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. A long series of coups resulted in the suspension of Ghana's third constitution in 1981 and a ban on 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. John KUFUOR, who defeated former Vice President John ATTA-MILLS in a free and fair election, succeeded him.
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
239,460 sq km
land
230,940 sq km
water
8,520 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
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
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
Population
22,931,299
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 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
38.2% (male 4,438,308/female 4,329,293)
15-64 years
58.2% (male 6,661,512/female 6,687,738)
65 years and over
3.6% (male 380,495/female 433,953) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
20.2 years
male
19.9 years
female
20.4 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.972% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
29.85 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
9.55 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-0.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.025 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.996 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.877 male(s)/female
total population
1.003 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
53.56 deaths/1,000 live births
male
58 deaths/1,000 live births
female
48.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
59.12 years
male
58.31 years
female
59.95 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
3.89 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
3.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
350,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
30,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk
very high
food or waterborne diseases
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases
malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations
water contact disease
schistosomiasis
respiratory disease
meningococcal meningitis (2007)
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)
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 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)
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 7 December 2004 (next to be held in December 2008)
election results
John Agyekum KUFUOR reelected president in election; percent of vote - John KUFUOR 53.4%, John ATTA-MILLS 43.7%
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament (230 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December in 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPP 128, NDC 94, PNC 4, CPP 3, independent 1
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders
Convention People's Party or CPP [Dr. Edmund DELLE]; Democratic Freedom Party or DFP [Alhaji Abudu Rahman ISSAKAH]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Danny OFORI-ATTA]; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan LARTY]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Kwabena ADJEI]; New Patriotic Party or NPP [Peter MAC-MANU]; People's National Convention or PNC [Alhaji Amed RHAMADAN]; Reform Party [Kyeretwie OPUKU]; United Renaissance Party or URP [Charles Wayo]
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 poorest 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 37% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders. Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program in 2002, but was included in a G-8 debt relief program decided upon at the Gleneagles Summit in July 2005. Priorities under its current $38 million Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) include tighter monetary and fiscal policies, accelerated privatization, and improvement of social services. Receipts from the gold sector helped sustain GDP growth in 2006 along with record high prices for Ghana's largest cocoa crop to date. Ghana received a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant in 2006, which aims to assist in transforming Ghana's agricultural export sector.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$60 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$10.21 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
6% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$2,700 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
37.3%
industry
25.3%
services
37.5% (2006 est.)
Labor force
10.87 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
60%
industry
15%
services
25% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate
20% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line
31.4% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
2.2%
highest 10%
30.1% (1999)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
30 (1999)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
10.9% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
29% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$3.616 billion
expenditures
$3.947 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
Netherlands 11.2%, UK 8.6%, US 6.7%, Spain 5.7%, Belgium 5.2%, France 4.4% (2006)
Imports
$5.666 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs
Imports - partners
Nigeria 16.4%, China 12.8%, UK 5.6%, Belgium 4.7%, US 4.6%, Brazil 4.3%, South Africa 4.1%, France 4% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$2.098 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$3.546 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$6.9 billion (1999)
Currency (code)
cedi (GHC)
Currency code
GHC
Exchange rates
cedis per US dollar - 9,174.8 (2006), 9,072.5 (2005), 9,004.6 (2004), 8,677.4 (2003), 7,932.7 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
321,500 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
2.842 million (2005)
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
country code - 233; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors; fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
Radio broadcast stations
AM 0, FM 49, shortwave 3 (2001)
Radios
12.5 million (2001)
Television broadcast stations
10 (2001)
Televisions
1.9 million (2001)
Internet country code
.gh
Internet hosts
380 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
12 (2000)
Internet users
401,300 (2005)
Airports
12 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
7
over 3,047 m
1
1,524 to 2,437 m
4
914 to 1,523 m
2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
5
914 to 1,523 m
3
under 914 m
2 (2006)
Pipelines
oil 13 km; refined products 316 km (2006)
Railways
total
953 km
narrow gauge
953 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)
Roadways
total
42,623 km
paved
3,267 km
unpaved
39,356 km (2004)
Waterways
1,293 km
note: 168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta (2007)
Merchant marine
total
4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 6,308 GRT/9,418 DWT
by type
cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2
foreign-owned
1 (Brazil 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Takoradi, Tema
Military branches
Ghanaian Army, Ghanaian Navy, Ghanaian Air Force (2007)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
4,808,451
females age 18-49
4,762,459 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
3,011,081
females age 18-49
2,991,551 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
251,056
females age 18-49
247,777 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
0.8% (2006 est.)
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): 38,684 (Liberia), 14,136 (Togo) (2006)
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
