galamsey

[guh-lam-see, ga-luhm-see]

noun

1. illegal gold mining in Ghana that is usually done on a small scale.

   The report suggested that galamsey has driven further environmental degradation in the region.

Other Word Forms

• galamseyer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of galamsey¹

First recorded in 1980–85; dialectal abbreviation of gather them and sell

Example Sentences

Ghana is Africa's largest gold producer and the sixth largest in the world, but it is struggling to address widespread illegal gold mining, locally called "galamsey".

Read more on BBC

Concerns over the environmental impact of illegal gold mining – known in the country as “galamsey” – have become another major talking-point.

Read more on BBC

When President Akufo-Addo first took office in 2017, he acknowledged that some security personnel, businessmen and politicians were involved in galamsey.

Read more on BBC

He also points to an upsurge in small-scale mining in the area, known locally as galamsey, that’s polluted the water.

Read more on Seattle Times

When he was in Ghana he worked for a time as an illegal gold miner, or galamsey as they are known, to raise money for his journey.

Read more on BBC