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
Comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Coastline: 539 km

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

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

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: 19,533,560
Growth rate: 1.87% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: 31.4% (1992 est.)

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%

Population growth rate: 1.87% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 29.81 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 10.22 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.89 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 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

Infant mortality rate: 57.43 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.95 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (200 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)

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 [Peter Ala ADJETY]; 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: 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 OAS (observer) OAU OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNIFIL UNIKOM UNMIBH UNMIK UNMOP UNMOT UNTAET UNU UPU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

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 40% 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. A rebound in gold prices is likely to push growth over 5% in 2000-01.

Real gdp growth rate: 4.3% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1900 (1999 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: 4 million
By occupation agriculture: 60%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation services: 25% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20% (1997 est.)

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

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 12.8% (1999 est.)

Exports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: gold cocoa timber tuna bauxite aluminum manganese ore diamonds
Partners: Togo UK Italy Netherlands Germany US France (1998)

Imports: $2.5 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: capital equipment petroleum foodstuffs
Partners: UK Nigeria US Germany Italy Spain (1998)

Debt external: $6 billion (1998 est.)

Exchange rates: new cedis per US$1 - 3,467 (December 1999) 2,647 (1999) 2,314 (1998) 2,050 (1997) 1637.23 (1996) 1200.43 (1995)

Electricity
Production: 6.206 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 5.437 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 400 million kWh (1998)
Imports: 65 million kWh (1998)

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

Telephone system: poor to fair system; Internet accessible; many rural communities not yet connected; expansion of services is underway

Internet
Service providers isps: 2 (1999)

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

Airports: 12 (1999 est.)

Pipelines: 0 km

Waterways: Volta Ankobra and Tano Rivers provide 168 km of perennial navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1125 km of arterial and feeder waterways

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