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| Introduction | Ghana |
| Background: | Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. A long series of coups resulted in the suspension of the constitution in 1981 and the banning of political parties. A new constitution, restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1992. Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS, head of state since 1981, won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. He was succeeded by John KUFUOR, who defeated former Vice President Atta MILLS in a free and fair election. |
| People | Ghana |
| Population: | 20,757,032 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 38% (male 3,988,800; female 3,904,989) 15-64 years: 58.3% (male 6,030,151; female 6,071,725) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 359,042; female 402,325) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 20 years male: 19.8 years female: 20.3 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.36% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 24.9 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 10.67 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 52.22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 49.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 55.1 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 56.27 years male: 55.36 years female: 57.22 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 3.17 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 3.1% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 350,000 (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 30,000 (2003 est.) |
| Major infectious diseases: | typhoid fever, malaria, yellow fever, schistosomiasis overall degree of risk: very high (2004) |
| 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% (1998) |
| 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 female: 67.1% (2003 est.) male: 82.7% total population: 74.8% |
| People - note: | there are 9,500 Liberians, 2,000 Sierra Leoneans, and 1,000 Togolese refugees residing in Ghana (2002) |
| Government | Ghana |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Ghana conventional short form: 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 |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January 2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January 2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government 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; election last held 7 and 28 December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2004) election results: John Agyekum KUFUOR elected president in runoff election; percent of vote - John KUFUOR 56.4%, John Atta MILLS 43.6% |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Parliament (200 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 7 December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPP 100, NDC 92, PNC 3, CPP 1, independents 4 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court |
| Political parties and leaders: | Convention People's Party or CPP [Nii Noi DOWUONA, general secretary]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Owuraku AMOFA, chairman]; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan LARTY]; National Convention Party or NCP [Sarpong KUMA-KUMA]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Huudu YAHAYA, general secretary]; New Patriotic Party or NPP [Samuel Arthur ODOI-SYKES]; People's Convention Party or PCP [P. K. DONKOH-AYIFI, acting chairman]; People's Heritage Party or PHP [Emmanuel Alexander ERSKINE]; People's National Convention or PNC [Edward MAHAMA]; Reform Party [Kyeretwie OPUKU, general secretary] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Alan J. KYEREMATEN consulate(s) general: New York FAX: [1] (202) 686-4527 telephone: [1] (202) 686-4520 chancery: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Carlin YATES embassy: 6th and 10th Lanes, 798/1 Osu, Accra mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra telephone: [233] (21) 775-347, 775-348 FAX: [233] (21) 701-813 |
| Flag description: | three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band |
| Communications | Ghana |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 302,300 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 799,900 (2003) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: poor to fair system; Internet accessible; many rural communities not yet connected; expansion of services is underway domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been installed international: country code - 233; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors; fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 0, FM 49, shortwave 3 (2001) |
| Radios: | 12.5 million (2001) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 10 (2001) |
| Televisions: | 1.9 million (2001) |
| Internet country code: | .gh |
| Internet hosts: | 407 (2004) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 12 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 170,000 (2002) |
| Transportation | Ghana |
| Railways: | total: 953 km narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 39,409 km paved: 11,665 km unpaved: 27,744 km (1999 est.) |
| Waterways: | 1,293 km note: 168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta (2003) |
| Pipelines: | refined products 74 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Takoradi, Tema |
| Merchant marine: | total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 19,086 GRT/26,185 DWT foreign-owned: Brazil 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Spain 1 (2003 est.) by type: petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 5 |
| Airports: | 12 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Ghana |
| Military branches: | Army, Navy, Air Force |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military service (2001) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 5,391,378 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 2,994,600 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 244,809 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $44 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 0.6% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Ghana |
| Disputes - international: | Ghana must still deal with refugees and returning nationals escaping rebel fighting in Cote d'Ivoire |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 42,466 (Liberia) (2004) |
| Illicit drugs: | illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; major transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and, to a lesser extent, South American cocaine destined for Europe and the US; widespread crime and corruption have made money laundering a problem, but the lack of a well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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