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Galamsey
Galamsey refers to illegal small-scale gold mining in Ghana. The term is derived from the English phrase "gather them and sell". Historically, galamsey referred to traditional small-scale mining practices in Ghana, where local communities would gather and search for gold in rivers and streams. However, over time, the term has taken on a broader meaning, encompassing both legal and artisanal small-scale mining (ASM). In Ghana, those involved in these activities are called ''galamseyers'', and in neighbouring Francophone countries such as Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, they are often referred to as ''orpailleurs''. Ghana's widespread illegal mining activities have caused extensive destruction to the gold-rich West African country's forests. Background Galamseyers dig small working pits, tunnels, and sluices by hand. Generally, they can dig only to a limited depth, far shallower and smaller than commercial gold mining companies. Under current Ghanaian law, it is illegal for ga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Operation Vanguard
Operation Vanguard is a military police joint task force (JTF) set up by the President of Ghana in 2017 to combat illegal mining, known as galamsey. Over the years, the practice has depleted Ghana's forest cover and polluted bodies of water due to the crude and unregulated nature of the mining process. Background The formation of Operation Vanguard was necessitated by the formation of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey on 4 April 2017. The coalition was a collective of concerned journalists in Ghana led by workers of the Graphic Communication Group Limited, Graphic Communications Group Limited. Using all media platforms available to the coalition, pressure was mounted on the Government of Ghana to respond to the environmental degradation caused by galamsey. Galamsey had resulted in some cocoa and cashew farms being sold by owners so that the fertile soil could be excavated for allegedly being sold out for illegal mining activities. The level of pollution of water bodies ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gold Mining In Ghana
Gold mining in Ghana has a long history, dating back to the 10th century when the region was part of the ancient Ghana Empire. Commercial gold mining began in the early 19th century, with Europeans establishing several mines during the colonial period. The first documented large-scale mining operation in Ghana was at Obuasi, where gold was discovered in 1897. By 1900, Ghana, then known as the Gold Coast, had become a major supplier of gold in the British Empire. Ghana is renowned for its gold resources and is the largest producer of gold in Africa as of 2019. Major gold discoveries and mining activities have centered around the Ashanti Region and other areas such as Tarkwa, Akyem, and Prestea, forming part of the extensive Birimian and Tarkwaian gold belts. Early gold mining Ashanti Region has played a central role in gold mining in Ghana, dating back to the 19th century. Local artisanal mining, known as galamsey, predated industrial efforts. The Ashanti Goldfields Corporation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gold Mining
Gold mining is the extraction of gold by mining. Historically, mining gold from Alluvium, alluvial deposits used manual separation processes, such as gold panning. The expansion of gold mining to ores that are not on the surface has led to more complex extraction processes such as pit mining and gold cyanidation. In the 20th and 21st centuries, most volume of mining was done by large corporations. However, the value of gold has led to millions of small, Artisanal mining, artisanal miners in many parts of the Global South. Like all mining, Mining#Human rights, human rights and Environmental effects of mining, environmental issues are common in the gold mining industry, and can result in environmental conflict. In mines with less regulation, health and safety risks are much higher. History The exact date that humans first began to mine gold is unknown, but some of the oldest known gold artifacts were found in the Varna Necropolis in Bulgaria. The graves of the necropolis were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mercury Poisoning
Mercury poisoning is a type of metal poisoning due to exposure to mercury. Symptoms depend upon the type, dose, method, and duration of exposure. They may include muscle weakness, poor coordination, numbness in the hands and feet, skin rashes, anxiety, memory problems, trouble speaking, trouble hearing, or trouble seeing. High-level exposure to methylmercury is known as Minamata disease. Methylmercury exposure in children may result in acrodynia (pink disease) in which the skin becomes pink and peels. Long-term complications may include kidney problems and decreased intelligence. The effects of long-term low-dose exposure to methylmercury are unclear. Forms of mercury exposure include metal, vapor, salt, and organic compound. Most exposure is from eating fish, amalgam-based dental fillings, or exposure at a workplace. In fish, those higher up in the food chain generally have higher levels of mercury, a process known as biomagnification. Less commonly, poisoning may occu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dompoase
Dompoase, a suburb of Kumasi, and located in the Adansi North District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The place is known for Dompoase Senior High School. It is a town of 30,000 people in Ghana. Kumasi is the capital of the region, considered the wealthiest and most powerful in the nation. It is the area of most cocoa production, as well as gold mining. History At the beginning of the 17th century, Dompoase was the capital of the Adansi tribe. It held this position until the mid-17th century. In November 2009, Dompoase was the site of a collapse of an illegal gold mine, in which 18 people were killed, including 13 women. National officials said this was the worst mine collapse in Ghanaian history. It highlighted dangers for the galamseys, thousands of independent artisanal workers in gold mining who work by hand. Many women work as porters and sorters in such operations. In neighboring francophone The Francophonie or Francophone world is the whole body of people ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ankobra River
The Ankobra River is situated in southwest Ghana. Starting north east of Wiawso, it flows about south to the Gulf of Guinea, and enters the ocean about 60 km to the west of the city of Takoradi. Near its mouth are the remains of Fort Elize Carthago, a Dutch trading post abandoned in 1711. The Ankobra River is fed by the Nini River. Small ships can navigate inland, whilst the upper reaches contain rapids. Several hydro electric schemes have been proposed for the upper reaches. In 2003, mercury and arsenic were reported in the gold mining area of the Ankobra River Basin. References External links Ghana: Rivers and Lakes Rivers of Ghana {{Ghana-river-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pra River (Ghana)
The Pra River is a river in Ghana, the easternmost and the largest of the three principal rivers that drain the area south of the Volta divide. Rising in the Kwahu Plateau near Mpraeso and flowing southward for 240 km (149.129 mi) through rich cocoa and farming areas and valuable forests in the Akan lowlands, the Pra enters the Gulf of Guinea The Gulf of Guinea (French language, French: ''Golfe de Guinée''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Golfo de Guinea''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Golfo da Guiné'') is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez i ... east of Takoradi. In the 19th century, the Pra served as the border between the Ashanti Confederacy and the Gold Coast. The Pra has many cataracts, notably the Bosomasi Rapids at Anyinabrim, and for most of its length is not navigable even by canoe. However, in the early part of the twentieth century the Pra was used extensively to float timber to the coast for export. This trade is n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nana Akufo-Addo
William Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ( ; born 29 March 1944) is a Ghanaian politician who served as the 13th president of Ghana from January 2017 to January 2025. He previously served as Attorney General of Ghana, Attorney General from 2001 to 2003 and as Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ghana), Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2007 under the administration of then-president John Kufuor. Akufo-Addo first ran for president in the year 2008 Ghanaian general election, 2008 and again in 2012 Ghanaian presidential election, 2012, both times as the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He lost on both occasions to National Democratic Congress (Ghana), National Democratic Congress' candidates: John Evans Atta Mills in 2008 and John Dramani Mahama in 2012. After the 2012 general elections, he refused to concede and proceeded to court to challenge the electoral results, but the Supreme Court of Ghana affirmed Mahama's victory. He was chosen as the presidential can ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pneumoconiosis
Pneumoconiosis is the general term for a class of interstitial lung disease where inhalation of dust (for example, ash dust, lead particles, pollen grains etc) has caused interstitial fibrosis. The three most common types are asbestosis, silicosis, and coal miner's lung. Pneumoconiosis often causes restrictive impairment, although diagnosable pneumoconiosis can occur without measurable impairment of lung function. Depending on extent and severity, it may cause death within months or years, or it may never produce symptoms. It is usually an occupational lung disease, typically from years of dust exposure during work in mining; textile milling; shipbuilding, ship repairing, and/or shipbreaking; sandblasting; industrial tasks; rock drilling (subways or building pilings); or agriculture. It is one of the most common occupational diseases in the world. Types Depending upon the type of dust, the disease is given different names: * Coalworker's pneumoconiosis (CWP) / Black Lung Di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Peter Amewu
John-Peter Amewu (born 16 March 1968) is a Ghanaian politician and current Minister for Railways Development and Member of Parliament (MP) for Hohoe Constituency in the Volta Region . He was Minister of Energy and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources. Early life and education John-Peter Amewu was born in 1968 in Wli-Todzi in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region. He attended Hohoe E. P. Senior High School, St. Mary's Seminary/Senior High School, Lolobi and Adisadel College, Cape Coast for his high school education. John-Peter Amewu obtained his bachelor's degree in Construction Technology from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He furthered his education and obtained an MBA in finance from University of Ghana, Legon, and proceeded to obtain a postgraduate degree in international energy industry management and a master's degree in petroleum law and policy from University of Dundee (UK). Career He is a co-founder of Africa Centre for Energy Policy ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
