2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western

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.)

Area

land

230,940 sq km

total

239,460 sq km

water

8,520 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Oregon

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 John ATTA-MILLS in a free and fair election, succeeded him. Geography Ghana

Birth rate

30.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Capital

geographic coordinates

5 33 N, 0 13 W

name

Accra

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north

Coastline

539 km

Constitution

approved 28 April 1992

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Ghana

conventional short form

Ghana

former

Gold Coast

Death rate

9.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Afadjato 880 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

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

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)

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

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 2 00 W

Geography - note

Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake People Ghana

Government type

constitutional democracy

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

3.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

30,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

350,000 (2003 est.)

Independence

6 March 1957 (from UK)

Infant mortality rate

female

50.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

59.56 deaths/1,000 live births

total

55.02 deaths/1,000 live births

Irrigated land

310 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries

Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km

total

2,094 km

Land use

arable land

17.54%

other

73.24% (2005)

permanent crops

9.22%

Languages

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

Legal system

based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Life expectancy at birth

female

59.69 years (2006 est.)

male

58.07 years

total population

58.87 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

67.1% (2003 est.) Government Ghana

male

82.7%

total population

74.8%

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

respiratory disease

meningococcal meningitis (2007)

vectorborne diseases

malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations

water contact disease

schistosomiasis

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

20.1 years (2006 est.)

male

19.7 years

total

19.9 years

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

Nationality

adjective

Ghanaian

noun

Ghanaian(s)

Natural hazards

dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts

Natural resources

gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone

Net migration rate

-0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

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.)

Population growth rate

2.07% (2006 est.)

Religions

Christian 63%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 21%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Terrain

mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area

Total fertility rate

3.99 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber

Airports

12 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

total

7

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

5 914 to 1,523 m: 3

under 914 m

2 (2006)

Budget

expenditures

$3.947 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

revenues

$3.616 billion

Currency (code)

cedi (GHC)

Currency code

GHC

Current account balance

$-219 million (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$3.546 billion (2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Pamela BRIDGEWATER

embassy

6th and 10th Lanes, 798/1 Osu, Accra

mailing address

P. O. Box 194, Accra

telephone

[233] (21) 775-347, 775-348

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1156 15th St. NW #905, Washington, DC 20005

chief of mission

Ambassador Fritz Kwabena POKU

telephone

[1] (202) 785-1379

Disputes - international

Ghana struggles to accommodate returning nationals who worked in the cocoa plantations and escaped fighting in Cote d'Ivoire

Distribution of family income - Gini index

30 (1999)

Economic aid - recipient

$6.9 billion

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 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 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.

Electricity - consumption

7.095 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

900 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

1.96 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

6.489 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

5%

hydro

95%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Exchange rates

cedis per US dollar - 9,178.85 (2006), 9,072.5 (2005), 9,004.6 (2004), 8,677.4 (2003), 7,932.7 (2002)

Exports

$3.286 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds

Exports - partners

Netherlands 12.5%, UK 8.3%, US 6.7%, Belgium 5.8%, France 5.6%, Germany 4.4% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 785-1430

[233] (21) 701-813

consulate(s) general

New York

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Ghana

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 Ghana

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

37.3%

industry

25.3%

services

37.5% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,600 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.7% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$10.18 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$59.15 billion (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

30.1% (1999)

lowest 10%

2.2%

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 This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$5.666 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Nigeria 15.2%, China 12.5%, US 6.3%, UK 5.2%, South Africa 4.5%, Brazil 4.1%, Netherlands 4% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate

3.8% (2000 est.)

Industries

mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

10.9% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Internet country code

.gh

Internet hosts

380 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

12 (2000)

Internet users

401,300 (2005) Transportation Ghana

Investment (gross fixed)

29% of GDP (2006 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Labor force

10.87 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

60%

industry

15%

services

25% (1999 est.)

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament (230 seats; note - increased from 200 seats in last election; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPP 128, NDC 92, other 10

elections

last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008)

Manpower available for military service

females age 18-49

4,762,459 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

4,808,451

Manpower fit for military service

females age 18-49

2,991,551 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

3,011,081

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 18-49

247,777 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

251,056

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2

foreign-owned

1 (Brazil 1) (2006)

total

4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 6,308 GRT/9,418 DWT

Military branches

Ghanaian Army, Ghanaian Navy, Ghanaian Air Force (2006)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$83.65 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.8% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Ghana

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military service (2001)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

23.79 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

44,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

7,477 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

8.255 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Pipelines

oil 13 km; refined products 316 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

Convention People's Party or CPP [Nii Noi DOWUONA, general secretary]; Democratic Freedom Party or DFP [Obed ASAMOAH, chairman]; 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]; United Renaissance Party or URP [Charles Wayo, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population below poverty line

31.4% (1992 est.)

Ports and terminals

Takoradi, Tema Military Ghana

Public debt

38.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 0, FM 49, shortwave 3 (2001)

Radios

12.5 million (2001)

Railways

narrow gauge

953 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)

total

953 km

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

38,684 (Liberia), 14,136 (Togo) (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.098 billion (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

3,267 km

total

42,623 km

unpaved

39,356 km (2004)

Telephone system

domestic

primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been installed

general assessment

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

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

Telephones - main lines in use

321,500 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

2.842 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

10 (2001)

Televisions

1.9 million (2001)

Unemployment rate

20% (1997 est.)

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)