Airports [time series]

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 [time series]

6 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

28,300 km total; 6,000 km concrete or bituminous surface, 22,300 km gravel, laterite, and improved earth surfaces

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers provide 155 km of perennial navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways

Merchant marine [time series]

4 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 52,016 GRT/66,627 DWT

Pipelines [time series]

none

Ports [time series]

Tema, Takoradi

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

953 km, all 1.067-meter gauge; 32 km double track; railroads undergoing major renovation

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

poor to fair system of open-wire and cable, radio relay links; 38,000 telephones; stations--6 AM, no FM, 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force, paramilitary Palace Guard, National Civil Defense Organization

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$23 million, 0.5% of GNP (1988)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 3,538,503; 1,983,493 fit for military service; 169,698 reach military age (18) annually

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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 [time series]

revenues $821 million; expenditures $782 million, including capital expenditures of $151 million (1990 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

cedi (plural--cedis); 1 cedi (C) = 100 pesewas

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $455 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.3 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $78 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $106 million

Electricity [time series]

1,172,000 kW capacity; 4,110 million kWh produced, 280 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

cedis (C) per US$1--342.91 (November 1990), 270.00 (1989), 202.35 (1988), 153.73 (1987), 89.20 (1986), 54.37 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$826 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--cocoa 45%, gold, timber, tuna, bauxite, and aluminum; partners--US 23%, UK, other EC

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$3.1 billion (1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

GNP [time series]

$5.8 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate 2.7% (1990 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade

Imports [time series]

$1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990 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 (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 7.4% in manufacturing (1989); accounts for almost 1.5% of GDP

Industries [time series]

mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, fishing, aluminum, food processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

50% (1990 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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 is threatened by a poor cocoa harvest and higher oil prices in 1991. Rising inflation--unofficially estimated at 50%--could undermine Ghana's relationships with multilateral lenders. Civil service wage increases and the cost of peacekeeping forces sent to Liberia are boosting government expenditures and undercutting structural adjustment reforms. Ghana opened a stock exchange in 1990.

Unemployment rate [time series]

1.9% (1989)

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

539 km Contiguous zone: 24 nm; Continental shelf: 200 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Oregon

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

recent drought in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; dry, northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)

Land boundaries [time series]

2,093 km total; Burkina 548 km, Ivory Coast 668 km, Togo 877 km

Land use [time series]

arable land 5%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and woodland 37%; other 36%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Natural resources [time series]

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

Note [time series]

Lake Volta is world's largest artificial lake

Terrain [time series]

mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area

Area (Total area) [time series]

238,540 km2; land area: 230,020 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Accra

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

a small number of Communists and sympathizers

Constitution [time series]

24 September 1979; suspended 31 December 1981

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Dr. Joseph ABBEY; Chancery at 2460 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 462-0761; 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) 775347 through 775349

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

none

Executive branch [time series]

chairman of the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC), PNDC, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

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 [time series]

6 March 1957 (from UK, formerly Gold Coast)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--Chairman of the Provisional National Defense Council Flt. Lt. (Ret.) Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 31 December 1981)

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly dissolved after 31 December 1981 coup, and legislative powers were assumed by the Provisional National Defense Council

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Ghana

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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 [time series]

Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

none; political parties outlawed after 31 December 1981 coup

Suffrage [time series]

none

Government type (Type) [time series]

military

Birth rate [time series]

46 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

86 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

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 (Language) [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

53 years male, 56 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

60% (male 70%, female 51%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Ghanaian(s); adjective--Ghanaian

Net migration rate [time series]

- 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

467,000 (about 13% of labor force)

Population [time series]

15,616,934 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.3 children born/woman (1991)