Ghana

Republic of Ghana

constitutional democracyIndependence 6 March 1957 (from UK)

Ghana as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 88 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

Position8 00 N, 2 00 W

Area238,540 sq km

LocationWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,

Populationas each edition published it

17.7 million July 1996 est. · 15.17m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.29% 1996 est. · 3.12% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

56.17 years 1996 est. · 55.19 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.59 children per woman 1996 est. · 6.4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

80.3 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 89 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,400 1995 est. · $410 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

5% 1995 est. · 3.9% in 1993

Geography

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, | between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo

15 fields

Land useshare of 238,540 sq km

arable land 5%permanent crops 7%meadows and pastures 15%forest and woodland 37%other 36%irrigated 80 sq km (1989)

Area

238,540sq km

land area: 230,020 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon

Coastline

539km

contiguous zone: 24 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

2,093km

border countries: Burkina Faso 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo

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

lowest point:: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:: Mount Afadjato 880 m

Natural resources

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

Environment

current issues:: recent drought in north severely affecting agricultural activities;
deforestation;
overgrazing;
soil erosion;
poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations;
water pollution;
inadequate supplies of potable water
natural hazards:: dry, dusty, harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts
international agreements:: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling;
signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Marine Life Conservation

Geographic note

Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake; northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)

People

15 fields

Population

17,698,271

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 2.29% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

35Death

11.15Net migration

-0.94

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years56.17

54.18 · 58.22

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy64.5%

75.9% · 53.5%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

Religions

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

Age structure

0-14 years:: 43% (male 3,856,673; female 3,819,946)
15-64 years:: 54% (male 4,658,142; female 4,814,060)
65 years and over:: 3% (male 262,159; female 287,291) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.91 male(s)/female
all ages:: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

80.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Ghanaian(s)
adjective:: Ghanaian

Ethnic divisions

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

Languages

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

Government

Constitutional democracy

21 fields

Name of country

conventional long form:: Republic of Ghana
conventional short form:: Ghana
former:: Gold Coast

Administrative divisions

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

Legal system

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

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government:: President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 3 November 1992);
elected for a four-year term by direct universal suffrage;
the president can appoint a vice president;
election last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA December 1996)
cabinet:: Cabinet; president nominates members subject to approval by the Parliament

Parliament

elections last held 29 December 1992 (next to be held NA December 1996);
results - opposition boycotted the election, the National Democratic Congress won 198 of the total 200 seats and 2 seats were won by independents;
because of interim bye-elections, the National Democratic Congress and its remaining coalition partner, Every Ghanian Living Everywhere (EGLE), now control 189 seats;
former coalition partner, NCP, has 8 seats;
independents hold 3

Political parties and leaders

National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jerry John RAWLINGS;
New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Ala ADJETY;
People's Heritage Party (PHP), Alex ERSKINE;
National Convention Party (NCP), Kow ARKAAH;
Every Ghanian Living Everywhere (EGLE), Ashang OKINE;
Peoples Convention Party (PCP), B.K. NKETSIA;
Peoples National Convention (PNC), Alhaji Asuma BANDA

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNAMIR, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Ekwow SPIO-GARBRAH
chancery:: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: [1] (202) 686-4520

FAX

[1] (202) 686-4527; consulate(s) general: New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Edward BRYNN
embassy:: Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra
mailing address:: P. O. Box 194, Accra
telephone:: [233] (21) 775348

FAX

[233] (21) 775747

Flag

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

21 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$1,400

(1995 est.)

Real growth rate

(1995 est.)industrial production growth: 2.8% (1994 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

69%

(1995 est.)

Unemployment rate

10%

(1993 est.)

GDP composition by sector(1994 est.)

agriculture 47%industry 16%services 37% (1994 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$1.05 billionExpenditures

$1.2 billion (1993)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $178 million

Installed generating capacity, 1,180,000 kW

Electricity production

6.1 billionElectricity consumption per capita

323 (1993)

Economic overview

Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Heavily reliant on international assistance, Ghana has made steady progress in liberalizing its economy since 1983. Overall growth continued at a rate of approximately 5% in 1995, due largely to increased gold, timber, and cocoa production - major sources of foreign exchange.

The economy, however, continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for almost half of GDP and employs 55% of the work force, mainly small landholders. Public sector wage increases, regional peacekeeping commitments, and the containment of internal unrest in the underdeveloped north have placed substantial demands on the government's budget and have led to inflationary deficit financing, depreciation of the cedi, and rising public discontent with Ghana's austerity program.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $25.1 billion (1995 est.)

Labor force

3.7 million; by occupation: agriculture and fishing 54.7%, industry 18.7%, sales and clerical 15.2%, professional 3.7%, services, transportation, and communications 7.7%

Industries

mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum, food processing

Agriculture

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

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin destined for Europe and the US

Exports

$1 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities:: cocoa 40%, gold, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, and diamonds
partners:: Germany , US , UK , Netherlands , Japan (1995)

Imports

$1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities:: petroleum, consumer goods, foods, intermediate goods, capital equipment
partners:: UK, US, Germany, Japan, Netherlands (1995)

External debt

$4.6 billion (December 1993 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $472 million (1993)

Currency

1 new cedi (C) = 100 pesewas

Exchange rates

new cedis per US$1 - 1,246.11 (September 1995), 956.71 (1994), 649.06 (1993), 437.09 (1992), 367.83 (1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 12 in all

2 438 to 3 047 m

1 524 to 2 437 m

914 to 1 523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

38,145Railways

953 (1995 est.)

Highways: paved: 7,476 km (including 21 km of expressways) · unpaved: 30,669 km (1990 est.) · Railways: ; note - undergoing major renovation · narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge; 32 km double track