Ghana has abundant natural resources, including oil, gold, and bauxite as well as forests and fertile farmland. Despite these resources, most people in Ghana live on less than $5 dollars a day, and the country has a relatively low Human Development Index (its score of 0.611 makes puts it at 138th place out of 189 countries). Based on what we have learned so far in class, why do you think this is? Why does poverty continue to exist in Ghana alongside the country’s immense natural resource wealth? Can Ghana achieve economic and human development by exporting raw materials and agricultural commodities to other countries? If so, how? Or should the country instead adopt a different approach? In your answer, make sure to describe both internal factors (like institutions, geography, education, and culture) and external factors (like trade, foreign debt, and the legacies of colonialism) that are important to understanding and economic and social conditions in Ghana. Your essay should be approximately about 4 pages of double-spaced text. You can use course materials and readings as well as outside sources. Format your essay according to APA format using in-text citations and a bibliography. Here are some notes on sources to get you started: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17p0pqwzQQ-hBCiBbkmBp3y0aVYariGR5tInjozDTKMY/edit?usp=sharing
