Ghana

militaryIndependence 6 March 1957 (from UK, formerly Gold Coast)

Ghana as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 71 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalAccra

Area238,540 km2

Populationas each edition published it

15.62 million July 1991 · 15.17m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.12% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 55.19 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.3 children per woman 1991 · 6.4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

86 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 89 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $410 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.9% in 1993

Geography

10 fields

Total area

238,540km2

land area: 230,020 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries

2,093km total

Burkina 548 km, Ivory Coast 668 km, Togo 877 km

Coastline

539 km Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 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

Natural resources

gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber

Land use

arable land 5%;
permanent crops 7%;
meadows and pastures 15%;
forest and woodland 37%;
other 36%;
includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment

recent drought in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities;
deforestation;
overgrazing;
soil erosion;
dry, northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)

Note

Lake Volta is world's largest artificial lake

People

14 fields

Population

15,616,934

(July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

46Death

Religion

indigenous beliefs 38%Muslim 30%Christian 24%other 8%

Literacy

60%

(male 70%, female 51%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Ethnic divisions

black African 99.8% (major tribes--Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%), European and other 0.2%

Language

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

Labor force

3,700,000;
agriculture and fishing 54.7%, industry 18.7%, sales and clerical 15.2%, services, transportation, and communications 7.7%, professional 3.7%;
48% of population of working age (1983)

Government

Military

18 fields

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

6 March 1957 (from UK, formerly Gold Coast)

Constitution

24 September 1979; suspended 31 December 1981

Legal system

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

Executive branch

chairman of the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC), PNDC, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly dissolved after 31 December 1981 coup, and legislative powers were assumed by the Provisional National Defense Council

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--Chairman of the Provisional National Defense Council Flt. Lt. (Ret.) Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 31 December 1981)

Political parties and leaders

none; political parties outlawed after 31 December 1981 coup

Communists

a small number of Communists and sympathizers

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Dr. Joseph ABBEY;
Chancery at 2460 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20009;
telephone (202) 462-0761;
there is a Ghanaian Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador Raymond C. EWING;
Embassy at Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra (mailing address is P. O. Box 194, Accra);
telephone [233] (21) 775347 through 775349

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the gold 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

17 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

50%

(1990 est.)

Unemployment rate

1.9%

(1989)

External debt

$3.1billion

(1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$821 millionExpenditures

$782 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $151 million (1990 est.)

Overview

Supported by substantial international assistance, Ghana has been implementing a steady economic rebuilding program since 1983, including moves toward privatization and relaxation of government controls. Heavily dependent on cocoa, gold, and timber exports, economic growth is threatened by a poor cocoa harvest and higher oil prices in 1991.

Rising inflation--unofficially estimated at 50%--could undermine Ghana's relationships with multilateral lenders. Civil service wage increases and the cost of peacekeeping forces sent to Liberia are boosting government expenditures and undercutting structural adjustment reforms. Ghana opened a stock exchange in 1990.

GNP

$5.8 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate 2.7% (1990 est.)

Exports

$826 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--cocoa 45%, gold, timber, tuna, bauxite, and aluminum;
partners--US 23%, UK, other EC

Imports

$1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities--petroleum 16%, consumer goods, foods, intermediate goods, capital equipment;
partners--US 10%, UK, FRG, France, Japan, South Korea, GDR

Industrial production

growth rate 7.4% in manufacturing (1989); accounts for almost 1.5% of GDP

Electricity

1,172,000 kW capacity; 4,110 million kWh produced, 280 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, fishing, aluminum, food processing

Agriculture

accounts for more than 50% of GDP (including fishing and forestry);
the major cash crop is cocoa;
other principal crops--rice, coffee, cassava, peanuts, corn, shea nuts, timber;
normally self-sufficient in food

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $455 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.3 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $78 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $106 million

Currency

cedi (plural--cedis); 1 cedi (C) = 100 pesewas

Exchange rates

cedis (C) per US$1--342.91 (November 1990), 270.00 (1989), 202.35 (1988), 153.73 (1987), 89.20 (1986), 54.37 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Airports, 10 total, 9 usable

permanent-surface runways

5runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

1runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

28,300Railroads

953

Highways: ; 6,000 km concrete or bituminous surface, 22,300 km gravel, laterite, and improved earth surfaces · Railroads: , all 1.067-meter gauge; 32 km double track; railroads undergoing major renovation