1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Coastline
539 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Oregon
Contiguous zone
24 nm
Continental shelf
200 nm
Disputes
none
Environment
recent drought in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; dry, northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)
Exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Land area
230,020 km2
Land boundaries
2,093 km; Burkina 548 km, Ivory Coast 668 km, Togo 877 km
Land use
arable land 5%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and woodland 37%; other 36%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Natural resources
gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber
Note
Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
Terrain
mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
238,540 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
45 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
black African 99.8% (major tribes - Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%), European and other 0.2%
Infant mortality rate
86 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
3,700,000; agriculture and fishing 54.7%, industry 18.7%, sales and clerical 15.2%, services, transportation, and communications 7.7%, professional 3.7%; 48% of population of working age (1983)
Languages
English (official); African languages include Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga
Life expectancy at birth
53 years male, 57 years female (1992)
Literacy
60% (male 70%, female 51%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun - Ghanaian(s); adjective - Ghanaian
Net migration rate
- 1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
467,000 (about 13% of labor force)
Population
16,185,351 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)
Religions
indigenous beliefs 38%, Muslim 30%, Christian 24%, other 8%
Total fertility rate
6.3 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western
Capital
Accra
Chief of State and Head of Government
Chairman of the Provisional National Defense Council Flt. Lt. (Ret.) Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 31 December 1981)
Constitution
24 September 1979; suspended 31 December 1981
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Dr. Joseph ABBEY; Chancery at 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 686-4520; there is a Ghanaian Consulate General in New York US: Ambassador Raymond C. EWING; Embassy at Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra (mailing address is P. O. Box 194, Accra); telephone [233] (21) 775348, 775349
Elections
no national elections; district assembly elections held in 1988-89
Executive branch
chairman of the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC), PNDC, Cabinet
Flag
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the gold 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
Independence
6 March 1957 (from UK, formerly Gold Coast)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Legal system
based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly dissolved after 31 December 1981 coup, and legislative powers were assumed by the Provisional National Defense Council
Long-form name
Republic of Ghana
Member of
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
Political parties and leaders
none; political parties outlawed after 31 December 1981 coup
Suffrage
none
Type
military
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for more than 50% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); the major cash crop is cocoa; other principal crops - rice, coffee, cassava, peanuts, corn, shea nuts, timber; normally self-sufficient in food
Budget
revenues $821 million; expenditures $782 million, including capital expenditures of $151 million (1990 est.)
Currency
cedi (plural - cedis); 1 cedi (C) = 100 pesewas
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $455 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $78 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $106 million
Electricity
1,180,000 kW capacity; 4,140 million kWh produced, 265 kWh per capita (1991)
Exports
$843 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: cocoa 45%, gold, timber, tuna, bauxite, and aluminum partners: US 23%, UK, other EC
External debt
$3.1 billion (1990 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$6.2 billion; per capita $400; real growth rate 5% (1991 est.)
Illicit drugs
illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade
Imports
$1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.) commodities: petroleum 16%, consumer goods, foods, intermediate goods, capital equipment partners: US 10%, UK, FRG, France, Japan, South Korea, GDR
Industrial production
growth rate 7.4% in manufacturing (1989); accounts for almost 1.5% of GDP
Industries
mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, fishing, aluminum, food processing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
10% (1991 est.)
Overview
Supported by substantial international assistance, Ghana has been implementing a steady economic rebuilding program since 1983, including moves toward privatization and relaxation of government controls. Heavily dependent on cocoa, gold, and timber exports, economic growth so far has not spread substantially to other areas of the economy. The costs of sending peacekeeping forces to Liberia and preparing for the transition to a democratic government have been boosting government expenditures and undercutting structural adjustment reforms. Ghana opened a stock exchange in 1990. Much of the economic improvement in 1991 was caused by favorable weather (following a severe drought the previous year) that led to plentiful harvests in Ghana's agriculturally based economy.
Unemployment rate
10% (1991)
Communications
Airports
10 total, 9 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
8 major transport aircraft
Highways
32,250 km total; 6,084 km concrete or bituminous surface, 26,166 km gravel, laterite, and improved earth surfaces
Inland waterways
Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers provide 168 km of perennial navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways
Merchant marine
5 cargo and 1 refrigerated cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 53,435 GRT/69,167 DWT
Pipelines
none
Ports
Tema, Takoradi
Railroads
953 km, all 1.067-meter gauge; 32 km double track; railroads undergoing major renovation
Telecommunications
poor to fair system handled primarily by microwave links; 42,300 telephones; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 1 FM, 4 (8 translators) TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Civil Defense
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $30 million, less than 1% of GNP (1989 est.)
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 3,661,558; 2,049,842 fit for military service; 170,742 reach military age (18) annually