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. Ghana endured a long series of coups before Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS took power in 1981 and banned political parties. After approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992, RAWLINGS won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996 but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John KUFUOR succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS took over as head of state in early 2009.

Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo

8 00 N, 2 00 W

Africa

slightly smaller than Oregon

539 km

tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north

mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area

gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone

340 sq km (2003)

53.2 cu km (2001)

dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds from January to March; droughts

recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water

Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake by surface area (8,482 sq km; 3,275 sq mi)

Akan 45.3%, Mole-Dagbon 15.2%, Ewe 11.7%, Ga-Dangme 7.3%, Guan 4%, Gurma 3.6%, Grusi 2.6%, Mande-Busanga 1%, other tribes 1.4%, other 7.8% (2000 census)

Asante 14.8%, Ewe 12.7%, Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%, Dangme 4.3%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.7%, Akyem 3.4%, Ga 3.4%, Akuapem 2.9%, other (includes English (official)) 36.1% (2000 census)

Christian 68.8% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 24.1%, Protestant 18.6%, Catholic 15.1%, other 11%), Muslim 15.9%, traditional 8.5%, other 0.7%, none 6.1% (2000 census)

24,652,402 (July 2012 est.)

1.787% (2012 est.)

26.99 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

8.57 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

-0.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

ACCRA (capital) 2.269 million; Kumasi 1.773 million (2009)

350 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

4.15 children born/woman (2012 est.)

10.6% of GDP (2009)

0.085 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

0.93 beds/1,000 population (2009)

1.8% (2009 est.)

260,000 (2009 est.)

18,000 (2009 est.)

14.3% (2008)

5.4% of GDP (2005)

constitutional democracy

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

6 March 1957 (from the UK)

Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

approved 28 April 1992

mixed system of English common law and customary law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

unicameral Parliament (230 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote in single-seat constituencies to serve four-year terms)

Supreme Court; High Court; Court of Appeal; regional tribunals

Convention People's Party or CPP [Ladi NYLANDER]; Democratic Freedom Party or DFP [Alhaji Abudu Rahman ISSAKAH]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan LARTEY]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Kwabena ADJEI]; New Patriotic Party or NPP [Jake OBETSEBI-LAMPEY]; People's National Convention or PNC [Alhaji Amed RAMADAN]; Reform Party [Kyeretwie OPUKU]; United Renaissance Party or URP [Charles WAYO]

Christian Aid (water rights); Committee for Joint Action or CJA (education reform); National Coalition Against the Privatization of Water or CAP (water rights); Oxfam (water rights); Public Citizen (water rights); Students Coalition Against EPA [Kwabena Ososukene OKAI] (education reform); Third World Network (education reform)

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green, with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; red symbolizes the blood shed for independence, yellow represents the country's mineral wealth, while green stands for its forests and natural wealth; the black star is said to be the lodestar of African freedom

black star; golden eagle

Ghana's economy has been strengthened by a quarter century of relatively sound management, a competitive business environment, and sustained reductions in poverty levels. Ghana is well endowed with natural resources and agriculture accounts for roughly one-quarter of GDP and employs more than half of the workforce, mainly small landholders. The services sector accounts for 50% of GDP. Gold and cocoa production and individual remittances are major sources of foreign exchange. Oil production at Ghana's offshore Jubilee field began in mid-December, 2010, and is expected to boost economic growth. President MILLS faces challenges in managing new oil revenue while maintaining fiscal discipline and resisting debt accumulation. Estimated oil reserves have jumped to almost 700 million barrels. Ghana signed a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact in 2006, which aims to assist in transforming Ghana's agricultural sector. Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program in 2002, and is also benefiting from the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative that took effect in 2006. In 2009 Ghana signed a three-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF to improve macroeconomic stability, private sector competitiveness, human resource development, and good governance and civic responsibility. Sound macro-economic management along with high prices for gold and cocoa helped sustain GDP growth in 2008-11.

$75.9 billion (2011 est.)

$66.81 billion (2010 est.)

$62.02 billion (2009 est.)

$37.16 billion (2011 est.)

13.6% (2011 est.)

7.7% (2010 est.)

4% (2009 est.)

$3,100 (2011 est.)

$2,800 (2010 est.)

$2,700 (2009 est.)

11.44 million (2011 est.)

11% (2000 est.)

28.5% (2007 est.)

39.4 (2005-06)

40.7 (1999)

19.9% of GDP (2011 est.)

23.7% of GDP (2011 est.)

-4.3% of GDP (2011 est.)

36.2% of GDP (2011 est.)

33.9% of GDP (2010 est.)

8.7% (2011 est.)

10.7% (2010 est.)

18% (31 December 2009)

17% (31 December 2008)

20.6% (31 December 2011 est.)

22.7% (31 December 2010 est.)

$7.781 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$4.529 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$11.79 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$9.252 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$10.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$8.862 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$3.097 billion (31 December 2011)

$3.531 billion (31 December 2010)

$2.508 billion (31 December 2009)

cocoa, rice, cassava (manioc), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber

mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building

5% (2010 est.)

-$2.895 billion (2011 est.)

-$2.701 billion (2010 est.)

$12.75 billion (2011 est.)

$7.96 billion (2010 est.)

gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds, horticultural products

France 19.5%, Netherlands 10.4%, US 8.8%, Italy 8.3%, UK 4.8% (2011)

$15.32 billion (2011 est.)

$10.92 billion (2010 est.)

capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs

China 20.5%, Nigeria 12.4%, US 7.8%, India 5.1%, Netherlands 5.1%, UK 4.2% (2011)

$4.81 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$4.725 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$7.511 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$6.541 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$NA

$NA

cedis (GHC) per US dollar -

1.512 (2011 est.)

1.431 (2010 est.)

1.409 (2009)

1.1 (2008)

0.95 (2007)

calendar year

8.764 billion kWh (2009 est.)

6.122 billion kWh (2009 est.)

752 million kWh (2009 est.)

198 million kWh (2009 est.)

1.985 million kW (2009 est.)

40.6% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

59.4% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

72,580 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

43,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

660 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

27,260 bbl/day (2008 est.)

61,590 bbl/day (2011 est.)

7,275 bbl/day (2008 est.)

24,390 bbl/day (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

120 million cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

120 million cu m (2010 est.)

22.65 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

10.58 million Mt (2010 est.)

284,700 (2011)

21.166 million (2011)

state-owned TV station, 2 state-owned radio networks; several privately-owned TV stations and a large number of privately-owned radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are accessible; several cable and satellite TV subscription services are obtainable (2007)

.gh

60,282 (2010)

1.297 million (2009)

10 (2012)

gas 1 km; oil 5 km; refined products 312 km (2010)

1,293 km (168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta) (2011)

Takoradi, Tema

Ghana Army, Ghana Navy, Ghana Air Force (2012)

18-26 years of age for voluntary military service, with basic education certificate; no conscription; must be HIV/AIDS negative (2012)

1.7% of GDP (2009)

Ghana struggles to accommodate returning nationals who worked in the cocoa plantations and escaped fighting in Cote d'Ivoire

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 money laundering problem, but the lack of a well developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money laundering center; significant domestic cocaine and cannabis use