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.

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

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.)

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)

Population: 18,887,626 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 2.05% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: 31.4% (1992 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Ghanaian(s)
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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 42% (male 4,020,493; female 3,982,816)
15-64 years: 54% (male 5,050,736; female 5,231,951)
65 years and over: 4% (male 284,423; female 317,207) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.05% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 31.79 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 10.4 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.88 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)

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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 76.15 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 57.14 years
Male: 55.08 years
Female: 59.27 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.11 children born/woman (1999 est.)

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

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

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 7 January 1993); Vice President John Evans Atta MILLS (since 7 January 1993); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 7 January 1993); Vice President John Evans Atta MILLS (since 7 January 1993); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject to approval by the Parliament
Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 7 December 1996 (next to be held NA 2000)
Election results: Jerry John RAWLINGS reelected president; percent of vote_RAWLINGS 57%

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (200 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 7 December 1996 (next to be held NA December 2000)
Election results: percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_NDC 133, NPP 61, PCP 5, PNC 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNPREDEP, 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 Dee 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

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 41% 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. Power shortages also helped slow growth in 1998.

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $1,800 (1998 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 41%
Industry: 14%
Services: 45% (1996 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: NA
By occupation agriculture and fishing: 61%
By occupation industry: 10%
By occupation services: 29% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20% (1997 est.)

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

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

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Commodities: gold 39%, cocoa 35%, timber 9.4%, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, and diamonds (1996 est.)
Partners: UK, Germany, US, Netherlands, Japan, Nigeria

Imports: $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Commodities: capital equipment, petroleum, consumer goods, foods, intermediate goods
Partners: UK, Nigeria, US, Germany, Japan, Netherlands

Debt external: $5.2 billion (1996 est.)

Exchange rates: new cedis per US$1_2,324.70 (September 1998), 2,050.17 (1997), 1,637.23 (1996), 1,200.43 (1995), 956.71 (1994)

Electricity
Production: 6.1 billion kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 0.66%
Production by source hydro: 99.34%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 5.88 billion kWh (1996)
Exports: 225 million kWh (1996)
Imports: 5 million kWh (1996)

Telephones: 100,000 (1997 est.)

Telephone system: poor to fair system
Domestic: primarily microwave radio relay
International: satellite earth station_1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $53 million (1999)
Percent of gdp: 0.7% (1999)

Airports: 12 (1998 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 (1998 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 (1998 est.)

Pipelines: 0 km

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

Waterways: 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: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,552 GRT/14,839 DWT
Ships by type: oil tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 3 (1998 est.)

Disputes international: none

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Europe and the US