Ghana

§1. Ghana Introduction

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 Atta MILLS in a free and fair election, succeeded him.

§2. Ghana Geography

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

Geographic coordinates:
  8 00 N, 2 00 W

Map references:
  Africa

Area:
  total: 239,460 km²
  land: 230,940 km²
  water: 8,520 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,094 km
  border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km

Coastline:
  539 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200 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

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

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

Land use:
  arable land: 17.54%
  permanent crops: 9.22%
  other: 73.24% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  110 km² (1998 est.)

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

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

Geography - note:
  Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake

§3. Ghana People

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.)

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.)

Median age:
  total: 19.9 years
  male: 19.7 years
  female: 20.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.07% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
  -0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 55.02 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 59.56 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 50.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 58.87 years
  male: 58.07 years
  female: 59.69 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  3.99 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  3.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  350,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  30,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A,
    and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some
    locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Nationality:
  noun: Ghanaian(s)
  adjective: Ghanaian

Ethnic groups:
  black African 98.5% (major tribes - Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%,
  Ga 8%, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%), European and other 1.5% (1998)

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

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

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 74.8%
  male: 82.7%
  female: 67.1% (2003 est.)

§4. Ghana Government

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

Government type:
  constitutional democracy

Capital:
  Accra

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

Independence:
  6 March 1957 (from UK)

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

Constitution:
  approved 28 April 1992

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

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal

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 government
  head of government: 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 government
  cabinet: Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject to
    approval by Parliament
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by
    popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 7 December 2004
    (next to be held December 2008)
  election results: John Agyekum KUFUOR reelected president in election;
    percent of vote - John KUFUOR 53.4%, John Atta MILLS 43.7%

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)
  elections: last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPP 128,
    NDC 92, other 10

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
  Convention People's Party or CPP [Nii Noi DOWUONA, general secretary];
  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]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Fritz Kwabena POKU
  chancery: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 686-4520
  FAX: [1] (202) 686-4527
  consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Carlin YATES
  embassy: 6th and 10th Lanes, 798/1 Osu, Accra
  mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra
  telephone: [233] (21) 775-347, 775-348
  FAX: [233] (21) 701-813

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

§5. Ghana Economy

Economy - overview:
  Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly 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 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 2005 along with record high prices for Ghana's
  largest cocoa crop to date. Inflation should ease but remains a major
  internal problem. Ghana also remains a candidate country to benefit from
  Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) funding that could assist in
  transforming Ghana's agricultural export sector. A final decision on its
  MCC bid is expected in spring 2006.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $51.9 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $9.233 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  4.3% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $2,400 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 35.5%
  industry: 25.6%
  services: 39% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  10.62 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  20% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  31.4% (1992 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 2.2%
  highest 10%: 30.1% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  30 (1999)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  15% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  24.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $3.216 billion
  expenditures: $3.506 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Public debt:
  80.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas;
  timber

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  3.8% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
  5.356 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  5.081 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  400 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  500 million kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  7,433 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  39,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  8.255 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  23.79 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $57 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $2.911 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds

Exports - partners:
  Netherlands 12.3%, UK 10%, France 6.9%, US 6.4%, Belgium 4.7%, Germany
  4.6%, Japan 4.2% (2004)

Imports:
  $4.273 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
  Nigeria 12.6%, China 11.4%, UK 6.6%, US 6.4%, France 4.9%, Netherlands 4.2%
  (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $1.732 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $7.084 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $6.9 billion (1999)

Currency (code):
  cedi (GHC)

Exchange rates:
  cedis per US dollar - 9,072.5 (2005), 9,004.6 (2004), 8,677.4 (2003),
  7,932.7 (2002), 7,170.8 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Ghana Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  313,300 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  1.695 million (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: poor to fair system; Internet accessible; many rural
    communities not yet connected; expansion of services is underway
  domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been
    installed
  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

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 0, FM 49, shortwave 3 (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
  10 (2001)

Internet country code:
  .gh

Internet hosts:
  384 (2005)

Internet users:
  368,000 (2005)

§7. Ghana Transportation

Airports:
  12 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 7
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 2 (2005)

Pipelines:
  refined products 74 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 953 km
  narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 47,787 km
  paved: 8,563 km
  unpaved: 39,224 km (2003)

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)

Merchant marine:
  total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 6,308 GRT/9,418 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2
  foreign-owned: 1 (Brazil 1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Takoradi, Tema

§8. Ghana Military

Military branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force

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

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 4,761,226 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 2,721,239 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 250,782 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $83.65 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  0.8% (2005 est.)

§9. Ghana Transnational Issues

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 40,853 (Liberia) (2005)

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


<Factbook 2006>
