King: Albert II Prime Minister-designate: Elio di Rupo
Population
24,652,402
10,438,353
Life Expectancy
61.450 years
79.650 years
Capital City
Accra
Brussels
Largest city
Accra (population: 1,963,260)
Brussels (population: 1,019,020)
Human Development Index
0.533
0.948
GDP per capita
$3,100 US
$38,200 US
Literacy Rate
57.9%
99%
Corruption Perception Index
3.9
7.3
Percentage of Women in Parliament
10.9%
36.2%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Albert Frere ($2.4bn US)
Unemployment Rate
11.000%
7.700%
Death Penalty
Abolished in practice
Abolished
Political System
constitutional democracy
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Independence date
6 March 1957 (from UK)
4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
Religions
Christian 68.8% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 24.1%, Protestant 18.6%, Catholic 15.1%, other 11%), Muslim 15.9%, traditional 8.5%, other 0.7%, none 6.1% (2000 census)
Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
Languages
Asante 14.8%, Ewe 12.7%, Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%, Dangme 4.3%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.7%, Akyem 3.4%, Ga 3.4%, Akuapem 2.9%, other 36.1% (includes English (official)) (2000 census)
Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
External Debt
$7,511,000,000 $
$1,399,000,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
cedis (GHC) per US dollar - 1.1 (2008 est.), 0.95 (2007), 9,174.8 (2006), 9,072.5 (2005), 9,004.6 (2004) note: in 2007 Ghana revalued its currency with 10,000 old cedis equal to 1 new cedis
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6802 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.700%
1.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
2
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
Area
238,533 km sq
30,528 km sq
Coastline
539 km
67 km
Climate
tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
