NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Republic of Ghana
former: Gold Coast
former: Togoland Trust Territory
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. A long series of coups resulted in the suspension of the constitution in 1981 and the banning of political parties. A new constitution, restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1992. Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS, head of state since 1981, won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. He was succeeded by John KUFUOR, who defeated former Vice President Atta MILLS in a free and fair election. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo |
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Geographic coordinates:
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8 00 N, 2 00 W |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 239,460 sq km
land: 230,940 sq km water: 8,520 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Oregon |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,094 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km |
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Coastline:
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539 km |
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north |
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Terrain:
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mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m |
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Natural resources:
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gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 15.82%
permanent crops: 7.47% other: 76.71% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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110 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
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Geography - note:
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Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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20,244,154
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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 40.4% (male 4,116,600; female 4,063,654)
15-64 years: 56.1% (male 5,625,397; female 5,723,786) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 338,352; female 376,365) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.7% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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28.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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10.31 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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55.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 57.06 years
female: 58.51 years (2002 est.) male: 55.66 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.69 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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3.6% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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340,000 (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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33,000 (1999 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Ghanaian(s)
adjective: Ghanaian |
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Ethnic groups:
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black African 98.5% (major tribes - Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%), European and other 1.5% (1998) |
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Religions:
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indigenous beliefs 21%, Muslim 16%, Christian 63% |
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Languages:
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English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
male: 75.9% female: 53.5% (1995 est.) total population: 64.5% |
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People - note:
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there are 9,500 Liberians, 2,000 Sierra Leoneans, and 1,000 Togolese refugees residing in Ghana (2002) |