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Population of
Ghana
Population: 23,382,848 (July 2008
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%
The Economy
Ghana, rich in agricultural resources,
timber, gold and other valuable minerals,
abundant with educated skilled and
enterprising people, blessed with a stable
form of government and dedicated to the
principles of free enterprise, has long been
seen as one of Africa’s most promising
countries.
The main exports - gold, cocoa, diamonds,
timber, manganese and bauxite - known as
“traditional” items, are now increasingly
supplemented by processed and semi-processed
industrial and agricultural products with
tourism as the third largest foreign
currency earner after cocoa and gold.
Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana
has roughly twice the per capita output of
the poorest countries in West Africa. Even
so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on
international financial and technical
assistance. Gold and cocoa production, and
individual remittances, are major sources of
foreign exchange. The domestic economy
continues to revolve around agriculture,
which accounts for about 35% of GDP and
employs about 55% of the work force, mainly
small landholders. Ghana opted for debt
relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor
Country (HIPC) program in 2002, and is also
benefiting from the Multilateral Debt Relief
Initiative that took effect in 2006.
Thematic priorities under its current Growth
and Poverty Reduction Strategy, which also
provides the framework for development
partner assistance, are: macroeconomic
stability; private sector competitiveness;
human resource development; and good
governance and civic responsibility. Sound
macro-economic management along with high
prices for gold and cocoa helped sustain GDP
growth in 2007. Ghana signed a Millennium
Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact in 2006,
which aims to assist in transforming Ghana's
agricultural sector.
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
Coastline: 539 km
Maritime claims: contiguous
zone: 24 NM
Territorial sea: 12 NM
Continental shelf: 200 NM
Exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
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
Elevation extremes: lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Mount
Afadjato 880 m
Natural resources: gold,
timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite,
manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower
Natural hazards: 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
Government
Country name: conventional
long form: Republic of Ghana
Former: Gold Coast
Government 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)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
Constitution: approved 28
April 1992
Legal system: based on
English common law and customary law; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age;
universal
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
GDP: $31.13 billion (2007
est.)
GDP growth rate: 4.3%
GDP per capita: $2,500
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 36.6%
Industry: 24.6%
Services: 38.7%
Inflation rate: 15.1%
Labour force: 10.62 million
Labour force - by occupation:
agriculture 60%, industry 15%,
services 25%
Unemployment: 20%
Budget: revenues: $3.216
billion
Expenditures: $3.506
billion
Electricity production by source:
fossil fuel: 5%
Hydro: 95%
Other: 0%
Industries: mining,
lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum
smelting, food processing
Agriculture: cocoa, rice,
coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn,
shea nuts, bananas; timber
Exports: gold, cocoa,
timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese
ore, diamonds
Export partners:
Netherlands 12.8%, UK 8.2%, US 6.5%, Belgium
6%, France 5.5%, Germany 4.5%
Imports: capital equipment,
petroleum, foodstuffs
Import partners: Nigeria
14%, China 12.5%, US 6.2%, UK 5.5%,
Netherlands 4.2%, South Africa 4.2%
Currency: cedi (GHC)
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