1985 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1985 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Agriculture
main crop — cocoa; other crops include root crops, corn, sorghum, millet, coffee, peanuts; not self-sufficient but can become so
Area
238,538 km2; slightly smaller than Oregon; 60% forest and brush, 19% agricultural, 21% other
Branches
executive authority vested in seven-member Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC); on 21 January 1982 PNDC appointed secretaries to head most ministries
Budget
revenues, $1.8 billion; expenditures and net lending, $3.5 billion (1981/82)
Capital
Accra
CNP
$10.5 billion(1982est.)real growth rate -7.2% (1982 est.)
Coastline
539 km
Communists
a small number of Communists and sympathizers
Elections
elections held in June 1979 for parliament and president; presidential runoff election held in July; none scheduled since 1981 coup Political parties and leaders: political parties outlawed after 31 December 1981 coup
Electric power
1,200,000 kW capacity (1984); 2.102 billion kWh produced (1984), 152 kWh per capita
Ethnic divisions
99.8% black African (major tribes Akan, Ewe, Ga), 0.2% European and other
Exports
$856.9 million (f.o.b., 1982); cocoa (about 45%), wood, gold, diamonds, manganese, bauxite, aluminum (aluminum regularly excluded from balance-ofpayments data)
Fiscal year
calendar year Communications
Fishing
catch 230,593 metric tons (1981)
Government leader
Fit. Lt. (Ret.) Jerry John RA WLINGS, Chairman of PNDC (since December 1981)
Highways
32,250 km total; 6,084 km concrete or bituminous surface, 26,166 km gravel or laterite
Imports
$668.7 million (f.o.b., 1982); textiles and other manufactured goods, food, fuels, transport equipment
Inland waterways
Volta, Arikobra, and Tano rivers provide 168 km of perennial
Labor force
3.7 million; 54.7% agriculture and fishing; 18.7% industry; 15.2% sales and clerical; 7.7% services, transportation, and communications; 3.7% professional; 400,000 unemployed
Land boundaries
2,285 km Water
Language
English (official); African languages include 44% Akan, 16% MoleDagbani, 13% Ewe, and 8% Ga-Adangbe
Legal system
based on English common law and customary law; legal education at University of Ghana (Legon); has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
200 nm People
Literacy
30%
Major industries
mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, fishing, aluminum
Major trade partners
UK, EC, US
Member of
Af DB, Commonwealth, EGA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, World Confederation of Labor, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Economy
Monetary conversion rate
50 cedi=US$l (December 1984)
National holiday
Independence Day, 6 March
Nationality
noun — Ghanaian(s); adjective— Ghanaian
Official name
Republic of Ghana
Organized labor
467,000 or approximately 13% of labor force Government
Political subdivisions
8 administrative regions and separate Greater Accra Area; regions subdivided into 58 districts and 267 local administrative districts
Population
13,197,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 3.0%
Railroads
953 km, all 1.067-meter gauge; 32 km double track; diesel locomotives gradually replacing steam engines
Religion
42% Christian, 38% indigenous beliefs, 12% Muslim, 7% other
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
republic; 31 December 1981 coup ended twoyear-old civilian government and suspended constitution and political activity