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Communications

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $30 million, 0.8% of GDP (1994)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 4,135,538 males fit for military service: 2,303,423 males reach military age (18) annually: 176,332 (1996 est.)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

poor to fair system domestic: primarily microwave radio relay international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

70,000 (1988 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

4 (repeaters 8)

Televisions [time series]

250,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

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

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 new cedi (C) = 100 pesewas

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $472 million (1993)

Economic overview [time series]

Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Heavily reliant on international assistance, Ghana has made steady progress in liberalizing its economy since 1983. Overall growth continued at a rate of approximately 5% in 1995, 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. Public sector wage increases, regional peacekeeping commitments, and the containment of internal unrest in the underdeveloped north have placed substantial demands on the government's budget and have led to inflationary deficit financing, depreciation of the cedi, and rising public discontent with Ghana's austerity program.

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 1,180,000 kW production: 6.1 billion kWh consumption per capita: 323 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

new cedis per US$1 - 1,246.11 (September 1995), 956.71 (1994), 649.06 (1993), 437.09 (1992), 367.83 (1991)

Exports [time series]

$1 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: cocoa 40%, gold, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, and diamonds partners: Germany , US , UK , Netherlands , Japan (1995)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$4.6 billion (December 1993 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $25.1 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 47% industry: 16% services: 37% (1994 est.)

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

$1,400 (1995 est.)

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

5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: petroleum, consumer goods, foods, intermediate goods, capital equipment partners: UK, US, Germany, Japan, Netherlands (1995)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

2.8% (1994 est.)

Industries [time series]

mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum, food processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

69% (1995 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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 [time series]

10% (1993 est.)

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; inadequate supplies of potable water natural hazards: dry, dusty, harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts 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 [time series]

8 00 N, 2 00 W

Geography - note (Geographic note) [time series]

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

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

80 sq km (1989)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 2,093 km border countries: Burkina Faso 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

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m

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

Data code [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: [1] (202) 686-4520

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state and head of government: President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 3 November 1992); elected for a four-year term by direct universal suffrage; the president can appoint a vice president; election last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA December 1996) cabinet: Cabinet; president nominates members subject to approval by the Parliament

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

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

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

[233] (21) 775747

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

6 March 1957 (from UK)

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNAMIR, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

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

Country name (Name of country) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

Legislative branch (Parliament) [time series]

elections last held 29 December 1992 (next to be held NA December 1996); results - opposition boycotted the election, the National Democratic Congress won 198 of the total 200 seats and 2 seats were won by independents; because of interim bye-elections, the National Democratic Congress and its remaining coalition partner, Every Ghanian Living Everywhere (EGLE), now control 189 seats; former coalition partner, NCP, has 8 seats; independents hold 3

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

National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jerry John RAWLINGS; New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Ala ADJETY; People's Heritage Party (PHP), Alex ERSKINE; National Convention Party (NCP), Kow ARKAAH; Every Ghanian Living Everywhere (EGLE), Ashang OKINE; Peoples Convention Party (PCP), B.K. NKETSIA; Peoples National Convention (PNC), Alhaji Asuma BANDA

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type of government) [time series]

constitutional democracy

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

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

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 43% (male 3,856,673; female 3,819,946) 15-64 years: 54% (male 4,658,142; female 4,814,060) 65 years and over: 3% (male 262,159; female 287,291) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

35 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate [time series]

11.15 deaths/1,000 population (1996 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]

80.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 56.17 years male: 54.18 years female: 58.22 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Ghanaian(s) adjective: Ghanaian

Net migration rate [time series]

-0.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population [time series]

17,698,271 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.29% (1996 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

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 all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.59 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 12 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 3 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 2 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2 (1995 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 38,145 km paved: 7,476 km (including 21 km of expressways) unpaved: 30,669 km (1990 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,427 GRT/35,894 DWT ships by type: cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (1995 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

none

Ports [time series]

Takoradi, Tema

Railways [time series]

total: 953 km; note - undergoing major renovation (1995 est.) narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge; 32 km double track

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