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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 11 usable: 11 with permanent-surface runways: 6 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 6

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 32,250 km paved: concrete, bituminous 6,084 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, improved earth 26,166 km

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 46,289 GRT/61,606 DWT, cargo 4, refrigerated cargo 1

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 handled primarily by microwave radio relay links; 42,300 telephones; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 1 FM, 4 (8 translators) TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Affiliation [time series]

(dependent territory of the UK)

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $30 million, less than 1% of GDP (1989 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 3,867,183; fit for military service 2,159,769; reach military age (18) annually 170,283 (1994 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 43% 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: $1 billion expenditures: $905 million, including capital expenditures of $200 million (1991 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 new cedi (C) = 100 pesewas

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $455 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $78 million; Communist countries (1970-89) $106 million

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 1,180,000 kW production: 4.49 billion kWh consumption per capita: 290 kWh (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

new cedis per US$1 - 713.00 (October 1993), 437.09 (1992), 367.83 (1991), 326.33 (1990), 270.00 (1989)

Exports [time series]

$1 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: cocoa 40%, gold, timber, tuna, bauxite, and aluminum partners: Germany 31%, US 12%, UK 11%, Netherlands 6%, Japan 5% (1991)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$4.6 billion (1992 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: petroleum 16%, consumer goods, foods, intermediate goods, capital equipment partners: UK 22%, US 11%, Germany 9%, Japan 6%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate in manufacturing (1992); accounts for almost 15% of GDP

Industries [time series]

mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum, food processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

10% (1992)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $25 billion (1993 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$1,500 (1993 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

3.9% (1992 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. The agriculture sector consists largely of small traditional farm holdings, rain-fed for the most part. Heavily dependent on cocoa, gold, and timber exports, economic growth so far has not spread substantially to other areas of the economy. The costs of sending peacekeeping forces to Liberia and preparing for the transition to a democratic government have boosted government expenditures and undercut structural adjustment reforms. Ghana opened a stock exchange in 1990 and plans to float 5% of its stake in Ashanti Goldfields Corporation, which would make the exchange the largest in sub-Saharan Africa outside of South Africa.

Unemployment rate [time series]

10% (1991)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 238,540 sq km land area: 230,020 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon

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

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: recent drought in north severely affecting agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; limited supply of safe drinking water natural hazards: dry, dusty, harmattan winds occur from January to March international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Marine Life Conservation

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

80 sq km (1989)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 2,093 km, Burkina 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 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%

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

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

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Accra

Constitution [time series]

new constitution approved 28 April 1992

Digraph [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Ekwow SPIO-GARBRAH chancery: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 686-4520

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state and head of government: President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 3 November 1992) election last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA) cabinet: Cabinet; president nominates members subject to approval by the Parliament

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

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

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

[233] (21) 776008

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)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

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

Legislative branch (National Assembly) [time series]

elections last held 29 December 1992 (next to be held NA)

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

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

National Democratic Congress, Jerry John Rawlings; New Patriotic Party, Albert Adu BOAHEN; People's Heritage Party, Alex Erskine; various other smaller parties

Suffrage [time series]

universal at 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

constitutional democracy

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Kenneth L. BROWN embassy: Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra telephone: [233] (21) 775348, 775349, 775297 or 775298

People

Birth rate [time series]

44.13 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate [time series]

12.27 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

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]

83.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

3.7 million by occupation: agriculture and fishing 54.7%, industry 18.7%, sales and clerical 15.2%, services, transportation, and communications 7.7%, professional 3.7% note: 48% of population of working age (1983)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 55.52 years male: 53.58 years female: 57.52 years (1994 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Ghanaian(s) adjective: Ghanaian

Net migration rate [time series]

-0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population [time series]

17,225,185 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

3.09% (1994 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.15 children born/woman (1994 est.)