republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
constitutional monarchy
Independence date
4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)
Religions
Christian 29%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 51%
Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)
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)
Tongan, English
Exports
squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops
External Debt
$104,600,000 US
Exchange Rate
pa'anga (TOP) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2.0277 (2006), 1.96 (2005), 1.9716 (2004), 2.142 (2003)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
0
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana
Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Area
56,785 km sq
747 km sq
Coastline
56 km
419 km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)
