republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
republic
Independence date
Religions
Christian 29%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 51%
Roman Catholic 41.9%, Protestant 42% (Anglican 35.9%, Pentecostal 4.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.5%), Muslim 12.1%, other 3.1%, none 0.9% (2002 census)
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)
English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages, preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic
Exports
External Debt
Exchange Rate
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
0
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana
Eastern Africa, west of Kenya
Area
56,785 km sq
241,038 km sq
Coastline
56 km
0 km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
