Map of Ghana | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory Ghana in 1957 became the first country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. A long series of coups resulted in the suspension of the constitution in 1981 and the banning of political parties. A new constitution restoring multiparty politics was approved in 1992. Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS head of state since 1981 won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996 but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. He was succeeded by John KUFUOR.


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Location: Western Africa bordering the Gulf of Guinea between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N 2 00 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 238,540 km²
Land: 230,020 km²
Water: 8,520 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries
Total: 2,093 km
Border countries: (3) Burkina Faso 548 km; , Cote d'Ivoire 668 km; , Togo 877 km

Coastline: 539 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 NM
Continental shelf: 200 NM
Exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north

Terrain: mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m

Natural resources: gold timber industrial diamonds bauxite manganese fish rubber hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 12%
Permanent crops: 7%
Permanent pastures: 22%
Forests and woodland: 35%
Other: 24% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 60 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: dry dusty harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts

Geography
Note: Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake; northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)


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Population
Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 1.79% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: 31.4% (1992 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Ghanaian
Adjective: Ghanaian

Ethnic groups: black African 99.8% (major tribes - Akan 44% Moshi-Dagomba 16% Ewe 13% Ga 8%) European and other 0.2%

Languages: English (official) African languages (including Akan Moshi-Dagomba Ewe and Ga)

Religions: indigenous beliefs 38% Muslim 30% Christian 24% other 8%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 41.18% (male 4,123,317; female 4,068,786)
15-64 years: 55.35% (male 5,455,577; female 5,555,278)
65 years and over: 3.47% (male 328,809; female 362,247) (2001 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.79% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 28.95 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 10.26 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.83 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: recent drought in north severely affecting agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 56.54 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 57.24 years
Male: 55.86 years
Female: 58.66 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.82 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 3.6% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: 340,000 (1999 est.)
Deaths: 33,000 (1999 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 64.5%
Male: 75.9%
Female: 53.5% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Ghana
Conventional short form: Ghana
Former: Gold Coast

Government type: constitutional democracy

Capital: Accra

Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Ashanti Brong-Ahafo Central Eastern Greater Accra Northern Upper East Upper West Volta Western

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 March 1957 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 6 March (1957)

Constitution: new constitution approved 28 April 1992

Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January 2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January 2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject to approval by Parliament
Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 7 and 28 December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2004)
Election results: John Agyekum KUFUOR elected president in runoff; percent of vote - John KUFUOR 56.4%, John Atta MILLS 43.6%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 7 December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2004)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 100, NDC 92, PNC 3, CPP 1, independents 4

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Owuraku AMOFA chairman]; National Convention Party or NCP [Sarpong KUMA-KUMA]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Huudu YAHAYA general secretary]; New Patriotic Party or NPP [Samuel Arthur ODOI-SYKES]; People's Convention Party or PCP [P. K. DONKOH-AYIFI acting chairman]; People's Heritage Party or PHP [Emmanuel Alexander ERSKINE]; People's National Convention or PNC [Edward MAHAMA]

International organization participation: ABEDA ACP AfDB C CCC ECA ECOWAS FAO G-24 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Inmarsat Intelsat Interpol IOC IOM (observer) ISO ITU MINURSO NAM OAS (observer) OAU OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNIFIL UNIKOM UNITAR UNMEE UNMIBH UNMIK UNMOP UNMOT UNTAET UNU UPU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kobena KOOMSON
In the us chancery: 3,512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 686-4,520
In the us fax: [1] (202) 686-4,527
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kathryn D. ROBINSON
From the us embassy: Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra
From the us telephone: [233] (21) 775,348
From the us fax: [233] (21) 776,008

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top) yellow and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Well endowed with natural resources Ghana has twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Even so Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance. Gold timber and cocoa production are major sources of foreign exchange. The domestic economy continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture which accounts for 36% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force mainly small landholders. In 1995-97 Ghana made mixed progress under a three-year structural adjustment program in cooperation with the IMF. On the minus side public sector wage increases and regional peacekeeping commitments have led to continued inflationary deficit financing depreciation of the cedi and rising public discontent with Ghana's austerity measures. Political uncertainty and a depressed cocoa market led to disappointing growth in 2000. A rebound in the cocoa market should push growth over 4% in 2001-02.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1900 (2000 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 36%
Industry: 25%
Services: 39% (2000 est.)

Agriculture products: cocoa rice coffee cassava (tapioca) peanuts corn shea nuts bananas; timber

Industries: mining lumbering light manufacturing aluminum smelting food processing

Industrial production growth rate: 4.2% (1996 est.)

Labor force: 9 million (2000 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 60%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation services: 25% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20% (1997 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 31.4% (1992 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.6%
Highest 10: 26.1% (1997)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.39 billion
Expenditures: $1.47 billion, including capital expenditures of $370 million (1996 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 22.8% (2000 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b. 2000)
Commodities: gold cocoa timber tuna bauxite aluminum manganese ore diamonds
Partners: Togo UK Italy Netherlands Germany US France (1998)

Imports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b. 2000)
Commodities: capital equipment petroleum foodstuffs
Partners: UK Nigeria US Germany Italy Spain (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $7 billion (1999 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: cedis per US dollar - 6,896 (January 2001) 5,322 (2000) 2,647 (1999) 2,314 (1998) 2,050 (1997) 1637.23 (1996)


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Electricity
Production: 5.466 billion kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 26.82%
Production by source hydro: 73.18%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1999)
Consumption: 5.573 billion kWh (1999)
Exports: 400 million kWh (1999)
Imports: 890 million kWh (1999)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 200,000 (1998)
Mobile cellular: 30,000 (yearend 1998)

Telephone system
General assessment: poor to fair system; Internet accessible; many rural communities not yet connected; expansion of services is underway
Domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been installed
International: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .gh
Service providers isps: 1 (2000)
Users: 20,000 (2000)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $53 million (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 0.7% (FY99)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 12 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 6
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 6
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: 0 km

Railways
Total: 953 km (undergoing major rehabilitation)
Narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge (32 km double track) (1997 est.)

Roadways

Waterways
Note: Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers provide 168 km of perennial navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,484 GRT/18,583 DWT
Ships by type: petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 4 (2000 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs