from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Ghana
Introduction
Background: 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 the 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 Atta MILLS in a free and fair election,
succeeded him.
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between
Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Geographic 8 00 N, 2 00 W
coordinates:
Map Africa
references:
Area: total: 239,460 sq km
land: 230,940 sq km
water: 8,520 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Oregon
comparative:
Land total: 2,094 km
boundaries: border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire
668 km, Togo 877 km
Coastline: 539 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: 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
Elevation lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m
Natural gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese,
resources: fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt,
limestone
Land use: arable land: 17.54%
permanent crops: 9.22%
other: 73.24% (2005)
Irrigated 310 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from
hazards: January to March; droughts
Environment - recurrent drought in north severely affects
current agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing;
issues: soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction
threatens wildlife populations; water pollution;
inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: 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 - Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
note:
People
Population: 22,409,572
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 2006
est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.8% (male 4,395,744/female 4,288,720)
15-64 years: 57.7% (male 6,450,828/female 6,483,781)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 371,428/female 419,071)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 19.9 years
male: 19.7 years
female: 20.1 years (2006 est.)
Population 2.07% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 30.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 9.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 55.02 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 59.56 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 50.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 58.87 years
expectancy at male: 58.07 years
birth: female: 59.69 years (2006 est.)
Total 3.99 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 3.1% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 350,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 30,000 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Major degree of risk: very high
infectious food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal
diseases: 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 (2005)
Nationality: noun: Ghanaian(s)
adjective: Ghanaian
Ethnic groups: African 98.5% (includes Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%,
Ewe 13%, Ga 8%, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%), European and
other 1.5% (1998)
Religions: Christian 63%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 21%
Languages: English (official), African languages (including Akan,
Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.8%
male: 82.7%
female: 67.1% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Ghana
conventional short form: Ghana
former: Gold Coast
Government constitutional democracy
type:
Capital: name: Accra
geographic coordinates: 5 33 N, 0 13 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative 10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern,
divisions: Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta,
Western
Independence: 6 March 1957 (from UK)
National Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
holiday:
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 chief of state: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7
branch: 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
(eligible for a second term); election last held 7
December 2004 (next to be held December 2008)
election results: John Agyekum KUFUOR reelected
president in election; percent of vote - John KUFUOR
53.4%, John Atta MILLS 43.7%
Legislative unicameral Parliament (230 seats; note - increased from
branch: 200 seats in last election; members are elected by
direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held
December 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats
by party - NPP 128, NDC 92, other 10
Judicial Supreme Court
branch:
Political Convention People's Party or CPP [Nii Noi DOWUONA,
parties and general secretary]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or
leaders: 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]
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
organization ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
participation: ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, ONUB, OPCW,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR,
UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Fritz Kwabena POKU
representation chancery: 1156 15th St. NW #905, Washington, DC 20005
in the US: telephone: [1] (202) 785-1379
FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Carlin YATES
representation embassy: 6th and 10th Lanes, 798/1 Osu, Accra
from the US: mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra
telephone: [233] (21) 775-347, 775-348
FAX: [233] (21) 701-813
Flag three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and
description: 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
Economy - Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly
overview: 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 34% 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 2005 along with record high prices for Ghana's
largest cocoa crop to date. Inflation should ease but
remains a major internal problem. Ghana also remains a
candidate country to benefit from Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC) funding that could assist in
transforming Ghana's agricultural export sector. A
final decision on its MCC bid is expected in spring
2006.
GDP $54.86 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $9.413 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 5.9% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $2,500 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 36.6%
composition by industry: 24.6%
sector: services: 38.7% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 10.62 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 60%
by occupation: industry: 15%
services: 25% (1999 est.)
Unemployment 20% (1997 est.)
rate:
Population 31.4% (1992 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 2.2%
income or highest 10%: 30.1% (1999)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 30 (1999)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 15.1% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 23.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $3.216 billion
expenditures: $3.506 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 75.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn,
products: shea nuts, bananas; timber
Industries: mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum
smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial
ship building
Industrial 3.8% (2000 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 5.356 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 5%
production by hydro: 95%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 5.081 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 400 million kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 500 million kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 7,433 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 39,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Oil - proved 8.255 million bbl (1 January 2002)
reserves:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 23.79 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
proved
reserves:
Current $-790 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $2.911 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese
commodities: ore, diamonds
Exports - Netherlands 12.6%, UK 8.3%, US 6.7%, Belgium 5.8%,
partners: France 5.7%, Germany 4.5% (2005)
Imports: $4.273 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs
commodities:
Imports - Nigeria 15.4%, China 12.7%, US 6.4%, UK 5.3%,
partners: Netherlands 4.1%, South Africa 4.1% (2005)
Reserves of $1.897 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $6.999 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $6.9 billion (1999)
recipient:
Currency cedi (GHC)
(code):
Currency code: GHC
Exchange cedis per US dollar - 9,072.5 (2005), 9,004.6 (2004),
rates: 8,677.4 (2003), 7,932.7 (2002), 7,170.8 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 321,500 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 2.842 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: poor to fair system; Internet
system: 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 AM 0, FM 49, shortwave 3 (2001)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 12.5 million (2001)
Television 10 (2001)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 1.9 million (2001)
Internet .gh
country code:
Internet 380 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 12 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 401,300 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 12 (2006)
Airports - total: 7
with paved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - total: 5
with unpaved 914 to 1,523 m: 3
runways: 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 (2005)
Merchant total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 6,308 GRT/9,418 DWT
marine: by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated
cargo 2
foreign-owned: 1 (Brazil 1) (2006)
Ports and Takoradi, Tema
terminals:
Military
Military Ghanaian Army, Ghanaian Navy, Ghanaian Air Force (2006)
branches:
Military 18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military
service age service (2001)
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 4,808,451
available for females age 18-49: 4,762,459 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 3,011,081
for military females age 18-49: 2,991,551 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 251,056
reaching females age 18-49: 247,777 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $83.65 million (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 0.8% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - Ghana struggles to accommodate returning nationals who
international: worked in the cocoa plantations and escaped fighting in
Cote d'Ivoire
Refugees and refugees (country of origin): 40,853 (Liberia) (2005)
internally
displaced
persons:
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