Formed from the merger of the
British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana
in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain
its independence. Ghana endured a long series of coups before Lt. Jerry
RAWLINGS took power in 1981 and banned political parties. After
approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992,
RAWLINGS won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, but was
constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John
KUFUOR succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS took
over as head of state in early 2009.
Geography ::Ghana
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 238,533 sq km
land:
227,533 sq km
water:
11,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
total: 2,094 km
border countries:
Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km
Coastline:
539 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
continental shelf:
200 nm
Climate:
Current Weather
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
dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts
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
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
People ::Ghana
Population:
24,339,838
country comparison to the world: 47
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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and
changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would
otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
65 years and over:
3.6% (male 395,007/female 470,433) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.1 years
male:
20.8 years
female:
21.3 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.855% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
Birth rate:
28.09 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
Death rate:
8.93 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
10
Urbanization:
urban population: 50% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.84 male(s)/female
total population:
1 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 49.89 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 52
male:
53.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
46.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 60.55 years
86
male:
59.36 years
female:
61.78 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.57 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.9% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
260,000 (2007 est.)
7
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
21,000 (2007 est.)
2
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases:
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases:
malaria
water contact disease:
schistosomiasis
respiratory disease:
meningococcal meningitis
animal contact disease:
rabies
note:highly
pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it
poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US
citizens who have close contact with birds
(2009)
Nationality:
noun: Ghanaian(s)
adjective:
Ghanaian
Ethnic groups:
Akan 45.3%, Mole-Dagbon
15.2%, Ewe 11.7%, Ga-Dangme 7.3%, Guan 4%, Gurma 3.6%, Grusi 2.6%,
Mande-Busanga 1%, other tribes 1.4%, other 7.8% (2000 census)
Religions:
Christian 68.8%
(Pentecostal/Charismatic 24.1%, Protestant 18.6%, Catholic 15.1%, other
11%), Muslim 15.9%, traditional 8.5%, other 0.7%, none 6.1% (2000
census)
Languages:
Asante 14.8%, Ewe 12.7%,
Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%, Dangme 4.3%, Dagarte
(Dagaba) 3.7%, Akyem 3.4%, Ga 3.4%, Akuapem 2.9%, other 36.1% (includes
English (official)) (2000 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
57.9%
male:
66.4%
female:
49.8% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 9 years
male:
10 years
female:
9 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
5.4% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 53
Government ::Ghana
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Ghana
conventional short form:
Ghana
former:
Gold Coast
Government type:
constitutional democracy
Capital:
name: Accra
geographic coordinates:
5 33 N, 0 13 W
time difference:
UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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 Evans Atta MILLS (since 7 January 2009); Vice President John
Dramani MAHAMA (since 7 January 2009); note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government:
President John Evans Atta MILLS (since 7 January 2009); Vice President John Dramani MAHAMA (since 7 January 2009)
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 (eligible for a second term); election last held on 7
and 28 December 2008 (next to be held on 7 December 2012)
election results:
John
Evans Atta MILLS elected president in run-off election; percent of vote
- John Evans Atta MILLS 50.23%, Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO 49.77%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (230 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections:
last held on 7 December 2008 (next to be held on 7 December 2012)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDC 114, NPP 107, PNC 2, CPP 1, independent 4, other 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Convention People's Party
or CPP [Ladi NYLANDER]; Democratic Freedom Party or DFP [Alhaji Abudu
Rahman ISSAKAH]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE; Great
Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan LARTEY]; National Democratic
Congress or NDC [Dr. Kwabena ADJEI]; New Patriotic Party or NPP [Peter
MAC-MANU]; People's National Convention or PNC [Alhaji Amed RAMADAN];
Reform Party [Kyeretwie OPUKU]; United Renaissance Party or URP [Charles
WAYO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Christian Aid (water
rights); Committee for Joint Action or CJA (education reform); National
Coalition Against the Privatization of Water or CAP (water rights);
Oxfam (water rights); Public Citizen (water rights); Students Coalition
Against EPA [Kwabena Ososukene OKAI] (education reform); Third World
Network (education reform)
chancery:
3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 686-4520
FAX:
[1] (202) 686-4527
consulate(s) general:
New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Donald G. TEITELBAUM
embassy:
24 4th Circular Rd. Cantonments, Accra
mailing address:
P. O. Box 194, Accra
telephone:
[233] (21) 741-000
FAX:
[233] (21) 741-389
Flag description:
three equal horizontal
bands of red (top), yellow, and green, with a large black five-pointed
star centered in the yellow band; red symbolizes the blood shed for
independence, yellow represents the country's mineral wealth, while
green stands for its forests and natural wealth; the black star is said
to be the lodestar of African freedom
note: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 ::Ghana
Economy - overview:
Well endowed with natural
resources, Ghana has roughly twice the per capita output of the poorest
countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on
international financial and technical assistance. Gold and cocoa
production and individual remittances are major sources of foreign
exchange. Oil production is expected to expand in late 2010 or early
2011. The domestic economy continues to revolve around agriculture,
which accounts for more than a third of GDP and employs more than half
of the work force, mainly small landholders. Ghana signed a Millennium
Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact in 2006, which aims to assist in
transforming Ghana's agricultural sector. Ghana opted for debt relief
under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program in 2002, and is
also benefiting from the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative that took
effect in 2006. Thematic priorities under its current Growth and Poverty
Reduction Strategy, which also provides the framework for development
partner assistance, are: macroeconomic stability; private sector
competitiveness; human resource development; and good governance and
civic responsibility. Sound macro-economic management along with high
prices for gold and cocoa helped sustain GDP growth in 2008 and 2009.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$36.57 billion (2009 est.)
$34.93 billion (2008 est.)
$32.55 billion (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$14.93 billion (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.7% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
7.3% (2008 est.)
6.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,500 (2009 est.)
99
$1,500 (2008 est.)
$1,400 (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 33.6%
industry:
25.1%
services:
41.2% (2006 est.)
Labor force:
10.33 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 56%
industry:
15%
services:
29% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
11% (2000 est.)
24
Population below poverty line:
28.5% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Netherlands 13.4%, Ukraine 11.7%, UK 8%, France 5.7%, US 5.1% (2008)
Imports:
$8.437 billion (2009 est.)
$10.27 billion (2008 est.)
Imports - commodities:
capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
China 16%, Nigeria 15%, India 5.6%, US 5.6%, France 4.5%, UK 4.5% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.45 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
06
$2.028 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Debt - external:
$5.84 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
$5.055 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
cedis (GHC) per US dollar - 1.4 (2009), 1.1 (2008), 0.95 (2007), 9,174.8 (2006), 9,072.5 (2005)
note:in 2007 Ghana revalued its currency with 10,000 old cedis equal to 1 new cedis
Communications ::Ghana
Telephones - main lines in use:
143,900 (2008)
34
Telephones - mobile cellular:
11.57 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 53
Telephone system:
general assessment: primarily
microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been installed; outdated
and unreliable fixed-line infrastructure heavily concentrated in Accra
domestic:
competition among multiple mobile-cellular providers has spurred growth with a subscribership of 50 per 100 persons and rising
international:
country
code - 233; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC, Main One, and GLO-1
fiber-optic submarine cables that provide connectivity to South Africa,
Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its
neighbors (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 86, shortwave 3 (2007)
Television broadcast stations:
7 (2007)
Internet country code:
.gh
Internet hosts:
23,850 (2009)
Internet users:
997,000 (2008)
Transportation ::Ghana
Airports:
11 (2009)
55
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 7
over 3,047 m:
1
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1
1,524 to 2,437 m:
3
914 to 1,523 m:
2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 4
914 to 1,523 m:
3
under 914 m:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
oil 5 km; refined products 309 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 947 km
narrow gauge:
947 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 62,221 km
paved:
9,955 km
unpaved:
52,266 km (2006)
Waterways:
1,293 km
country comparison to the world: 58
note:168
km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano rivers; 1,125
km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 4
35
by type:
petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 3
foreign-owned:
1 (Brazil 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Tema
Military ::Ghana
Military branches:
Ghanaian Army, Ghanaian Navy, Ghanaian Air Force (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,126,707
females age 16-49:
6,058,958 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,022,056
females age 16-49:
4,101,964 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 270,993
female:
263,961 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.7% of GDP (2009)
Transnational Issues ::Ghana
Disputes - international:
Ghana struggles to accommodate returning nationals who worked in the cocoa plantations and escaped fighting in Cote d'Ivoire
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 35,653 (Liberia); 8,517 (Togo) (2007)
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
money laundering problem, but the lack of a well developed financial
infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money laundering
center; significant domestic cocaine and cannabis use
