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more about ghana
ghana |
2 definitions found From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: Ghana n : a republic in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea; "Ghana was colonized as the Gold Coast by the British" [syn: {Ghana}, {Gold Coast}] From The CIA World Factbook (1995) [world95]: Ghana 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 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) 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% 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] (202) 686-4520 FAX: [1] (202) 686-4527 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 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 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 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 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 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)
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