Ghana

Republic of Ghana

constitutional democracyIndependence 6 March 1957 (from UK)

Ghana as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 106 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 Gulf of Guinea, between

Populationas each edition published it

18.89 million July 1999 est. · 15.17m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.05% 1999 est. · 3.12% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

57.14 years 1999 est. · 55.19 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.11 children per woman 1999 est. · 6.4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

76.15 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 89 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,800 1998 est. · $410 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

3% 1998 est. · 3.9% in 1993

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 238,540 sq km

arable land 12%permanent crops 7%permanent pastures 22%forests and woodland 35%other 24% (1993 est.)irrigated 60 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

238,540sq km

land: 230,020 sq kmwater: 8,520 sq kmslightly smaller than Oregon

Coastline

539km

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

Highest point

880m

Mount Afadjatolowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Land boundaries

2,093km

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

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, 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

Natural resources

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

Natural hazards

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

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

Environment--international agreements

party to:: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified:: Marine Life Conservation

Geography--note

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

People

15 fields

Population

18,887,626

(July 1999 est.)growth rate: 2.05% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth

31.79Death

10.4Net migration

-0.88

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1999 est.)57.14

55.08 · 59.27

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)64.5%

75.9% · 53.5%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Religions

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

Age structure

0-14 years:: 42% (male 4,020,493; female 3,982,816)
15-64 years:: 54% (male 5,050,736; female 5,231,951)
65 years and over:: 4% (male 284,423; female 317,207) (1999 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:: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

76.15 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Ghanaian(s)
adjective:: Ghanaian

Ethnic groups

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; President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 7 January 1993); President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 7 January 1993)

18 fields

Parliament, 200 seats, elected 7 December 1996one dot, one seat

-NDC 133NPP 61PCP 5PNC 1

Country name

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:: President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 7 January 1993);
Vice President John Evans Atta MILLS (since 7 January 1993);
note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government:: President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 7 January 1993);
Vice President John Evans Atta MILLS (since 7 January 1993);
note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet:: Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject to approval by the Parliament
elections:: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 7 December 1996 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results:: Jerry John RAWLINGS reelected president; percent of vote--RAWLINGS 57%

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament (200 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:: last held 7 December 1996 (next to be held NA December 2000)
election results:: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--NDC 133, NPP 61, PCP 5, PNC 1

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, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNPREDEP, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Kobena KOOMSON
chancery:: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general:: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Kathryn Dee ROBINSON
embassy:: Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra
mailing address:: P. O. Box 194, Accra

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

Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has | twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. | Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial | and technical assistance.

31 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$1,800

purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)

Real growth rate

(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 4.2% (1996 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

27.7%

(1997 est.)

Unemployment rate

20%

(1997 est.)

GDP--composition by sector(1996 est.)

agriculture 41%industry 14%services 45% (1996 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$1.39 billionExpenditures

$1.47 billion (1996 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $370 million

Electricity

fossil fuel 0.66%hydro 99.34%nuclear 0% · other 0%

Electricity production

6.1 billion (1996)Electricity consumption

5.88 billion (1996)Electricity exports

225 million (1996)Electricity imports

5 million (1996)

Economy--overview

Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has 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 41% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders. In 1995-97, Ghana made mixed progress under a three-year structural adjustment program in cooperation with the IMF. On the minus side, public sector wage increases and regional peacekeeping commitments have led to continued inflationary deficit financing, depreciation of the cedi, and rising public discontent with Ghana's austerity measures. Power shortages also helped slow growth in 1998.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$33.6 billion (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line

31.4% (1992 est.)

Labor force

Labor force--by occupation

agriculture and fishing 61%, industry 10%, services 29% (1996 est.)

Industries

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

Agriculture--products

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

Exports

$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1997)

Exports--commodities

gold 39%, cocoa 35%, timber 9.4%, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, and diamonds (1996 est.)

Exports--partners

UK, Germany, US, Netherlands, Japan, Nigeria

Imports

$2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1997)

Imports--commodities

capital equipment, petroleum, consumer goods, foods, intermediate goods

Imports--partners

UK, Nigeria, US, Germany, Japan, Netherlands

Debt--external

$5.2 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid--recipient

$477.3 million (1995)

Currency

1 new cedi (C) = 100 pesewas

Exchange rates

new cedis per US$1--2,324.70 (September 1998), 2,050.17 (1997), 1,637.23 (1996), 1,200.43 (1995), 956.71 (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

100,000

(1997 est.)

Telephone system

poor to fair system

domestic:: primarily microwave radio relay
international:: satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 23, shortwave 0 (1997)

Radios

12.5 million (1997 est.)

Television broadcast stations

7 (in addition, there are eight repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

1.9 million (1997 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Merchant marine, 5 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1998 est.)

oil tanker 2refrigerated cargo 3

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m

total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3

Networkskm

Highways

39,409Railways

953Pipelines

Highways: paved: 11,653 km (including 30 km of expressways) · unpaved: 27,756 km (1997 est.) · Railways: (undergoing major rehabilitation) · narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge (32 km double track) (1997 est.)

Railways

total:: 953 km (undergoing major rehabilitation)
narrow gauge:: 953 km 1.067-m gauge (32 km double track) (1997 est.)

Highways

total:: 39,409 km
paved:: 11,653 km (including 30 km of expressways)
unpaved:: 27,756 km (1997 est.)

Military

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, | Palace Guard, Civil Defense

7 fields

Military expenditures--percent of GDP

0.7%

(1999)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes--international

none

Illicit drugs

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Ghana.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/ghana/1999.

How to cite ← 1998 edition 2000 edition →

Geography

People

Government

Economy

Communications

Transportation

Military

Transnational Issues

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