Ghana

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.)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $1.05 billion expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $178 million (1993)

Currency

1 new cedi (C) = 100 pesewas

Debt - external

$5.2 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $472 million (1993)

Economy - overview

Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance. Ghana has made steady progress in liberalizing its economy since 1983. Overall growth continued at a rate of approximately 5% in 1995 and 1996, 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. In 1995-96, Ghana has made mixed progress under a three-year structural adjustment program in cooperation with the IMF. On the minus side, public sector wage increases, regional peacekeeping commitments, and the containment of internal unrest in the underdeveloped north have led to continued inflationary deficit financing, depreciation of the cedi, and rising public discontent with Ghana's austerity program.

Electricity - capacity

1.19 million kW (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita

304 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

6.1 billion kWh (1994)

Exchange rates

new cedis per US$1 - 1,718.31 (October 1996), 1,200.43 (1995), 956.71 (1994), 649.06 (1993), 437.09 (1992)

Exports

total value: $1.43 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: gold 39%, cocoa 31%, timber 6%, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, and diamonds (1994 est.) partners: UK, Germany, US, Togo, Netherlands, Japan

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $27 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture : 46% industry: 16% services: 38% (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,530 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $1.84 billion (c.i.f., 1995) commodities: capital equipment, petroleum, consumer goods, foods, intermediate goods partners : UK, Nigeria, US, Germany, Japan, Netherlands

Industrial production growth rate

3.3% (1995 est.)

Industries

mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum, food processing

Inflation rate - consumer price index

36% (1996 est.)

Labor force

total: 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.)

Area

total: 238,540 sq km land : 230,020 sq km water: 8,520 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Oregon

Climate

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

Coastline

539 km

Elevation extremes

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

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

Environment - 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

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 2 00 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

60 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 2,093 km border countries: Burkina Faso 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km

Land use

arable land: 12% permanent crops : 7% permanent pastures: 22% forests and woodland: 35% other: 24% (1993 est.)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, 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 hazards

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

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area

Administrative divisions

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

Constitution

new constitution approved 28 April 1992

Country name

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

Data code

GH

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Designate Harry SAWYERS chancery: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 686-4520

Executive branch

chief of state: President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 3 November 1992); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 3 November 1992); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet : Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject to approval by the Parliament elections: president and vice president elected by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 7 December 1996 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: Jerry John RAWLINGS elected president; percent of vote - Rawlings 58.8%

FAX

[1] (202) 686-4527 consulate(s) general: New York

FAX

[233] (21) 775747

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

Government type

constitutional democracy

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, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, 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 Parliament (200 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections : last held 7 December 1996 (next to be held NA December 2000) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDC 126, NPP 65, PCP 5, PNC 1, to be determined 3

National capital

Accra

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

Political parties and leaders

National Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Huudu YAHAYA]; New Patriotic Party or NPP [Peter Ala ADJETY]; People's Heritage Party or PHP [Alex ERSKINE]; National Convention Party or NCP [Sarpong Kuman Kuman]; Every Ghanian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Ashang OKINE]; Peoples Convention Party or PCP [P. K. DONKOS-AYIFL, acting chairman]; Peoples National Convention or PNC [Edward MAHAMA]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$30 million (1994)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.8% (1994)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 4,254,386 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 2,365,286 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males : 178,560 (1997 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 43% (male 3,928,741; female 3,891,591) 15-64 years: 54% (male 4,775,610; female 4,939,664) 65 years and over : 3% (male 268,579; female 296,518) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

33.88 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

10.89 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

black African 99.8% (major tribes - Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%), European and other 0.2%

Infant mortality rate

78.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 56.49 years male : 54.47 years female: 58.57 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 64.5% male: 75.9% female : 53.5% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Ghanaian(s) adjective: Ghanaian

Net migration rate

-0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

18,100,703 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

2.21% (1997 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

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 population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.43 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Europe and the US GIBRALTAR (dependent territory of the UK)

Airports

12 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total : 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 37,561 km paved: 9,353 km (including 21 km of expressways) unpaved: 28,208 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

total : 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 28,900 GRT/37,240 DWT ships by type: cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 2 (1996 est.)

Pipelines

0 km

Ports and harbors

Takoradi, Tema

Railways

total: 953 km (undergoing major renovation) narrow gauge : 953 km 1.067-m gauge (32 km double track) (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