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Ghana

Ghana

The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south.

Country name:

  • conventional long form: Republic of Ghana
  • conventional short form: Ghana
  • former: Gold Coast

Nationality:

  • noun: Ghanaian(s)
  • adjective: Ghanaian

Capital:

  • name: Accra
  • geographic coordinates: 5 33 N, 0 13 W
  • time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Independence:

  • 6 March 1957 (from UK)

Population:

  • 23,382,848
  • 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

  • 1.928% (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

  • 3.1% (2003 est.)

Ethnic groups:

  • 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)

Religions:

  • 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)

Languages:

  • 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 36.1% (includes English (official)
  • (2000 census)

Literacy:

  • definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  • total population: 57.9%
  • male: 66.4%
  • female: 49.8% (2000 census)

Government type:

  • constitutional democracy

Location:

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

Area - comparative:

  • slightly smaller than Oregon

Climate:

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

Natural resources:

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

Economy - overview:

Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly twice the per capita output of the poorest countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance. Gold and cocoa production, and inh3idual remittances, are major sources of foreign exchange. The domestic economy continues to revolve around agriculture, which accounts for about 35% of GDP and employs about 55% of the work force, mainly small landholders. 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. Thematic priorities under its current Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy, which also provides the framework for development partner assistance, are: 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 2007. Ghana signed a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact in 2006, which aims to assist in transforming Ghana's agricultural sector.

GDP - real growth rate:

  • 6.4% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

  • $1,400 (2007 est.)

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. 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. Kufuor is constitutionally barred from running for a third term in upcoming Presidential elections, which are scheduled for December 2008.

Environment - current issues:

  • 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

For more info please contact:
African Studies
(310) 825-3686
africa@international.ucla.edu