republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
parliamentary democracy
Independence date
14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Religions
Christian 29%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 51%
Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
Languages
French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Exports
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
External Debt
$104,200,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.56 (2008 est.), 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
7.400%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
1
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Area
56,785 km sq
20,770 km sq
Coastline
56 km
273 km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
