Ghana

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

total:

0.98 cu km/yr (24%/10%/66%)

per capita:

44 cu m/yr (2000)

• 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

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

noun:

Ghanaian(s)

adjective:

Ghanaian

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.82 male(s)/female

total population:

1 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Ghana

conventional short form:

Ghana

former:

Gold Coast

name:

Accra

geographic coordinates:

5 33 N, 0 13 W

time difference:

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

chief of state:

• President John Dramani MAHAMA (since 24 July 2012);
• Vice President Kwesi Bekoe AMISSAH-ARTHUR (since 6 August 2012);
• note - President MAHAMA assumed office due to the death of former president John Atta MILLS and subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election;
• the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:

• President John Dramani MAHAMA (since 24 July 2012);
• Vice President Kwesi Bekoe AMISSAH-ARTHUR (since 6 August 2012);
• note - President MAHAMA assumed office due to the death of former president John Atta MILLS and subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election

cabinet:

Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject to approval by Parliament; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

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 on 7 December 2012 (next to be held in December 2016)

election results:

John Dramani MAHAMA elected president; percent of vote - John Dramani MAHAMA 50.7%, Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO 47.7%, other 1.6%

• Supreme Court;
• High Court;
• Court of Appeal;
• regional tribunals

• Convention People's Party or CPP [Samia NKRUMAH];
• Democratic Freedom Party or DFP [Obed Yao ASAMOAH];
• Democratic People’s Party or DPP [T.N. WARD BREW];
• Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Henry GIDI];
• Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [vacant];
• National Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Kwabena ADJEI];
• National Democratic Party or NDP [Nii Armah JOSIAH-AYEH];
• New Patriotic Party or NPP [Jake OBETSEBI-LAMPEY];
• People's National Convention or PNC [Alhaji Amed RAMADAN];
• National Reform Party [Peter KPORDUGBE];
• United Renaissance Party or URP [Kofi WAYO]

• Christian Aid (water rights);
• Committee for Joint Action or CJA (education reform);
• National Coalition Against the Privatization of Water or CAP (water rights);
• Oxfam (water rights);
• Public Citizen (water rights);
• Students Coalition Against EPA [Kwabena Ososukene OKAI] (education reform);
• Third World Network (education reform)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Daniel Ohene AGYEKUM

chancery:

3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 686-4520

FAX:

[1] (202) 686-4527

consulate(s) general:

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Gene CRETZ

embassy:

24 4th Circular Rd. Cantonments, Accra

mailing address:

P. O. Box 194, Accra

telephone:

[233] (21) 741-000

FAX:

[233] (21) 741-389

• three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green, with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band;
• red symbolizes the blood shed for independence, yellow represents the country's mineral wealth, while green stands for its forests and natural wealth;
• the black star is said to be the lodestar of African freedom

note: 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

name:

"God Bless Our Homeland Ghana"

lyrics/music:

unknown/Philip GBEHO

note: music adopted 1957, lyrics adopted 1966; the lyrics were changed twice, once when a republic was declared in 1960 and again after a 1966 coup

agriculture:

56%

industry:

15%

services:

29% (2005 est.)

lowest 10%:

2%

highest 10%:

32.8% (2006)

general assessment:

• primarily microwave radio relay;
• wireless local loop has been installed;
• outdated and unreliable fixed-line infrastructure heavily concentrated in Accra

domestic:

competition among multiple mobile-cellular providers has spurred growth with a subscribership of more than 80 per 100 persons and rising

international:

• country code - 233;
• landing point for the SAT-3/WASC, Main One, and GLO-1 fiber-optic submarine cables that provide connectivity to South Africa, Europe, and Asia;
• satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
• microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors (2009)

• state-owned TV station, 2 state-owned radio networks;
• several privately-owned TV stations and a large number of privately-owned radio stations;
• transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are accessible;
• several cable and satellite TV subscription services are obtainable (2007)

total:

947 km

country comparison to the world: 91

narrow gauge:

947 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)

total:

62,221 km

country comparison to the world: 71

paved:

9,955 km

unpaved:

52,266 km (2006)

• 18-26 years of age for voluntary military service, with basic education certificate;
• no conscription;
• must be HIV/AIDS negative (2012)

males age 16-49:

6,268,191

females age 16-49:

6,194,339 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

4,136,406

females age 16-49:

4,220,761 (2010 est.)

male:

267,896

female:

260,992 (2010 est.)

• 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;
• significant domestic cocaine and cannabis use