Ghana

This Page was last updated on the 3 January, 2009.

 

Return to the Country Index Page

Country

Ghana

Official Name

Republic of Ghana
Former Name Gold Coast, British Togoland (Portuguese landed in 1470; first English trading voyage in 1553; the British took control of the trading forts on the Gold Coast in 1821; British fought a series of campaigns against the Ashantis 1826-1900; Fanti chiefs in the area signed an agreement with the British in 1844; British established control over the Ashanti region and make the Northern Territories a protectorate in 1902; British Togoland [part of former German colony] administered by the UK under League of Nations mandate after 1922; British Togoland became a UN Trust Territory in December 1946, all 4 territories then ruled as one; the UN agreed that the it would become part of Ghana at independence when British relinquished control over the Colony of the Gold Coast [present day Western, Central, Eastern, and Greater Accra Regions, with a small portion at the mouth of the Volta River assigned to the Volta Region] and Ashanti [present day Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo Regions], the Northern Territories Protectorate [present day Northern, Upper East, and Upper West Regions], and British Togoland [present day Volta Region]; country renamed Ghana [after ancient Kingdom of Ghana] at independence in 1957.)

Capital

Accra

Main Towns

Accra (metropolitan area pop. 3 million est.), Cape Coast, Kumasi (pop. 1 million est.), Tamale, Sekondi-Takoradi (pop. 370,000 est.), Tema (pop. 500,000 est.)

Subdivisions

10 regions: Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western.

Independence

6 March 1957 (from UK)

Constitution approved 28 April 1992, entered into force 7 January 1993
National Holiday Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

UN Membership

8 March 1957

OAU Membership

25 May 1963 – now African Union (AU)

Commonwealth

6 March 1957

Other Organisations

In alphabetical order according to abbreviation/acronym: Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA), Africa-Caribbean-Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU), African Development Bank (AfDB or AFDB), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Intergovernmental Group of 24 (G-24), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G-77), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Criminal Court (ICCt), International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM), International Development Association (IDA), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Organisation for Migration (IOM - observer), International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Organisation of American States (OAS - observer), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM), United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH), United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP), United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (UNMOT), United Nations University (UNU), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Confederation of Labour (WCL), World Customs Organization (WCO, former Customs Cooperation Council [CCC]), World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), World Tourism Organisation (WToO), World Trade Organisation (WTrO).

Population

World Bank Figures: 19,257,480 (1999), 19,593,000 (2000), 19,939,872 (2001), 20,298,490 (2002), 20,669,260 (2003)
Other Sources: 17,763,138 (July 1995), 19,894,014 (July 2001 est.), 18,845,265 ( March 2000 census), 20.3 million (2003 estimate), 20,467,747 (July 2003 est.) 21,029,853 (July 2005 est.)

Area

92,098 sq. mls. (238,533 sq. kms.)

Density

63 per sq.km. (1995)

Highest Point

Mount Afadjoto 2,905 ft. (885 m.)

Lowest Point

Gulf of Guinea - sea level

Neighbours

Burkina Faso (N), Ivory Coast (W), Togo (E)

Life Expectancy

59 years (1995), total population:  57.24 years, male:  55.86 years, female:  58.66 years (2001 est.)
total population: 56.53 years, male: 55.66 years, female: 57.43 years (2003 est.)
total population: 56 years male: 55.04 years female: 56.99 years (2005 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate total: 53.02 deaths/1,000 live births, female: 49.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.), male: 55.97 deaths/1,000 live births
total: 51.43 deaths/1,000 live births male: 54.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 48.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS

adult prevalence rate: 3% (2001 est.) 3.1% (2003 est.)
people living with HIV/AIDS: 360,000 (2001 est.) 350,000 (2003 est.)
deaths: 28,000 (2001 est.) 30,000 (2003 est.)

IRIN Plus News - HIV/AIDS Treatment Map: Ghana - Updated: Oct 2005
Population: 21.4 million
HIV Prevalence Rate (%) December 2004: 4.1
No. Of People living with HIV/AIDS: 350,000
No. Of People in need of ART: 55,000
No. Of People Currently On ART (August 2005): 3,366
No. Of People on ART Public Sector: 3,366
No. Of People on ART in Non-Govt Programmes: Undefined
No. Of People Exptd to be on ART (end of 2005): 30,000
Front Line Drug Regimen: Zidovudine+Lamivudine+Efavirenz and Stavudine+ Lamivudine+Nevirapine
HIV/AIDS Treatment Sites: 5
Global Fund 2 Year Approved HIV/AIDS Funding (Round 1: 01/01/03): US$14,170,222.00
Total HIV/AIDS Funds Disbursed by Global Fund: US$6,007,562.00
Total Funds Disbursed By The World Bank Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Programme (MAP): US$14.5 million
Total Funds Disbursed By PEPFAR: Nil
Source: Ministry of Health, UNAIDS, The Global Fund, The World Bank, WHO, US Department of State

Adult Literacy Rate

total population:  64.5%, male:  75.9%, female:  53.5% (1995 est.)
total population: 74.8%, male: 82.7%, female: 67.1% (2003 est.)

Ethnic Groups

Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%, Guan, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%, European and other 1.5% (1998)
There are 9,500 Liberians, 2,000 Sierra Leoneans, and 1,000 Togolese refugees residing in Ghana (2002)

Languages

English (official), Akan (which includes Asante Twi, Akwapim Twi, Akyem, and Fanti) 49%, Mole-Dagbani 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga-Adangbe 8%, Guan 4%, others 10%

Religions

Christian 63%, with a large Muslim 16%, Traditional beliefs 21%.

Type of Government

Constitutional democracy

President

John Atta Mills elected in a close run-off election, Friday 2nd January 2009. His predecessor was John Agyekum Kufuor (since 7 January 2001, elected 2000 and 2004).

Prime Minister

---

Political Parties

Convention People's Party (CPP); Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere (EGLE); Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP); National Convention Party (NCP); National Democratic Congress (NDC); New Patriotic Party (NPP); People's Convention Party (PCP); People's Heritage Party (PHP); People's National Convention (PNC); Reform Party.

Ruling Party

National Democratic Congress (NDC) is the party of President-elect John Atta Mills.

Currency

Cedi (C, GHC)(100 pesewas)
cedis per US dollar - 9,004.6 (2004), 8,677.4 (2003), 7,932.7 (2002), 7,170.8 (2001), 5,455.1 (2000)

GDP

US$432 (1992) US$6,315m (1995)
GDP US$7.5 billion (2003)
purchasing power parity - US$48.27 billion (2004 est.)
per capita purchasing power parity - US $2,100 (2002 est.)
per capita purchasing power parity - $2,300 (2004 est.)

GNP

US$450 (1992) US$450 (1994) US$390 (1995)
Per Capita Income Per capita GDP: US$365 (2003)
Population Below Poverty Line 31.4% (1992 est.)
Land Use arable land: 16.26% permanent crops: 9.67% other: 74.07% (2001) Irrigated land: 110 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural Resources gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone
Oil and Natural Gas Oil production: 7,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) consumption: 38,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) exports: NA (2001) imports: NA (2001) proved reserves: 8.255 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 11.89 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Pipelines: refined products 74 km (2004)
Military Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 5,240,557 (2003 est.)
males age 18-49: 4,761,226 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: US$36.01 million, 0.6% of GDP (FY02) US$49.2 million, 0.6% of GDP (2004)
Economic Aid Received US$6.9 billion (1999)
Aid per Capita (World Bank): US$32 (1999), US$31 (2000), US$32 (2001), US$32 (2002), US$44 (2003)

Debt

Moderately indebted (HIPC)
World Bank Figures: US$3,920,999,936 (2000), US$3,944,999,936 (2001), US$3,908,000,000 (2002), US$2,369,600,000 (2003)
Other Sources: US$5.6bn (1995) US$7bn (1999 est.) US$7.2 billion (2002 est.) US$7.396 billion (2004 est.)
Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) programme in 2002.

Major Imports

capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs
petroleum (US$563 million), food, industrial raw materials, machinery, equipment (2003)

Imports from

Nigeria 21%, UK 7%, US 7%, Cote d'Ivoire 6%, China 5% (2001)
US$3.3 billion (2003)
Nigeria 12.8%, China 10.1%, UK 7%, US 6.7%, France 5.3%, South Africa 4.2%, Netherlands 4.2%, Germany 4.1% (2004) US$3.699 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Major Exports

gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds
cocoa (US$818 million), aluminum, gold, timber, diamonds, manganese (2003)

Exports to

Netherlands 12%, US 10%, UK 10%, Germany 6%, Nigeria 4% (2001)
US$2.5 billion (2003)
Netherlands 11.1%, UK 10.9%, France 6.9%, US 6%, Belgium 4.8%, Germany 4.4%, Japan 4.3% (2004) US$3.01 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

We try to have each fact sheet up to date and as accurate as possible.
If you notice any mistakes, or have suggestions on items which could be added, please let us know by emailing to: suttonlink@dial.pipex.com

The White Fathers, Sutton Coldfield, 3 January, 2009

Page 21 of 61

First Previous Next Last