Ghana got independence in 1957- wanted to develop quickly
it wanted: Factories, schools, hospitals, roads and homes
All needs power (electricity)
Ghana's answer lake Volta
a dam that can produce hydroelectricity (Akosombo dam)
dams are expensive
loans from world bank, UK and a massive loan from the USA
as part of the USA loan an American company Valco could produce aluminium using the power created by the dam at low prices
Ghana has lots of Bauxite (needed for making Aluminium)
The electricity would be cheep for 50 years
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What Ghana hoped/thought would happen
Valco would use Ghana's Bauxite - and some could be exported for a good price
some of the aluminium used for making goods in Ghana and then being sold in Ghana and some sold abroad
power for homes and other businesses
transport routes
fish farming
tourism
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The project
80,000+ were moved
4% of Ghana was drowned
Valco built an smelter (used to extract aluminium) at the port of Tema
They said they would only import Bauxite from Jamaica while Ghana built an alumina plant and an railway had been built before Ghana's bauxite would be used.
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What happened...
The dam was 100% compete in 2000 (35 years later)
Valco was still importing (using none of Ghana's Bauxite)
used almost half the power from the Dam at a smaller price than everyone else
no tax on imports or export
droughts were causing lower water levels
Ghana had to export its Bauxite
The lake was only used for fishing
most villages still didn't have any power
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The Latest problems
in 2003 Ghana said Valco must pay more for Power from the Dam
Valco said they weren't making enough profit and left
Now Ghana can make there own
they would first need a railway and a alumina plant
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