Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the
Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country
in colonial Africa to gain its independence. A long series of coups resulted
in the suspension of the constitution in 1981 and a ban on political parties.
A new constitution, restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1992. Lt.
Jerry RAWLINGS, head of state since 1981, won presidential elections in 1992
and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in
2000. John KUFUOR, who defeated former Vice President Atta MILLS in a free
and fair election, succeeded him.
Geography of
Ghana
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf
of Guinea, between
Cote
d'Ivoire
and
Togo
Coordinates:
8 00 N, 2 00 W
Area:
total: 239,460 sq km land: 230,940 sq km water: 8,520 sq km
Area comparative:
slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
total: 2,094 km border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo
877 km
dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from
January to March; droughts
Environment current issues:
recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural
activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat
destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate
supplies of potable water
Geography - note:
Lake Volta
is the world's largest artificial lake
Population of
Ghana
Population:
22,409,572 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life
expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and
growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex
than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.8% (male 4,395,744/female
4,288,720) 15-64 years: 57.7% (male 6,450,828/female 6,483,781) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 371,428/female 419,071)
Median age:
19.9 years
Growth rate:
2.07%
Infant mortality:
55.02 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 58.87 years male: 58.07 years female: 59.69 years
Fertility rate:
3.99 children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Ghanaian(s) adjective: Ghanaian
Ethnic groups:
black African 98.5% (major tribes - Akan 44%,
Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%), European and other
1.5% (
Religions:
Christian 63%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 21%
Languages:
English (official), African languages (including Akan,
Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.8% male: 82.7% female: 67.1%
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic
of Ghana former: Gold Coast
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 John Agyekum KUFUOR;
Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA; note - the president is both the chief
of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject
to approval by Parliament elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term).
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (230 seats; note - increased from
200 seats in last election; members are elected by direct, popular vote to
serve four-year terms).
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Economy
Well endowed with natural resources,
Ghana
has roughly 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 34% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force,
mainly small landholders.
Ghana
opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program
in 2002, but was included in a G-8 debt relief program decided upon at the Gleneagles
Summit in July 2005. Priorities under its current $38 million Poverty
Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) include tighter monetary and fiscal
policies, accelerated privatization, and improvement of social services.
Receipts from the gold sector helped sustain GDP growth in 2005 along with
record high prices for Ghana's largest cocoa crop to date. Inflation should
ease but remains a major internal problem. Ghana also remains a candidate
country to benefit from Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) funding that
could assist in transforming Ghana's agricultural export sector.
