The 2001 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
total population: 64.5%
male: 75.9%
female: 53.5% (1995 est.)
Ghana Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Ghana
conventional short form: Ghana
former: Gold Coast
Government 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: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January 2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President John Agyekum KUFUOR (since 7 January 2001); Vice President Alhaji Aliu MAHAMA (since 7 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers; president nominates members subject to approval by Parliament
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 7 and 28 December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2004)
election results: John Agyekum KUFUOR elected president in runoff; percent of vote - John KUFUOR 56.4%, John Atta MILLS 43.6%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (200 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 7 December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 100, NDC 92, PNC 3, CPP 1, independents 4
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or
EGLE [Owuraku AMOFA, chairman]; National Convention Party or NCP
[Sarpong KUMA-KUMA]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Huudu
YAHAYA, general secretary]; New Patriotic Party or NPP [Samuel
Arthur ODOI-SYKES]; People's Convention Party or PCP [P. K.
DONKOH-AYIFI, acting chairman]; People's Heritage Party or PHP
[Emmanuel Alexander ERSKINE]; People's National Convention or PNC
[Edward MAHAMA]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC,
ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU,
OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE,
UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Kobena KOOMSON
chancery: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 686–4520
FAX: [1] (202) 686–4527
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Kathryn D. ROBINSON
embassy: Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra
mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra
telephone: [233] (21) 775348
FAX: [233] (21) 776008
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow 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
Ghana Economy
Economy - overview: Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance. Gold, timber, and cocoa production are major sources of foreign exchange. The domestic economy continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 36% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders. In 1995–97, Ghana made mixed progress under a three-year structural adjustment program in cooperation with the IMF. On the minus side, public sector wage increases and regional peacekeeping commitments have led to continued inflationary deficit financing, depreciation of the cedi, and rising public discontent with Ghana's austerity measures. Political uncertainty and a depressed cocoa market led to disappointing growth in 2000. A rebound in the cocoa market should push growth over 4% in 2001–02.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $37.4 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,900 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 36%
industry: 25%
services: 39% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 31.4% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 26.1% (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 22.8% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 9 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 20% (1997 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.39 billion
expenditures: $1.47 billion, including capital expenditures of $370 million (1996 est.)
Industries: mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing
Industrial production growth rate: 4.2% (1996 est.)
Electricity - production: 5.466 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 26.82%
hydro: 73.18%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 5.573 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 400 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 890 million kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber
Exports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite,