Ghana CIA Facts Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold...

Ghana Cia 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 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 of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS of the National Democratic Congress won the 2008 presidential election and took over as head of state. MILLS died in July 2012 and was constitutionally succeeded by his vice president, John Dramani MAHAMA, who subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election. In 2016, Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO of the NPP defeated MAHAMA, marking the third time that Ghana’s presidency has changed parties since the return to democracy.

 

Location

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

 

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 2 00 W

 

Map references

Africa

 

Area

total: 238,533 sq km

 

land: 227,533 sq km

 

water: 11,000 sq km

 

country comparison to the world: 82

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Oregon

 

Land boundaries

total: 2,420 km

 

border countries (3): Burkina Faso 602 km, Cote d'Ivoire 720 km, Togo 1098 km

 

Coastline

539 km

 

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

 

contiguous zone: 24 nm

 

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

 

continental shelf: 200 nm

 

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

 

Elevation

highest point: Mount Afadjato 885 m

 

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

 

mean elevation: 190 m

 

Natural resources

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

 

Population distribution

population is concentrated in the southern half of the country, with the highest concentrations being on or near the Atlantic coast as shown in this population distribution map

 

Natural hazards

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

 

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

 

signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

 

People and Society

Population

32,372,889 (July 2021 est.)

 

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

 

country comparison to the world: 44

Nationality noun: Ghanaian(s)

Ethnic groups

Akan 47.5%, Mole-Dagbon 16.6%, Ewe 13.9%, Ga-Dangme 7.4%, Gurma 5.7%, Guan 3.7%, Grusi 2.5%, Mande 1.1%, other 1.4% (2010 est.)

 

Languages

English is the official language

Asante 16%, Ewe 14%, Fante 11.6%, Boron (Brong) 4.9%, Dagomba 4.4%, Dangme 4.2%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.9%, Kokomba 3.5%, Akyem 3.2%, Ga 3.1%, other 31.2% (2010 est.)

 

note:

 

Religions

Christian 71.2% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 28.3%, Protestant 18.4%, Catholic 13.1%, other 11.4%), Muslim 17.6%, traditional 5.2%, other 0.8%, none 5.2% (2010 est.)

 

Government

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Ghana

 

conventional short form: Ghana

 

former: Gold Coast

 

etymology: named for the medieval West African kingdom of the same name but whose location was actually further north than the modern country

 

Government type

presidential republic

 

Capital

name: Accra

 

geographic coordinates: 5 33 N, 0 13 W

 

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

 

etymology: the name derives from the Akan word "nkran" meaning "ants," and refers to the numerous anthills in the area around the capital

 

Administrative divisions

16 regions; Ahafo, Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, North East, Northern, Oti, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western, Western North

 

National symbol(s)

black star, golden eagle; national colors: red, yellow, green, black

 

National anthem

name: God Bless Our Homeland Ghana

al GDP (purchasing power parity)

$164.64 billion (2019 est.)

 

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Ghana Armed Forces consists of approximately 14,000 active personnel (10,000 Army; 2,000 Navy; 2,000 Air Force) (2020)

 

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the inventory of the Ghana Armed Forces is a mix of Russian, Chinese, and Western equipment; since 2010, it has received armaments from a variety of suppliers, led by

China, Germany, Russia, and Spain (2020)