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Why is Jamaica Sometimes Called Little Ghana?
I am in the travel business, so I need to know why so many people call Jamaica, Little Ghana.
Many Jamaicans seem to have the same initial reaction when they arrive in Ghana for the very first time. “It feels so familiar. It reminds me of home. I feel so comfortable.”
Why was that, I wondered. So I did a little research and here’s what I learned.
Familiar Faces and Welcoming Hospitality
Many Jamaicans see themselves reflected in the faces of the Ghanaian people. There is a reason for this. According to ship records kept during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade era, the majority of enslaved Africans taken from Africa to Jamaica were the Akan people of the Gold Coast region, now known as Ghana. The Akan ethnic group comprises 47.5% of Ghana’s population today. So no wonder there are similar physical features shared between Jamaicans and Ghanaians.
And there is nothing quite like the easy-going, world renowned hospitality of Ghanaians which welcomes visitors right from arrival at the airport. Akwaaba! (Welcome!) This resonates with Jamaican visitors because it is the same kind of welcome that they extend to visitors to Jamaica.
