1996 Edition

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

Location

8 00 N, 2 00 W -- Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than Oregon

land area

230,020 sq km

total area

238,540 sq km

Climate

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

Coastline

539 km

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

international agreements

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

natural hazards

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

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 2 00 W

Geographic note

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

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

80 sq km (1989)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

2,093 km

Land use

arable land

5%

forest and woodland

37%

meadows and pastures

15%

other

36%

permanent crops

7%

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area

highest point

Mount Afadjato 880 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 43% (male 3,856,673; female 3,819,946) 15-64 years: 54% (male 4,658,142; female 4,814,060) 65 years and over: 3% (male 262,159; female 287,291) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

35 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

11.15 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

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

80.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

58.22 years (1996 est.)

male

54.18 years

total population

56.17 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

53.5%

male

75.9%

total population

64.5%

Nationality

adjective

Ghanaian

noun

Ghanaian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

17,698,271 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.29% (1996 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

all ages

0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

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: 0.91 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

4.59 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Accra

Constitution

new constitution approved 28 April 1992

Data code

GH

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Ekwow SPIO-GARBRAH

telephone

[1] (202) 686-4520

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet; president nominates members subject to approval by the Parliament

chief of state and head of government

President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 3 November 1992); elected for a four-year term by direct universal suffrage; the president can appoint a vice president; election last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA December 1996)

FAX

[1] (202) 686-4527

[233] (21) 775747

consulate(s) general

New York

Flag

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

Independence

6 March 1957 (from UK)

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, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNAMIR, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form

Republic of Ghana

conventional short form

Ghana

former

Gold Coast

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

Parliament

elections last held 29 December 1992 (next to be held NA December 1996); results - opposition boycotted the election, the National Democratic Congress won 198 of the total 200 seats and 2 seats were won by independents; because of interim bye-elections, the National Democratic Congress and its remaining coalition partner, Every Ghanian Living Everywhere (EGLE), now control 189 seats; former coalition partner, NCP, has 8 seats; independents hold 3

Political parties and leaders

National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jerry John RAWLINGS; New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Ala ADJETY; People's Heritage Party (PHP), Alex ERSKINE; National Convention Party (NCP), Kow ARKAAH; Every Ghanian Living Everywhere (EGLE), Ashang OKINE; Peoples Convention Party (PCP), B.K. NKETSIA; Peoples National Convention (PNC), Alhaji Asuma BANDA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

constitutional democracy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Edward BRYNN

embassy

Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra

mailing address

P. O. Box 194, Accra

telephone

[233] (21) 775348

Agriculture

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

Budget

expenditures

$1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $178 million (1993)

revenues

$1.05 billion

Currency

1 new cedi (C) = 100 pesewas

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $472 million (1993)

Economic overview

Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Heavily reliant on international assistance, Ghana has made steady progress in liberalizing its economy since 1983. Overall growth continued at a rate of approximately 5% in 1995, due largely to increased gold, timber, and cocoa production - major sources of foreign exchange. The economy, however, continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for almost half of GDP and employs 55% of the work force, mainly small landholders. Public sector wage increases, regional peacekeeping commitments, and the containment of internal unrest in the underdeveloped north have placed substantial demands on the government's budget and have led to inflationary deficit financing, depreciation of the cedi, and rising public discontent with Ghana's austerity program.

Electricity

capacity

1,180,000 kW

consumption per capita

323 kWh (1993)

production

6.1 billion kWh

Exchange rates

new cedis per US$1 - 1,246.11 (September 1995), 956.71 (1994), 649.06 (1993), 437.09 (1992), 367.83 (1991)

Exports

$1 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities

cocoa 40%, gold, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, and diamonds

partners

Germany , US , UK , Netherlands , Japan (1995)

External debt

$4.6 billion (December 1993 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $25.1 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

47%

industry

16%

services

37% (1994 est.)

GDP per capita

$1,400 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

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

Imports

$1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities

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

partners

UK, US, Germany, Japan, Netherlands (1995)

Industrial production growth rate

2.8% (1994 est.)

Industries

mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum, food processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

69% (1995 est.)

Labor force

3.7 million

by occupation

agriculture and fishing 54.7%, industry 18.7%, sales and clerical 15.2%, professional 3.7%, services, transportation, and communications 7.7%

Unemployment rate

10% (1993 est.)

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $30 million, 0.8% of GDP (1994)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

4,135,538

males fit for military service

2,303,423

males reach military age (18) annually

176,332 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

Telephone system

poor to fair system

domestic

primarily microwave radio relay

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

70,000 (1988 est.)

Television broadcast stations

4 (repeaters 8)

Televisions

250,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

total

12

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

1

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

3

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

2

with paved runways under 914 m

2

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

2

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

2 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

7,476 km (including 21 km of expressways)

total

38,145 km

unpaved

30,669 km (1990 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (1995 est.)

total

3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,427 GRT/35,894 DWT

Pipelines

none

Ports

Takoradi, Tema

Railways

narrow gauge

953 km 1.067-m gauge; 32 km double track

total

953 km; note - undergoing major renovation (1995 est.)

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