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Akosombo Dam is a major hydro electric power plant that provides power for a good part of West Africa including; Ghana, Togo, and Benin. When opperating at full capacity (all 6 turbines running) the dam can produce 1050 MW of power. While the dam now provides power to over 50% of Ghana it was origionally built to provide power to the aluminum industry and funds for the project were provided by the American company Volta Aluminum Company (Valco) in the form of a loan to the government.
The dam was conceived by Albert Ernest Kitson, as early as 1915 but it took another 25 years before plans were drawn up in 1940 and 21 years after that before construction began in 1961, by Impregilo, and was eventually completed in 1966.
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Welcome to Africa, AKA the motherland! Check out African Internet Radio while you're scoping the panoramas.The earliest fossil of the homo sapiens family (human beings) was found in Ethiopia, dating back more than 200,000 years. Compared to this length of time, even the "ancient Sumerians" from 6000 B.C. are drooling toddlers.Let's mention a few African heroes you may have heard of, for inspiration in the face of the continued economic inequality and violence which plague Africa today: Nelson Mandela, first democratically elected President of South Africa, who fought against apartheid and served 27 years in prison while advocating freedom and peace. Haile Salassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, who resisted Mussolini and the fascist Italian invasion of WWII, and who is worshipped as an incarnation of God by the Rastafari movement. Kwame Nkrumah, first Prime Minister of Ghana, advocate of uniting Africa in Pan-Africanism. Fela Kuti, inventor of Afrobeat music, who declared his home to be an independent state, ran for president of Nigeria, and to whose funeral ONE MILLION PEOPLE came to pay their respects.In June 2001 the African Union was formed, consisting of 53 African States organized, like in the EU, around common economic and political development.Text by Steve Smith.
