*Ghana, Geography

Location:
  Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Cote d'Ivoire and
  Togo
Map references:
  Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  238,540 km2
 land area:
  230,020 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
  total 2,093 km, Burkina 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
International disputes:
  none
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
Natural resources:
  gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber
Land use:
 arable land:
  5%
 permanent crops:
  7%
 meadows and pastures:
  15%
 forest and woodland:
  37%
 other:
  36%
Irrigated land:
  80 km2 (1989)
Environment:
  recent drought in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities;
  deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; dry, northeasterly harmattan wind
  (January to March)
Note:
  Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake

*Ghana, People

Population:
  16,699,105 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  3.12% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  44.66 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  12.52 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  84.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  55.19 years
 male:   53.27 years
 female:
  57.17 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  6.21 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Ghanaian(s)
 adjective:
  Ghanaian
Ethnic divisions:
  black African 99.8% (major tribes - Akan 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:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
 total population:
  60%
 male:
  70%
 female:
  51%
Labor force:
  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)

*Ghana, Government

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Republic of Ghana
 conventional short form:
  Ghana
 former:
  Gold Coast
Digraph:
  GH
Type:
  constitutional democracy
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)
Constitution:
  new constitution approved 28 April 1992
Legal system:
  based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
Political parties and leaders:
  National Democratic Congress, Jerry John Rawlings; New Patriotic Party,
  Albert Adu BOAHEN; People's Heritage Party, Alex Erskine; various other
  smaller parties
Suffrage:
  universal at 18
Elections:
 President:
  last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA)
 National Assembly:
  last held 29 December 1992 (next to be held NA)
Executive branch:
  president, cabinet
Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Leaders:
 Chief of State and Head of Government:
  President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 3 November 1992)
Member of:
  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, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM,
  UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Dr. Joseph ABBEY
 chancery:
  3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  (202) 686-4520
 consulate general:
  New York

*Ghana, Government

US diplomatic representation:
 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, 775295 or 775298
 FAX:   [233] (21) 776008
Flag:
  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

*Ghana, Economy

Overview:
  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 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.
  Meanwhile, declining world commodity prices for Ghana's exports has placed
  the government under severe financial pressure.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $6.6 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  3.9% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
  $410 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  10% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  10% (1991)
Budget:
  revenues $1.0 billion; expenditures $905 million, including capital
  expenditures of $200 million (1991 est.)
Exports:
  $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
 commodities:
  cocoa 45%, gold, timber, tuna, bauxite, and aluminum
 partners:
  Germany 29%, UK 12%, US 12%, Japan 5%
Imports:
  $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
 commodities:
  petroleum 16%, consumer goods, foods, intermediate goods, capital equipment
 partners:
  UK 23%, US 11%, Germany 10%, Japan 6%
External debt:
  $4.6 billion (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 4.6% in manufacturing (1991); accounts for almost 15% of GDP
Electricity:
  1,180,000 kW capacity; 4,490 million kWh produced, 290 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
  mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum, food processing
Agriculture:   accounts for about 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
Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade
Economic aid:
  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
Currency:
  1 cedi (C) = 100 pesewas
Exchange rates:
  ceolis per US$1 - 437 (July 1992)

*Ghana, Economy

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

*Ghana, Communications

Railroads:
  953 km, all 1.067-meter gauge; 32 km double track; railroads undergoing
  major renovation
Highways:
  32,250 km total; 6,084 km concrete or bituminous surface, 26,166 km gravel,
  laterite, and improved earth surfaces
Inland 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:
  none
Ports:
  Tema, Takoradi
Merchant marine:
  6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 59,293 GRT/78,246 DWT; includes 5
  cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo
Airports:
 total:
  10
 usable:
  9
 with permanent-surface runways:
  5
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  2
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  6
Telecommunications:
  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

*Ghana, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force, Civil Defense
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 3,766,073; fit for military service 2,105,865; reach
  military age (18) annually 171,145 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $30 million, less than 1% of GDP (1989 est.)