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:
universal at 18
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 NA)
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 NA)
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, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ekwow SPIO-GARBRAH
chancery:
3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 686-4520
FAX:
(202) 686-4527
consulate(s) general:
New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Kenneth L. BROWN
embassy:
Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra
mailing address:
P. O. Box 194, Accra
telephone:
[233] (21) 775348, 775349, 775297 or 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
@Ghana, Economy
Overview:
Supported by substantial international assistance, Ghana has been
implementing a steady economic rebuilding program since 1983,
including moves toward privatization and relaxation of government
controls. The agriculture sector consists largely of small traditional
farm holdings, rain-fed for the most part. Heavily dependent on cocoa,
gold, and timber exports, economic growth so far has not spread
substantially to other areas of the economy. The costs of sending
peacekeeping forces to Liberia and preparing for the transition to a
democratic government have boosted government expenditures and
undercut structural adjustment reforms. Ghana opened a stock exchange
in 1990 and plans to float 5% of its stake in Ashanti Goldfields
Corporation, which would make the exchange the largest in sub-Saharan
Africa outside of South Africa.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $25 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
3.9% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$1,500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
10% (1991)
Budget:
revenues:
$1 billion
expenditures:
$905 million, including capital expenditures of $200 million (1991
est.)
Exports:
$1 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
cocoa 40%, gold, timber, tuna, bauxite, and aluminum
partners:
Germany 31%, US 12%, UK 11%, Netherlands 6%, Japan 5% (1991)
Imports:
$1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
commodities:
petroleum 16%, consumer goods, foods, intermediate goods, capital
equipment
partners:
UK 22%, US 11%, Germany 9%, Japan 6%
External debt:
$4.6 billion (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate in manufacturing (1992); accounts for almost 15% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
1,180,000 kW
production:
4.49 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
290 kWh (1991)
Industries:
mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum, food processing
Agriculture:
accounts for 43% 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 the US and
Europe
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 - 713.00 (October 1993), 437.09 (1992), 367.83
(1991), 326.33 (1990), 270.00 (1989)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Ghana, Communications
Railroads:
953 km, all 1.067-meter gauge; 32 km double track; railroads
undergoing major renovation
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:
Tema, Takoradi
Merchant marine:
5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 46,289 GRT/61,606 DWT, cargo 4,
refrigerated cargo 1
Airports:
total:
11
usable:
11
with permanent-surface runways:
6
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
3
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
6
Telecommunications:
poor to fair system handled primarily by microwave radio relay links;
42,300 telephones; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 1 FM, 4 (8 translators)
TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
@Ghana, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force, Civil Defense
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 3,867,183; fit for military service 2,159,769; reach
military age (18) annually 170,283 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $30 million, less than 1% of GDP (1989
est.)
@Gibraltar
Header Affiliation: (dependent territory of the UK)
@Gibraltar, Geography