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#CARD:Ghana:Background Notes
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE BACKGROUND NOTES:  GHANA

FEBRUARY 1990
OFFICIAL NAME:  REPUBLIC OF GHANA

PROFILE
Geography
Area: 238,538 sq. km. (92,100 sq. mi.); about the size of Illinois and
Indiana combined. Cities: Capital-Accra (pop. 953,500). Other
cities-Kumasi (399,300), Tema (180,600), Sekondi-Takoradi (116,500).
Terrain: Plains and scrubland, rain forest, savanna. Climate: Tropical.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective-Ghanaian(s). Population (1989): 14.8
million. Density: 62/sq. km. (160/sq. mi.). Annual growth rate (1989):
2.9%. Ethnic groups: Akan, Ewe, Ga. Religions: Christian 42%, indigenous
beliefs 38%, Muslim 12%, other 7%. Languages: English (official), Akan
44%, Mole-Dagbani 16% Ewe 13%, Ga-Adangbe 8%. Education: Years
compulsory-9. Literacy-30%. Health: Infant mortality rate-(1989)
68/1,000. Life expectancy-55 yrs. Work force: 3.7 million: Agriculture
and fishing-54.7%. Industry-18.7%. Sales and clerical-15.2%.
Other-11.4%.

Government
Type: Authoritarian. Independence: March 6, 1957.
Constitution: None; Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC)
Proclamation, December 31, 1981, and PNDC Law 42 (1982).
Branches: PNDC, with a chairman and eight members, has all powers of
government.
Subdivisions: 10 regions.
Political parties: None. Suffrage: Universal at 18.
Flag: Three horizontal stripes of red, gold, and green, with a black
star in the center of the gold stripe.

Economy
GDP (1987): $5.05 billion. Real GDP growth rate (1987): 4.5%. Per capita
GDP (1987): $350. Inflation rate (1986): 25%.
Natural resources: Gold, timber, diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish.
Agriculture: Products-cocoa, coconuts, coffee, food crops, rubber.
Land-70% arable and forested.
Industry: Types-mining, lumber, light manufacturing, fishing, aluminum.
Trade (1987): Exports-$787 million: cocoa ($503 million), aluminum,
gold, timber, diamonds, manganese. Imports-$763 million: petroleum ($123
million), food, industrial raw materials, machinery, equipment. Major
trade partners-U.K., F.R.G., U.S., Nigeria.
Official exchange rate (March 1988): 230 cedis=U.S.$1.
Fiscal year: Calendar year.

Membership in International Organizations
 UN and some of its specialized and related agencies, Organization of
African Unity (OAU), Nonaligned Movement, Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS), Commonwealth.

GEOGRAPHY
 Ghana is located on West Africa's Gulf of Guinea only a few degrees
north of the Equator.  Half of the country lies less than 152 meters
(500 ft.) above sea level, and the highest point is 883 meters (2,900
ft.).  The 537-kilometer (334-mi.) coastline is mostly a low, sandy
shore backed by plains and scrub and intersected by several rivers and
streams, most of which are navigable only by canoe.  A tropical rain
forest belt, broken by heavily forested hills and many streams and
rivers, extends northward from the shore, near the Cote d'Ivoire
frontier.  This area, known as the "Ashanti," produces most of the
country's cocoa, minerals, and timber.  North of this belt, the country
varies from 91 to 396 meters (300-1,300 ft.) above sea level and is
covered by low bush, parklike savanna, and grassy plains.
 The climate is tropical.  The eastern coastal belt is warm and
comparatively dry; the southwest corner, hot and humid; and the north,
hot and dry.  There are two distinct rainy seasons in the south-May-June
and August-September; in the north, the rainy seasons tend to merge.  A
dry, northeasterly wind, the Harmattan, blows in January and February.
Annual rainfall in the coastal zone averages 83 centimeters (33 in.).
 The manmade Volta Lake extends from the Akosombo Dam in southeastern
Ghana to the town of Yapei, 520 kilometers (325 mi.) to the north.  The
lake generates electricity, provides inland transportation, and is a
potentially valuable resource for irrigation and fish farming.

PEOPLE
 Ghana's population is concentrated along the coast, in the northern
areas near the Cote d'Ivoire, and in the principal cities of Accra and
Kumasi.
 Most Ghanaians descended from migrating tribes that probably came down
the Volta River valley at the beginning of the 13th century.
Ethnically, Ghana is divided into small groups speaking more than 50
languages and dialects. Among the more important linguistic groups are
the Akans, which include the Fantis along the coast and the Ashantis in
the forest region north of the coast; the Guans, on the plains of the
Volta River; the Ga- and Ewe-speaking peoples of the south and
southeast; and the Moshi-Dagomba-speaking tribes of the northern and
upper regions.
 English, the official and commercial language, is taught in all the
schools.  About 30% of the general population is literate in English,
although the rate is much higher among the young.
 Primary- and middle-school education is tuition-free and will be
mandatory when enough teachers and facilities are available to
accommodate all the students.  Students begin their 6-year primary
education at age six.  Under educational reforms implemented in 1987,
they pass into a new junior secondary school system for 3 years of
academic training combined with technical and vocational training.
Those continuing move into the 3-year senior secondary school program.
Entrance to universities is by examination following completion of
senior secondary school.  School enrollment totals almost 2 million:
1.3 million primary; 107,600 secondary; 489,000 middle; 21,280
technical; 11,300 teacher training; and 5,600 university.

HISTORY
 The history of the Gold Coast before the last quarter of the 15th
century is derived primarily from oral tradition that refers to
migrations from the ancient kingdoms of the western Soudan (the area of
Mauritania and Mali).  The Gold Coast was renamed Ghana upon
independence in 1957 because of indications that present-day inhabitants
descended from migrants who moved south from the ancient kingdom of
Ghana.
 The first contact between Europe and the Gold Coast dates from 1470,
when a party of Portuguese landed.  In 1482, the Portuguese built Elmina
Castle as a permanent trading base. The first recorded English trading
voyage to the coast was made by Thomas Windham in 1553. During the next
three centuries, the English, Danes, Dutch, Germans, and Portuguese
controlled various parts of the coastal areas.
 In 1821, the British Government took control of the British trading
forts on the Gold Coast.  In 1844, Fanti chiefs in the area signed an
agreement with the British that became the legal steppingstone to
colonial status for the coastal area.
 From 1826 to 1900, the British fought a series of campaigns against the
Ashantis, whose kingdom was located inland.  In 1902, they succeeded in
colonizing the Ashanti region and making the northern territories a
protectorate.  British Togoland, the fourth territorial element
eventually to form the nation, was part of a former German colony
administered by the United Kingdom from Accra as a League of Nations
mandate after 1922.  In December 1946, British Togoland became a UN
Trust Territory, and in 1957, following a 1956 plebiscite, the United
Nations agreed that the territory would become part of Ghana when the
Gold Coast achieved independence.
 The four territorial divisions were administered separately until 1946,
when the British Government ruled them as a single unit.  In 1951, a
constitution was promulgated that called for a greatly enlarged
legislature composed principally of members elected by popular vote
directly or indirectly.  An executive council was responsible for
formulating policy, with most African members drawn from the legislature
and including three ex officio members appointed by the governor.
 A new constitution, approved on April 29, 1954, established a cabinet
comprising African ministers drawn from an all-African legislature
chosen by direct election.  In the elections that followed, the
Convention People's Party (CPP), led by Kwame Nkrumah, won the majority
of seats in the new Legislative Assembly.
 In May 1956, Prime Minister Nkrumah's Gold Coast government issued a
white paper containing proposals for Gold Coast independence.  The
British Government stated it would agree to a firm date for independence
if a reasonable majority for such a step were obtained in the Gold Coast
Legislative Assembly after a general election.  This election, held in
1956, returned the CPP to power with 71 of the 104 seats in the
Legislative Assembly.  Ghana became an independent state on March 6,
1957, when the United Kingdom relinquished its control over the Colony
of the Gold Coast and Ashanti, the Northern Territories Protectorate,
and British Togoland.
 In subsequent reorganizations, the country was divided into 10 regions,
which currently are subdivided into 110 districts.  The original Gold
Coast Colony now comprises the Western, Central, Eastern, and Greater
Accra Regions, with a small portion at the mouth of the Volta River
assigned to the Volta Region; the Ashanti area was divided into the
Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo Regions; the Northern Territories into the
Northern, Upper East, and Upper West Regions; and British Togoland
essentially is the same area as the Volta Region.

Post-Independence Politics
 After independence, the CPP government under Nkrumah sought to develop
Ghana as a modern, semi-industrialized, unitary socialist state.  The
government emphasized political and economic organization, endeavoring
to increase stability and productivity through labor, youth, farmers,
cooperatives, and other organizations integrated with the CPP.  The
government, according to Nkrumah, acted only as "the agent of the CPP"
in seeking to accomplish these goals.
 The CPP's control was challenged and criticized, and  Prime Minister
Nkrumah used the Preventive Detention Act (1958), which provided for
detention without trial for up to 5 years (later extended to 10 years).
On July 1, 1960, a new constitution was adopted, changing Ghana from a
parliamentary system with a prime minister to a republican form of
government headed by a powerful president.  In August 1960, Nkrumah was
given authority to scrutinize newspapers and other publications before
publication.  This political evolution continued into early 1964, when a
constitutional referendum changed the country to a one-party state.
 On February 24, 1966, the Ghanaian Army and police overthrew Nkrumah's
regime.  Nkrumah and all his ministers were dismissed, the CPP and
National Assembly were dissolved, and the constitution was suspended.
The new regime cited Nkrumah's flagrant abuse of individual rights and
liberties, his regime's corrupt, oppressive, and dictatorial practices,
and the rapidly deteriorating economy as the principal reasons for its
action.

Post-Nkrumah Politics
 The leaders of the February 24 coup established the new government
around the National Liberation Council (NLC) and pledged an early return
to a duly constituted civilian government.  Members of the judiciary and
civil service remained at their posts and committees of civil servants
were established to handle the administration of the country.
 Ghana's government returned to civilian authority under the Second
Republic in October 1969 after a parliamentary election in which the
Progress Party, led by Kofi A. Busia, won 105 of the 140 seats.  Until
mid-1970, the powers of the chief of state were held by a presidential
commission led by Brigadier A.A. Afrifa.  In a special election on
August 31, 1970, former Chief Justice Edward Akufo-Addo was chosen
president, and Dr. Busia became prime minister.
 Faced with mounting economic problems, Prime Minister Busia's
government undertook a drastic devaluation of the currency in December
1971.  The government's inability to control the subsequent inflationary
pressures stimulated further discontent, and military officers seized
power in a bloodless coup on January 13, 1972.
 The coup leaders, led by Col. I.K. Acheampong, formed the National
Redemption Council (NRC) to which they admitted other officers, the head
of the police, and one civilian.  The NRC promised improvements in the
quality of life for all Ghanaians and based its programs on nationalism,
economic development, and self-reliance.  In 1975, a government
reorganization resulted in the NRC's replacement by the Supreme Military
Council (SMC), also headed by now-Gen. Acheampong.
 Unable to deliver on its promises, the NRC/SMC became increasingly
marked by mismanagement and rampant corruption.  In 1977, Gen.
Acheampong brought forward the concept of union government (UNIGOV),
which would make Ghana a nonparty state.  Perceiving this as a ploy by
Acheampong to retain power, professional groups and students launched
strikes and demonstrations against the government in 1977 and 1978.  The
steady erosion in Acheampong's power led to his arrest in July 1978 by
his chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Frederick Akuffo, who replaced him as head
of state and leader of what became known as the SMC-2.
 Akuffo abandoned UNIGOV and established a plan to return to
constitutional and democratic government.  A Constitutional Assembly was
established, and political party activity was revived.  Akuffo was
unable to solve Ghana's economic problems, however, or to reduce the
rampant corruption in which senior military officers played a major
role.  On June 4, 1979, his government was deposed in a violent coup by
a group of junior and noncommissioned officers-Armed Forces
Revolutionary Council (AFRC)-with Flight Lt. Jerry John Rawlings as its
chairman.
 The AFRC executed eight senior military officers, including former
chiefs of state Acheampong and Akuffo;  established Special Tribunals
that, secretly and without due process, tried dozens of military
officers, other government officials, and private individuals for
corruption, sentencing them to long prison terms and confiscating their
property; and, through a combination of force and exhortation, attempted
to rid Ghanaian society of corruption and profiteering.  At the same
time, the AFRC accepted, with a few amendments, the draft constitution
that had been submitted, permitted the scheduled presidential and
parliamentary elections to take place in June and July, promulgated the
constitution, and handed over power to the newly elected president and
parliament of the Third Republic on September 24, 1979.
 The 1979 constitution was modeled on those of Western democracies.  It
provided for the separation of powers among an elected president and a
unicameral parliament, an independent judiciary headed by a Supreme
Court, which protected individual rights, and other autonomous
institutions, such as the Electoral Commissioner and the Ombudsman.  The
new president, Dr. Hilla Limann, was a career diplomat from the north
and the candidate of the People's National Party (PDP), the political
heir of Nkrumah's CPP.  Of the 140 members of parliament, 71 were PNP.
 The PNP government established the constitutional institutions and
generally respected democracy and individual human rights.  It failed,

however, to halt the continuing decline in the economy; corruption
flourished, and the gap between rich and poor widened.  On December 31,
1981, Flight Lt. Rawlings and a small group of enlisted and former
soldiers launched a coup that succeeded against little opposition in
toppling President Limann.

GOVERNMENT
 Rawlings and his colleagues suspended the 1979 constitution, dismissed
the president and his cabinet, dissolved the parliament, and proscribed
existing political parties.  They established the Provisional National
Defense Council (PNDC), initially composed of seven members with
Rawlings as chairman, to exercise executive and legislative powers.  The
existing judicial system was preserved, but alongside it the PNDC
created the National Investigation Committee to root out corruption and
other economic offenses, the anonymous Citizens' Vetting Committee to
punish tax evasion, and the Public Tribunals to try various crimes.  The
PNDC proclaimed its intent to allow the people to exercise political
power through defense committees to be established in communities,
workplaces, and in units of the armed forces and police.  Under the
PNDC, Ghana remained a unitary government.
 In December 1982, the PNDC announced a plan to decentralize government
from Accra to the regions, the districts, and local communities, but it
maintained overall control by appointing regional and district
secretaries who exercised executive powers and also chaired regional and
district councils.  Local councils, however, were expected progressively
to take over the payment of salaries, with regions and districts
assuming more powers from the national government.  In 1984, the PNDC
created a National Appeals Tribunal to hear appeals from the public
tribunals, changed the Citizens' Vetting Committee into the Office of
Revenue Collection and replaced the system of defense committees with
Committees for the Defense of the Revolution.
 In 1984 ,the PNDC also created a National Commission on Democracy to
study ways to establish participatory democracy in Ghana.  The
commission issued a "Blue Book" in July 1987 outlining modalities for
district-level elections, which were held in late 1988 and early 1989,
for newly created district assemblies.  One- third of the assembly
members are appointed by the government.  No provision has been made for
regional or national elections.  Ghana continues to be governed by PNDC
directives and without a constitution.

Principal Government Officials
Members of the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC)
Chairman and Head of State-Flight Lt. (ret.) Jerry John Rawlings
Foreign Affairs and Security-Capt. (ret.) Kojo Tsikata
Coordinating Secretary and Chairman of the Committee of Secretaries-P.V.
Obeng
Chairman of the National Commission for Democracy-Justice D.F. Annan
Secretary for Defense-Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu
Lt. Gen. Arnold Quainoo
Army Commander-Maj. Gen. Winston C.M. Mensa-Wood Ebo Tawiah
Dr. Mary Grant
PNDC Secretaries
Finance and Economic Planning-Dr. Kwesi Botchwey
Foreign Affairs-Dr. Obed Yaw Asamoah
Ambassador to the United States-Eric Otoo
Permanent Representative to the United Nations-J.V. Gbeho

 Ghana maintains an embassy in the United States at 3512 International
Drive, NW., Washington, D.C. 20008 (tel. [phone]).  Its permanent
mission to the United Nations is located at 19 E. 47th Street., New
York, N.Y. 10017 (tel. [phone]).

ECONOMY
 By West African standards, Ghana has a diverse and rich resource base.
The country is mainly agricultural, however, with 55% of its workers
engaged in farming.  Cash crops consist primarily of cocoa and cocoa
products (which provide about two-thirds of export revenues), timber
products, coconuts and other palm products, shea nuts (which produce an
edible fat), and coffee.  Cassava, yams, plantains, corn, rice, peanuts,
millet, and sorghum are the basic foodstuffs.  Fish, poultry, and meat
also are important dietary staples.
 Minerals-principally gold, diamonds, manganese ore, and bauxite-are
produced and exported.  The only commercial oil well has been closed,
but signs of natural gas are being studied for power generation, while
exploration continues for other oil and gas resources.
 Ghana's industrial base is relatively advanced compared to many other
African countries.  Import-substitution industries include textiles;
steel (using scrap); tires; oil refining; flour milling; beverages;
tobacco; simple consumer goods; and car, truck, and bus assembly.
However, these industries depend on imports for most of their raw
materials and, due to depressed demand and other problems, currently are
running far below capacity.

Economic Development
 At independence, Ghana had a substantial physical and social
infrastructure and $481 million in foreign reserves.  The Nkrumah
government further developed the infrastructure and made important
public investments in the industrial sector.  With assistance from the
United States, the World Bank, and the United Kingdom, construction of
the Akosombo Dam was completed on the Volta River in 1966.  Two U.S.
companies built Valco, Africa's largest aluminum smelter, to use power
generated at the dam.  Aluminum exports from Valco are a major source of
foreign exchange for Ghana.
 Many Nkrumah-era investments were monumental public works projects and
poorly conceived, badly managed agricultural and industrial schemes.
With cocoa prices falling and the country's foreign exchange reserves
fast disappearing, the government resorted to supplier credits to
finance many projects.  By the mid-1960s, Ghana's reserves were gone,
and the country could not meet repayment schedules.  To rationalize, the
National Liberation Council abandoned unprofitable projects, and some
inefficient state-owned enterprises were sold to private investors.
Ghana's creditors agreed to three reschedulings of repayments due on
Nkrumah-era supplier credits.  Led by the United States, foreign donors
provided import loans to enable the foreign exchange-strapped government
to import essential commodities.
 Prime Minister Busia's government (1969-72) liberalized controls to
attract foreign investment and to encourage domestic entrepreneurship.
Investors were cautious, however, and cocoa prices began declining again
while imports surged, precipitating a serious trade deficit.  Despite
considerable foreign assistance and some debt relief, the Busia regime
also was unable to overcome the inherited restraints on growth posed by
the debt burden, balance-of-payments imbalances, foreign exchange
shortages, and mismanagement.
 Although foreign aid helped prevent economic collapse and was
responsible for subsequent improvements in many sectors, the economy
stagnated in the 10-year period preceding the NRC takeover in 1972.
Population growth offset the modest increase in gross domestic product,
and real earnings declined for many Ghanaians.
 To restructure the economy, the NRC, under General Acheampong
(1972-78), undertook an austerity program that emphasized self-reliance,
particularly in food production.  These plans were not realized,
however, primarily because of post-1973 oil price increases and a
drought in 1975-77 that particularly affected northern Ghana.  The NRC,
which had inherited foreign debts of almost $1 billion, abrogated
existing rescheduling arrangements for some debts and rejected other
repayments.  After creditors objected to this unilateral action, a 1974
agreement rescheduled the medium-term debt on liberal terms.  The NRC
also imposed the Investment Policy Decree of 1975-effective on January
1977-that required 51 % Ghanaian equity participation in most foreign
firms, but the government took 40% in specified industries.  Many shares
were sold directly to the public.
 Continued mismanagement of the economy, record inflation (more than
100% in 1977), and increasing corruption, notably at the highest
political levels, led to growing dissatisfaction.  The post-July 1978
military regime led by General Akuffo attempted to deal with Ghana's
economic problems by making small changes in the overvalued cedi and by
restraining government spending and monetary growth.  Under a 1-year
standby agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in January
1979, the government promised to undertake economic reforms, including a
reduction of the budget deficit, in return for a $68 million IMF support
program and $27 million in IMF Trust Fund loans.  The agreement became
inoperative, however, after the June 4 coup that brought Flight
Lieutenant Rawlings and the AFRC to power for 4 months.
  In September 1979, the civilian government of Hilla Limann inherited
declining per capita income; stagnant industrial and agricultural
production due to inadequate imported supplies; shortages of imported
and locally produced goods; a sizable budget deficit (almost 40% of
expenditures in 1979); high inflation, "moderating" to 54% in 1979; an
increasingly overvalued cedi; flourishing smuggling and other
black-market activities; unemployment and underemployment, particularly
among urban youth; deterioration in the transport network; and continued
foreign exchange constraints.
 Limann's PDP government announced yet another (2-year) reconstruction
program, emphasizing increased food production and productivity,
exports, and transport improvements.  Import austerity was imposed and
external payments arrears cut.  However, declining cocoa production
combined with falling cocoa prices, while oil prices soared.  No
effective measures were taken to reduce rampant corruption and black
marketing.
 When Rawlings again seized power at the end of 1981, cocoa output had
fallen to half the 1970-71 level and its world price to one-third the
1975 level.  By 1982, oil would constitute half of Ghana's imports,
while overall trade contracted greatly.  Internal transport had slowed
to a crawl, and inflation remained high.  During Rawlings' first year,
the economy was stagnant.  Industry ran at about 10% of capacity due to
the chronic shortage of foreign exchange to cover the importation of
required raw materials and replacement parts.  Economic conditions
deteriorated further in early 1983 when Nigeria expelled an estimated 1
million Ghanaians who had to be absorbed by Ghana.
 In April 1983, in coordination with the IMF, the PNDC launched an
economic recovery program, perhaps the most stringent and consistent to
date in Africa-aimed at reopening infrastructural bottlenecks and
reviving moribund productive sectors: agriculture, mining, and timber.
The largely distorted exchange rate and prices were realigned to
encourage production and exports.  Increased fiscal and monetary
discipline was imposed to curb inflation and to focus on priorities.
Through November 1987, the cedi was devalued by more than 6,300%, and
widespread direct price controls were substantially reduced.
 The economy's response to these reforms was initially hampered by the
absorption of the returnees from Nigeria, the onset of the worst drought
since independence, which brought on widespread bushfires and forced
closure of the aluminum smelter and severe power cuts for industry, and
decline in foreign aid.  In 1985, the country absorbed an additional
100,000 expellees from Nigeria.  In 1987, cocoa prices began declining
again; however, initial infrastructural repairs, improved weather, and
producer incentives and support recently have revived output.  During
1984-88 the economy experienced solid growth for the first time since
1978.  Renewed exports, aid inflows, and a foreign exchange auction have
eased hard currency constraints.
 Since an initial August 1983 IMF standby agreement, the economic
recovery program has been supported by three IMF standbys and two other
credits totaling $611 million, $1.1 billion from the World Bank, and
hundreds of millions of dollars more from other donors.  In November
1987, the IMF approved a $318 million
3-year extended fund facility.  The second phase (1987-90) of the
recovery program  will concentrate on economic restructuring and
revitalizing social services.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
 Ghana is active in the United Nations and many of its specialized
agencies, the Nonaligned Movement, the Organization of African Unity
(OAU), and the Economic Community of West African States.  Generally, it
follows the consensus of the Nonaligned Movement and the OAU on economic
and political issues not directly affecting its own interests.  Ghana
frequently has contributed troops to UN peacekeeping activities,
including the UN Interim Force in Lebanon and the UN Good Offices
Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  The PNDC professes revolutionary
ties with Cuba, Libya, and other "progressive" nonaligned governments
and has been critical of the "neocolonial" Western international
economic system.  At the same time, the PNDC desires friendly relations
with all states, regardless of ideology.

U.S.-GHANAIAN RELATIONS
 The United States has enjoyed good relations with Ghana at the
nonofficial, personal level since Ghana's independence.  Thousands of
Ghanaians have been educated in the United States.  Close relations are
maintained between educational and scientific institutions, and cultural
links, particularly between Ghanaians and Afro-Americans, are strong.
 U.S.-Ghanaian official relations, however, have been strained.  On
several occasions since it came to power on December 31, 1981, the PNDC
has voiced suspicions that the United States opposed its revolution and
was sympathetic to various Ghanaian opposition movements.  Such baseless
allegations have been given wide circulation, especially by the
government-controlled media.  On March 31, 1983, a leading official of
the PNDC made false public accusations; the United States responded by
freezing development aid.  After a meeting with Chairman Rawlings on
October 19, 1983, the U.S. Ambassador acknowledged that relations had
improved and announced the partial resumption of development aid.
Complete resumption occurred in July 1984.  In 1985, bilateral relations
reached another low point following various Ghanaian allegations against
the United States.
 Currently, both sides are working to improve bilateral relations.
Since September 1984 the United States has supported Ghana's Economic
Recovery Program.  In addition, the United States has participated in
meetings in Paris of the consultative group on Ghana, the most recent of
which was held on February 28 and March 1, 1989.  Donor countries and
institutions pledged more than $900 million in aid for 1989.
 The United States usually is among Ghana's principal trading partners.
The American privately owned VALCO aluminum smelter imports much of its
supplies from, and exports almost all the aluminum ingots to, the United
States.  Due to Ghana's economic crisis and the 18-month,
drought-induced closure of the smelter, bilateral trade contracted
sharply during the early 1980s.  By 1986, however, more than half the
loss had been recovered, with U.S. exports to Ghana reaching $84 million
that year, and imports from Ghana totaling $201 million.

 With a replacement value of more than $500 million, U.S. investments in
Ghana form one of the largest stocks of foreign capital.  VALCO (90%
owned by Kaiser, and 10% by Reynolds) is by far the biggest investment,
but other important U.S. companies operating in the country include
Mobil, S.C. Johnson, Ralston Purina, Star-Kist, A.H. Robins, Sterling,
Pfizer, IBM, and National Cash Register (NCR).  Several U.S. firms
recently made or are considering investments in Ghana, primarily in gold
mining, wood products, and petroleum; in mid-1987, AMOCO concluded an
oil exploration agreement.
 U.S. economic assistance to Ghana in fiscal year 1989 totaled $21
million in new commitments, which included $6.5 million in nonproject
assistance for the agricultural sector, $1.5 million in project
assistance for health and human resources development, $6 million in
food aid under the P.L. 480 Title I program, and $7 million in project
food commodities under PL 480 Title II.  The Peace Corps program in
Ghana is the oldest in the world.  Currently, there are some 100
volunteers in Ghana.  More than half work in education, and the others
in various fields such as agriculture, rural development, fisheries, and
women in development.

Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador-Raymond C. Ewing
Deputy Chief of Mission-John C. Holzman
Political Counselor-John L. Berntsen
Economic Officer-Martha Kelley
Consular Officer-Richard Gonzalez
Director, AID Mission-F. Gary Towery
Public Affairs Officer-Daniel McGaffie
Director, Peace Corps-James Lassiter

 The U.S. Embassy is on Ring Road East, near Danquah Circle, Accra (tel.
775347/8/9).  The mailing address is P.O. Box 194, Accra, Ghana.

FURTHER INFORMATION:
 These titles are provided as a general indication of material published
on this country.  The Department of State does not endorse unofficial
publications.

 Agyeman-Bado, Yaw and Osei-Hwedie, Kwaku.  The Political Economy of
Instability: Colonial Legacy, Inequality and Instability in Ghana.
Lawrenceville, Virginia: Brunswick Press, 1982.
 Amonoo, Ben.  Ghana, 1957-1966: The Politics of Institutional Dualism.
London and Boston: Allen & Unwin, 1981.
 Austin, Dennis and Luckham, Robin, eds.  Politicians and Soldiers in
Ghana.  London: Cass, 1976.
 Davidson, Basil.  Ghana: An African Portrait.  New York: Aperture
Press, 1976
 Gray, Paul S.  Unions and Leaders in Ghana: Model of Labor and
Development.  Owerri, New York: Conch Magazine, Ltd., 1980.
 Harris, Elizabeth.  Ghana, a Travel Guide.    Flushing, New York: Aburi
Press, 1977.
 Kennedy, Paul T.  Ghanaian Businessmen: From Artisan to Capitalist
Entrepreneur in a Dependent Economy.  Munchen: Weltforum Verlag, 1980.
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Hoover Institution Press, 1975.
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Methuen, 1972.
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 Available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government
Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402:
American University.  Area Handbook for Ghana.  1983.

TRAVEL NOTES:
 Climate and clothing:  Accra's temperature varies between 24 oC and 37
oC (76 oF- 98 oF).  Humidity is highest at dawn and falls each day from
93.5% to 66%.  Bring hot weather clothes and an umbrella for the rainy
seasons.
 Health:  Do not eat raw fruits and vegetables or undercooked meats.
Tap water is not potable.  Do not swim in freshwater streams or lagoons,
which may be infected with bilharzia.
 Telecommunications:  International communications from Ghana are
inadequate, and the visitor may experience difficulties and delays in
placing an international call.
 Tourist attractions:  Points of interest in and around Accra include
the National Museum, Aburi Botanical Gardens, Black Star Square, the
Arts Council Handicraft Center, and the burial place of W.E.B. DuBois.
Kumasi is the capital of the Ashanti Region.  The area is rich in
traditional Ghanaian crafts such as weaving, woodcarving, and bronze
work.  Places of interest include the National Cultural Center, the zoo,
and Manhyia Palace (home of the Ashanti chief).

Published by the United States Department of State --  Bureau of Public
Affairs  -- Office of  Public Communication --  Washington, D.C.February
1990 -- Editor: Juanita Adams
 Department of State Publication 8089 -- Background Notes Series  --
This material is in the public domain and may  be reprinted without
permission; citation of this source is appreciated.  For sale by the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington,
D.C.  20402.(###)



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