Ghana–United States relations
bilateral relations between United States and Ghana
Ghana–United States relations are the diplomatic relations between Ghana and United States.
Both nations have generally been friendly since Ghana's independence, except for a period of strained relations during the later years of the Nkrumah regime. Ghana was the first country to which United States Peace Corps volunteers were sent in 1961. Ghana and the United States are signatories to twenty agreements and treaties covering such matters as agricultural commodities, aviation, defense, economic and technical cooperation, education, extradition, postal matters, telecommunications, and treaty obligations. The refusal of the United States to join the International Cocoa Agreement, given Ghana's heavy dependence on cocoa exports to earn hard currency, is the most serious bilateral issue between the two countries.
According to the Pew Research Global Attitudes Project, 83% of Ghanaians viewed the U.S. favorably in 2002, declining slightly down to 80% in 2007, according to the 2012 U.S. Global Leadership Report, 79% of Ghanaians approve of U.S. leadership, with 12% disapproving and 10% uncertain, and in a 2013 BBC World Service Poll, 82% of Ghanaians view U.S. influence positively, the highest rating for any surveyed African country. In 2021, Travel + Leisure website, travelandleisure.com, ranked Ghana as the 6th among 10 countries Americans wanted to visit.
History
Independence and the Cold War
Ghana committed themselves to remain neutral under the pressure of the Cold War ideology. Ghana remained committed in establishing their own foreign policy and standards first before aligning themselves with either of the two blocs. The historian Douglas Anglin writing in the year after Ghana gained independence highlights some of the reasons why Ghana chose to remain neutral.
The public source identifies “Ghana–United States relations” as bilateral relations between United States and Ghana. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Ghana, United and States.
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