussed.

Furthermore, ways for resolving political conflicts, ways for promoting political stability, the
role of individuals in elections to the District Assemblies and to parliament, as well as areas of
disagreement between political parties have been treated in the chapter. Also discussed are
ways for preventing conflicts in order important things for the country to maintain national
unity and finally, the most

EXERCISE
1. In your groups. discuss the meaning of democracy and the factors that promote democracy
in a country,

2 a) Write down three factors responsible for political instability in Ghana

b) Suggest four ways for bringing about political stability in Ghana

3. a) Ask your teacher to help you discuss the major areas of disagreement between political
parties in Ghana.
b) Can you suggest how such disagreements could be reduced?

4. a) Write down four important things you consider to be beneficial to the people of Ghana
b) What four things do you consider to be important in your life?

REFERENCE
1. Amoah, E. A Baabereyri, A. Cobbina, J. A Dake, G. Y. Ngaaso, C. K
(2004): Social Studies for Junior Secondary Schools.

2. https://uccezproxy.Wufoo.com/forms/m1wygdd nir1f71

3. Aki – Ola Series (2012): Social Studies for Junior High School.