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: 238,540 sq km land: 230,020 sq km water: 8,520 sq km AreaÑcomparative: slightly smaller than Oregon Land boundaries: total: 2,093 km border countries: Burkina Faso 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km Coastline: 539 km Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 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 Land use: arable land: 12% permanent crops: 7% permanent pastures: 22% forests and woodland: 35% other: 24% (1993 est.) Irrigated land: 60 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: dry, dusty, harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts EnvironmentÑcurrent 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 EnvironmentÑinternational agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, 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: Marine Life Conservation GeographyÑnote: Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake; northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March) People Population: 18,497,206 (July 1998 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (male 3,985,219; female 3,947,640) 15-64 years: 54% (male 4,905,442; female 5,077,521) 65 years and over: 3% (male 275,192; female 306,192) (July 1998 est.) Population growth rate: 2.13% (1998 est.) Birth rate: 32.81 births/1,000 population (1998 est.) Death rate: 10.63 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.) Net migration rate: -0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female (1998 est.) Infant mortality rate: 77.53 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 56.82 years male: 54.77 years female: 58.92 years (1998 est.) Total fertility rate: 4.27 children born/woman (1998 est.) Nationality: noun: Ghanaian(s) adjective: Ghanaian Ethnic groups: black African 99.8% (major tribesÑAkan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%), European and other 0.2% Religions: indigenous beliefs 38%, Muslim 30%, Christian 24%, other 8% Languages: English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 64.5% male: 75.9% female: 53.5% (1995 est.) Government Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Ghana conventional short form: Ghana former: Gold Coast Data code: GH Government type: constitutional democracy National 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: new 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 Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 7 January 1993); noteÑthe president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 7 January 1993); noteÑthe 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 voteÑRAWLINGS 57% 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 partyÑNA; seats by partyÑNDC 133, NPP 61, PCP 5, PNC 1 Judicial branch: Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Huudu YAHAYA, general secretary]; New Patriotic Party or NPP [Peter Ala ADJETY]; People's Heritage Party or PHP [Emmanuel Alexander ERSKINE]; National Convention Party or NCP [Sarpong KUMA-KUMA]; Every Ghanian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Owuraku AMOFA, chairman]; Peoples Convention Party or PCP [P. K. DONKOH-AYIFI, acting chairman]; Peoples National Convention or PNC [Edward MAHAMA] 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, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Kobena KOOMSON 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 Edward BRYNN embassy: Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra telephone: [233] (21) 775348 FAX: [233] (21) 776008 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 Economy EconomyÑoverview: 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. Gold, timber, and cocoa production are major sources of foreign exchange. The domestic economy continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 41% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders. In 1995-97, Ghana made mixed progress under a three-year structural adjustment program in cooperation with the IMF. On the minus side, public sector wage increases and regional peacekeeping commitments have led to continued inflationary deficit financing, depreciation of the cedi, and rising public discontent with Ghana's austerity measures. GDP: purchasing power parityÑ$36.2 billion (1997 est.) GDPÑreal growth rate: 3% (1997 est.) GDPÑper capita: purchasing power parityÑ$2,000 (1997 est.) GDPÑcomposition by sector: agriculture: 41% industry: 14% services: 45% (1996 est.) Inflation rateÑconsumer price index: 27.7% (1997 est.) Labor force: total: NA by occupation: agriculture and fishing 61%, industry 10%, services 29% (1996 est.) Unemployment rate: 20% (1997 est.) Budget: revenues: $1.39 billion expenditures: $1.47 billion, including capital expenditures of $370 million (1996 est.) Industries: mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing Industrial production growth rate: 4.2% (1996 est.) ElectricityÑcapacity: 1.3 million kW (1997) ElectricityÑproduction: 600 million kWh (1996) ElectricityÑconsumption per capita: 373 kWh (1996) AgricultureÑproducts: cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber Exports: total value: $1.57 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: gold 39%, cocoa 35%, timber 9.4%, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, and diamonds (1996 est.) partners: UK, Germany, US, Netherlands, Japan, Nigeria 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 DebtÑexternal: $5.2 billion (1996 est.) Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $472 million (1993) Currency: 1 new cedi (C) = 100 pesewas Exchange rates: new cedis per US$1Ñ2,271.70 (January 1998), 2,050.17 (1997), 1,637.23 (1996), 1,200.43 (1995), 956.71 (1994), 649.06 (1993) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Telephones: 100,000 (1997 est.) Telephone system: poor to fair system domestic: primarily microwave radio relay international: satellite earth stationÑ1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 23, shortwave 0 (1997) Radios: 12.5 million (1997 est.) Television broadcast stations: broadcast stations 3 (8 repeaters); pay per view (cable/satellite) 1 (1997) Televisions: 1.9 million (1997 est.) Transportation Railways: total: 953 km (undergoing major rehabilitation) narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge (32 km double track) (1997 est.) Highways: total: 39,409 km paved: 11,653 km (including 30 km of expressways) unpaved: 27,756 km (1997 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 Pipelines: 0 km Ports and harbors: Takoradi, Tema Merchant marine: total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 17,037 GRT/22,747 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2 (1997 est.) Airports: 12 (1997 est.) AirportsÑwith paved runways: total: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (1997 est.) AirportsÑwith unpaved runways: total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.) Military Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, Palace Guard, Civil Defense Military manpowerÑmilitary age: 18 years of age Military manpowerÑavailability: males age 15-49: 4,386,728 (1998 est.) Military manpowerÑfit for military service: males: 2,434,732 (1998 est.) Military manpowerÑreaching military age annually: males: 181,169 (1998 est.) Military expendituresÑdollar figure: $30 million (1994) Military expendituresÑpercent of GDP: 0.8% (1994) Transnational Issues DisputesÑinternational: 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