**** An update of McFarland's 1984 edition (which was cited in ARBA 1986), this dictionary outlines the course of Ghana history since the probable human habitation at Jiman, on the Oti River, c.10,000 B.C. It covers not only the pre-colonial period, colonization, and the struggle for independence, but more of the post-independence woes and the still tentative upturn, through the beginning of the Fourth Republic in January 1993. It includes numerous entries on the major players and others on crucial events and essential institutions. There is information on the economy, society and culture, key geographical features, and prominent ethnic groups. Includes an extensive chronology and a list of acronyms and abbreviations. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR