Wayzata World Factbook 1996/The World Factbook - 1996 Edition - Wayzata Technology (3079) (1996).iso/pc/text/ciatxtpc/ghana.cia

Text File | 1995-12-07 | 12.1 KB | 380 lines

                             THE WORLD FACTBOOK
                                      Ghana
                                    Geography


Location:
    Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire
    and Togo
Map references:
    Africa
Area:
  total area:
    238,540 sq km
  land area:
    230,020 sq km
  comparative area:
    slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
    total 2,093 km, Burkina 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km
Coastline:
    539 km
Maritime claims:
  contiguous zone:
    24 nm
  continental shelf:
    200 nm
  exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  territorial sea:
    12 nm
International disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in
    southwest; hot and dry in north
Terrain:
    mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Natural resources:
    gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber
Land use:
  arable land:
    5%
  permanent crops:
    7%
  meadows and pastures:
    15%
  forest and woodland:
    37%
  other:
    36%
Irrigated land:
    80 sq km (1989)
Environment:
  current issues:
    recent drought in north severely affecting agricultural activities;
    deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction
    threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of
    potable water
  natural hazards:
    dry, dusty, harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts
                             THE WORLD FACTBOOK
                                      Ghana
                                    Geography
  international agreements:
    party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law
    of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
    Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change,
    Desertification, Marine Life Conservation
Note:
    Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake; northeasterly harmattan
    wind (January to March)
                             THE WORLD FACTBOOK
                                      Ghana
                                     People


Population:
    17,763,138 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
  0-14 years:
    46% (female 4,030,154; male 4,069,945)
  15-64 years:
    51% (female 4,638,451; male 4,494,533)
  65 years and over:
    3% (female 276,186; male 253,869) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate:
    3.06% (1995 est.)
Birth rate:
    43.57 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate:
    12.02 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate:
    -0.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
    81.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
  total population:
    55.85 years
  male:
    53.88 years
  female:
    57.88 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate:
    6.09 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
  noun:
    Ghanaian(s)
  adjective:
    Ghanaian
Ethnic divisions:
    black African 99.8% (major tribes - Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga
    8%), European and other 0.2%
Religions:
    indigenous beliefs 38%, Muslim 30%, Christian 24%, other 8%
Languages:
    English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe,
    and Ga)
Literacy:
    age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
  total population:
    60%
  male:
    70%
  female:
    51%
Labor force:
    3.7 million
  by occupation:
    agriculture and fishing 54.7%, industry 18.7%, sales and clerical 15.2%,
    services, transportation, and communications 7.7%, professional 3.7%
                             THE WORLD FACTBOOK
                                      Ghana
                                   Government


Names:
  conventional long form:
    Republic of Ghana
  conventional short form:
    Ghana
  former:
    Gold Coast
Digraph:
    GH
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:
    new 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 and head of government:
    President Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 3 November 1992) election last held 3
    November 1992 (next to be held November 1996); results - opposition
    boycotted the election, the National Democratic Congress won 198 of the
    total 200 seats and 2 seats were won by independents
  cabinet:
    Cabinet; president nominates members subject to approval by the Parliament
Legislative branch:
    unicameral
  National Assembly:
    elections last held 29 December 1992 (next to be held December 1996);
    results - opposition boycotted the election; the National Democratic
    Congress won 198 0f 200 total seats and independents won 2
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
    National Democratic Congress, Jerry John RAWLINGS; New Patriotic Party,
    Albert Adu BOAHEN; People's Heritage Party, Alex ERSKINE; various other
    smaller parties
Member of:
    ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
    ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
    IOM (observer), ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
    UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
  chief of mission:
    Ambassador Ekwow SPIO-GARBRAH
  chancery:
    3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone:
    [1] [phone]
                             THE WORLD FACTBOOK
                                      Ghana
                                   Government
  FAX:
    [1] [phone]
  consulate(s) general:
    New York
US diplomatic representation:
  chief of mission:
    Ambassador Kenneth L. BROWN (scheduled to leave in June 1995)
  embassy:
    Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra
  mailing address:
    P. O. Box 194, Accra
  telephone:
    [233] (21) 775348, 775349, 775297, 775298
  FAX:
    [233] (21) 776008
Flag:
    three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a large
    black five-pointed star centered in the gold 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
                             THE WORLD FACTBOOK
                                      Ghana
                                     Economy


Overview:
    Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana is relatively well off, having
    twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Heavily
    reliant on international assistance, Ghana has made steady progress in
    liberalizing its economy since 1983. Overall growth continued at a rate of
    approximately 5% in 1994, due largely to increased gold, timber, and cocoa
    production - major sources of foreign exchange. The economy, however,
    continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 45%
    of GDP and employs 55% of the work force, mainly small landholders. Public
    sector wage increases, regional peacekeeping commitments, and the
    containment of internal unrest in the underdeveloped north have placed
    substantial demands on the government's budget and have led to inflationary
    deficit financing and a 27% depreciation of the cedi in 1994.
National product:
    GDP - purchasing power parity - $22.6 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate:
    5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita:
    $1,310 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    25% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    10% (1991)
Budget:
  revenues:
    $1.05 billion
  expenditures:
    $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $178 million (1993)
Exports:
    $1 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
  commodities:
    cocoa 40%, gold, timber, tuna, bauxite, and aluminum
  partners:
    Germany 31%, US 12%, UK 11%, Netherlands 6%, Japan 5% (1991)
Imports:
    $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
  commodities:
    petroleum 16%, consumer goods, foods, intermediate goods, capital equipment
  partners:
    UK 22%, US 11%, Germany 9%, Japan 6%
External debt:
    $4.6 billion (December 1993 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 3.4% in manufacturing (1993); accounts for almost 15% of GDP
Electricity:
  capacity:
    1,180,000 kW
  production:
    6.1 billion kWh
  consumption per capita:
    323 kWh (1993)
Industries:
    mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum, food processing
Agriculture:
    accounts for almost 50% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); the major
    cash crop is cocoa; other principal crops - rice, coffee, cassava, peanuts,
    corn, shea nuts, timber; normally self-sufficient in food
                             THE WORLD FACTBOOK
                                      Ghana
                                     Economy
Illicit drugs:
    illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; transit hub
    for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin destined for Europe and the US
Economic aid:
  recipient:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $455 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.6 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $78 million; Communist countries (1970-89) $106
    million
Currency:
    1 new cedi (C) = 100 pesewas
Exchange rates:
    new cedis per US$1 - 1,046.74 (December 1994), 936.71 (1994), 649.06 (1993),
    437.09 (1992), 367.83 (1991), 326.33 (1990)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year
                             THE WORLD FACTBOOK
                                      Ghana
                                 Transportation


Railroads:
  total:
    953 km; note - undergoing major renovation
  narrow gauge:
    953 km 1.067-m gauge (32 km double track)
Highways:
  total:
    32,250 km
  paved:
    concrete, bituminous 6,084 km
  unpaved:
    gravel, crushed stone, improved earth 26,166 km
Inland waterways:
    Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers provide 168 km of perennial navigation for
    launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 km of arterial and feeder
    waterways
Pipelines:
    none
Ports:
    Takoradi, Tema
Merchant marine:
  total:
    3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,427 GRT/35,894 DWT
  ships by type:
    cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1
Airports:
  total:
    12
  with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:
    3
  with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:
    1
  with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
    2
  with paved runways under 914 m:
    2
  with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m:
    2
  with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
    2
                             THE WORLD FACTBOOK
                                      Ghana
                                 Communications


Telephone system:
    42,300 telephones; poor to fair system; telephone density - 2.4/1,000
    persons
  local:
    NA
  intercity:
    primarily microwave radio relay
  international:
    1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Radio:
  broadcast stations:
    AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0
  radios:
    NA
Television:
  broadcast stations:
    4 (translators 8)
  televisions:
    NA
                             THE WORLD FACTBOOK
                                      Ghana
                                 Defense Forces


Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force, Palace Guard, Civil Defense
Manpower availability:
    males age 15-49 3,975,767; males fit for military service 2,217,032; males
    reach military age (18) annually 170,723 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $108 million, 1.5% of GDP (1993)