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 who defeated former Vice President Atta MILLS in a free and fair election.

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N 2 00 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 239,460 km²
Land: 230,940 km²
Water: 8,520 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries
Total: 2,094 km
Border countries: (3) Burkina Faso 549 km; , Cote d'Ivoire 668 km; , Togo 877 km

Coastline: 539 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 NM
Territorial sea: 12 NM
Continental shelf: 200 NM
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 15.82%
Permanent crops: 7.47%
Other: 76.71% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 110 km² (1998 est.)

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

Geography
Note: Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake

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 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 1.7% (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: 31% (1992 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Ghanaian
Adjective: Ghanaian

Ethnic groups: black African 98.5% (major tribes - Akan 44% Moshi-Dagomba 16% Ewe 13% Ga 8% Gurma 3% Yoruba 1%) European and other 1.5% (1998)

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

Religions: indigenous beliefs 21% Muslim 16% Christian 63%

Age structure
0-14 years: 40.4% (male 4,116,600; female 4,063,654)
15-64 years: 56.1% (male 5,625,397; female 5,723,786)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 338,352; female 376,365) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.7% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 28.08 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 10.31 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.74 migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 est.)

Environment
Current issues: recurrent drought in north severely affects 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

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: 0.9 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 55.64 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 57.06 years
Female: 58.51 years (2002 est.)
Male: 55.66 years

Total fertility rate: 3.69 children born/woman (2002 est.)

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

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

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 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 election; 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: Convention People's Party or CPP [Nii Noi DOWUONA general secretary]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Owuraku AMOFA chairman]; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan LARTY]; 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]; Reform Party [Kyeretwie OPUKU general secretary]

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 Interpol IOC IOM (observer) ISO ITU MINURSO MONUC NAM OAS (observer) OAU OPCW UN UNAMSIL UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNIFIL UNIKOM UNITAR UNMEE UNMIBH UNMIK UNMOP UNMOT UNU UPU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Alan J. KYEREMATEN
In the us consulates general: New York
In the us fax: [1] (202) 686-4,527
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 686-4,520
In the us chancery: 3,512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Carlin YATES
From the us embassy: 6th and 10th Lanes, 798/1 Osu, Accra
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra
From the us telephone: [233] (21) 775-347, 775-348
From the us fax: [233] (21) 701-813

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 roughly 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. Excessively expansionary monetary and fiscal policy prior to the 2000 elections led to accelerating inflation in early 2001. A depressed cocoa market and continued weak growth in non-traditional exports led to disappointing growth in 2001. The late 2002 crisis in Cote d'Ivoire has boosted cocoa prices markedly. It remains to be seen if this portends a long-term shift in the cocoa market. Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program in 2002.

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1980 (2001 est.)

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: 3.8% (2000 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.)

Population below poverty line: 31% (1992 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2%
Highest 10: 30% (1998)

Distribution of family income gini index: 40 (1998)

Budget
Revenues: $1.603 billion
Expenditures: $1.975 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 25% (2001 est.)

Exports: $1.94 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: $2.83 billion f.o.b. (2000)
Commodities: capital equipment petroleum foodstuffs
Partners: UK Nigeria US Germany Italy Spain (1998)

Debt external: $5.96 billion (2001 est.)

Exchange rates: cedis per US dollar - 7,195 (January 2002) 7,171 (2001) 5,455 (2000) 2,669 (1999) 2,314 (1998) 2,050 (1997)

Electricity
Production: 5.92 billion kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 30%
Production by source hydro: 70%
Production by source other: 0% (2000)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 5.484 billion kWh (2000)
Exports: 422 million kWh (2000)
Imports: 400 million kWh (2000)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 240,000 (2001)
Mobile cellular: 150,000 (2001)

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

Internet
Country code: .gh
Service providers isps: 12 (2000)
Users: 200,000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $35.2 million (FY01)
Percent of gdp: 0.7% (FY01)

Airports: 12 (2001)
With paved runways total: 7
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 5
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Pipelines: 0 km

Railways
Total: 953 km
Narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge; undergoing major rehabilitation (2001 est.)

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: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,450 GRT/22,097 DWT
Ships by type: petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 5
Note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Brazil 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Spain 1 (2002 est.)

Disputes international: none

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; major transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and to a lesser extent South American cocaine destined for Europe and the US; widespread crime and corruption have made money laundering a problem but the lack of a well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center