Useful information on Ghana
For the most updated version of this article
(compiled from Wikipedia, BBC, MyGhanaonline and CIA
websites), more
information on the country Ghana and its people and other
web services, go to Ghana's web portal:
www.myghanaonline.com
|
|
Background:
|
Several major civilizations flourished in the general
region of what is now Ghana. The ancient empire of Ghana
(located 500 mi northwest of the contemporary state) reigned
until the 13th century. The Akan peoples established the
next major civilization, beginning in the 13th century, and
then the Ashanti empire flourished in the 18th and 19th
centuries.
Called the Gold Coast, the area was first seen by
Portuguese traders in 1470. They were followed by the
English (1553), the Dutch (1595), and the Swedes (1640).
British rule over the Gold Coast began in 1820, but it was
not until after quelling the severe resistance of the
Ashanti in 1901 that it was firmly established. British
Togoland, formerly a colony of Germany, was incorporated
into Ghana by referendum in 1956. Created as an independent
country on March 6, 1957, Ghana, as the result of a
plebiscite, became a republic on July 1, 1960.
Premier Kwame Nkrumah attempted to take leadership of the
Pan-African Movement, holding the All-African People's
Congress in his capital, Accra, in 1958 and organizing the
Union of African States with Guinea and Mali in 1961. But he
oriented his country toward the Soviet Union and China and
built an autocratic rule over all aspects of Ghanaian life.
In Feb. 1966, while Nkrumah was visiting Beijing and Hanoi,
he was deposed by a military coup led by Gen. Emmanuel K.
Kotoka.
A series of military coups followed, and on June 4, 1979,
Flight Lt. Jerry Rawlings overthrew Lt. Gen. Frederick
Akuffo's military rule. Rawlings permitted the election of a
civilian president to go ahead as scheduled the following
month, and Hilla Limann, candidate of the People's National
Party, took office. Rawlings's three-month rule was one of
Ghana's bloodiest periods, with executions of numerous
government officials and business leaders. Two years later
Rawlings staged another coup, charging the civilian
government with corruption. As chairman of the Provisional
National Defense Council, Rawlings scrapped the
constitution, instituted an austerity program, and reduced
budget deficits over the next decade. He then returned the
country to civilian rule and won the presidency in
multiparty elections in 1992 and again in 1996. Since then,
Ghana has been widely viewed as one of Africa's most stable
democracies. In Jan. 2001, John Agyekum Kufuor was elected
president. In 2002, he set up a National Reconciliation
Commission to review human rights abuses during the
country's military rule. He was reelected in Dec. 2004.
|
Ghana national football team
|
The Ghana national football team,
popularly known as the Black Stars,
is the national
association football team of
Ghana and is controlled by the
Ghana Football Association. Before
gaining independence in 1957, the country
played as the
Gold Coast.
Although the team did not qualify for the
senior
FIFA World Cup until
2006, Ghana has enjoyed tremendous
success at the youth level, winning the
FIFA World Under-17 title twice and
finishing runner-up twice. Ghana has also
finished second at the
FIFA World Youth Championship twice as
well. Ghana became the 1st African Country
to win a
medal in
Football at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
The team have won the
African Cup of Nations four times (in
1963,
1965,
1978, and
1982), making Ghana the second most
successful team in the contest's history,
together with
Cameroon, after
Egypt won a fifth title in 2006.
After going through 2005 unbeaten, Ghana
won the FIFA Ranking
Most Improved team of the year award and
by the time they reached the last 16 of the
2006 Germany World Cup to set up a date
with
Brazil, they looked like veterans of the
competition, enchanting fans around the
world with their own brand of
quick, free-flowing football.
|
Festivals
|
Most festivals in Ghana are for purification, thanksgiving,
dedication and reunion. They are also considered
symbolically as maintaining the link between the living and
the dead. It is dedicated to the honor of the spirits of the
ancestors believed to be a guiding force in all human
activities.
Some of the most popular festivals are:
Adae and Akwasidae: Celebrated by the people of Ashanti.
Akwambo: Celebrated by the Fantes of Agona and Gomoa.
Odwira: An Akan festival celebrated by the Ashantis and
Akuapim.
Homowo: Celebrated by the Ga people of Accra.
Hogbetsotso: Celebrated by the Ewe people of Anlo.
Damba: Celebrated by the poeple of the Northern and Upper
Regions of Ghana.
Bugum: Celebrated by the Dagombas of the Northern Region.
Kwafie: Celebrated by the Dormaa in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Aboakyere: Effutu people of Winneba.
Oguaa Fetu Afahye: Celebrated by the people of Cape Coast. |
Clothing
|
Dressing in Ghana traditionally reflects the geo-political
division of the country into north and south. Kente is the
most popular cloth for festive occasions. Cloth is commonly
worn by men from the south and the smock which is becoming a
gown for all occasions is common among men from the north.
Ghana's kente cloth has spread in popularity around the
world. The kente identifies where a person is from, and
sometimes, their station in life. The first president of
Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah used both the smock and
the kente cloth widely to portray Ghana's culture in the
area of clothing. The kente cloth and the smock can be
purchased at any commercial market in the urban areas where
they are sold by numerous merchants. |
Journalism and the Media
|
Kabral Blay-Amihere, president of the West Africa
Journalists Association, is a man accorded great respect and
admiration throughout Africa for his relentless work toward
a free press in Ghana and the rest of the continent.
Journalism in developing countries like Ghana lack the
modern tools that are taken for granted in the US, but the
mission to report the truth is no less important.
Ghana's independent commercial radio are coming to their own
after the government's Frequency Registration and Control
Board granted the first FM license to a small college radio
station. Since the early 1970s, independent radio has been
seen as a subversive threat and the awarding of licenses has
been continually deferred. Today, there are about fifty
stations in the country, out of which twelve are in the
capital - Accra. Licenses for independent radio stations are
valid for seven years.
Ghana Frequency Registration and Control Board approved and
frequencies were assigned for private TV Stations. TV 3 and
Metro TV are all private TV Stations. MNET and Fantasia also
provide satellite TV. There are about eleven FM Stations
throughout Ghana. They are based in Greater Accra,
Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, Han in the Upper West
Region, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, Sekondi in the Western
Region, Cape Coast, Apam and Swedru in the Central Region,
Dormaa Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo Region, Ho in the Volta
Region and Tamale in the Northern Region. Ghana Broadcasting
Corporation (GBC) has three (3) Shortwave Radio Transmitters
with a radiating power of 50kw each which is received across
the length and breadth of the country and beyond. There are
about 13.5 million listeners to GBC radio.
It was Thomas Jefferson who once said that "the press is the
best instrument for enlightening the mind of man, and
providing him as a rational, moral and social being." These
words are relevant today as they were in the eighteenth
century. |
Family
|
In traditional communities in Ghana, every child is a
treasured element of the society irrespective of how it was
conceived. Once it had been born, it is an accepted
commodity, and the Ghanaian in his right senses with his
feet firmly fixed in his traditions will do all it takes to
see that the child grows in happiness.
Being young or old, the Ghanaian belongs to a large family.
Family in Ghana, goes beyond spouse and children. There are
parents, siblings, uncles, cousins, aunts, grand-parents and
great grand-relations. Behind every Ghanaian, there is the
extended family which is a source of strength and assurance.
In times of difficulty, they all share the cost of relief
and also share the times of joy together. United we stand.
Ghanaian notions of goodness or virtue |
Health
|
Ghana has a reasonably good health service. All regional
capitals and most districts have clinics and hospitals, and
two teaching hospitals in Accra and Kumasi have facilities
for treating special cases. Additionally, a number of
religious organisations and private medical practitioners
operate hospitals and clinics all over the country. Herbal
medicine and psychic healing are also generally practised,
and there is a special government Herbal Medicine Hospital
and Research Centre at Akwapim-Mampong. |
Social Etiquette
|
For several years now Ghana has been playing host to an
ever-increasing number of visitors, especially tourists from
all over the world. Ghanaians are a hospitable, respectable
and peace-loving people. One could tell from their greeting
forms and general behavior. Ghanaians have wide and generous
smiles when you greet them. Traditionally, children are
taught in their homes to respect their elders. A child who
fails to observe social values is considered as untrained
and uncultured. Visitors from all over the world are sure to
be well received in any Ghanaian community that they happen
to visit. In all Ghanaian communities, a visitor is first
given a seat, and then water to drink before he is greeted
and asked the purpose of his visit. The smile on their face
seems to be permanently in place and the world have observed
that Ghanaians are very patient as people, kind not only to
visitors but to themselves too.
Women are highly respected. A woman is given a seat first
before a man. However, if water is being offered, it is the
man who drinks first. Hardly ever touching or kissing in
public, for instance, Ghanaians may not be particularly
demonstrative in love, but their feelings for their partners
must not be mistaken. Their love is pure.
Ghanaians are well known for their wisdom which is expressed
in their use of proverbs, especially at the courts of
chiefs, and in bedtime stories and anecdotes |
|
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
|
|
Map of Ghana:
|
 |
|
Area:
|
total: 239,460 sq km
land: 230,940 sq km
water: 8,520 sq km
|
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly smaller than Oregon
|
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 2,094 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668
km, Togo 877 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 extremes:
|
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m
|
|
Natural resources:
|
gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish,
rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone
|
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 17.54%
permanent crops: 9.22%
other: 73.24% (2005)
|
|
Irrigated land:
|
310 sq km (2003)
|
|
Natural hazards:
|
dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to
March; droughts
|
|
Environment - current issues:
|
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
|
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber
83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
|
|
Geography - note:
|
Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
|
|
Population:
|
22,409,572
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
2006 est.)
|
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 38.8% (male 4,395,744/female 4,288,720)
15-64 years: 57.7% (male 6,450,828/female 6,483,781)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 371,428/female 419,071)
(2006 est.)
|
|
Median age:
|
total: 19.9 years
male: 19.7 years
female: 20.1 years (2006 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate:
|
2.07% (2006 est.)
|
|
Birth rate:
|
30.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
|
|
Death rate:
|
9.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
|
|
Net migration rate:
|
-0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
|
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
|
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 55.02 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 59.56 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 50.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
|
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 58.87 years
male: 58.07 years
female: 59.69 years (2006 est.)
|
|
Total fertility rate:
|
3.99 children born/woman (2006 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
3.1% (2003 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
350,000 (2003 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
30,000 (2003 est.)
|
|
Major infectious diseases:
|
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal
diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high
risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)
|
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Ghanaian(s)
adjective: Ghanaian
|
|
Ethnic groups:
|
African 98.5% (includes Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga
8%, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%), European and other 1.5% (1998)
|
|
Religions:
|
Christian 63%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 21%
|
|
Languages:
|
English (official), African languages (including Akan,
Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)
There are about six languages that are used on the national
radio and television. These are: English, Akan, Dagbani, Ewe,
Ga, and Hausa. Even though English is the official language, it
is only used in government and business circles in the cities
and urban areas. Akan in its various dialects enjoys a wide
usage throughout the country. It is a trade language for most
Ghanaians. About nine languages are used in the Ghanaian school
system. Most Ghanaians speak one other Ghanaian language or more
languages in addition to their own. There are about 60 language
groups in Ghana. |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.8%
male: 82.7%
female: 67.1% (2003 est.)
|
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of Ghana
conventional short form: Ghana
former: Gold Coast
|
|
Flag of Ghana:
|
 |
|
Government type:
|
constitutional democracy
|
|
Capital:
|
name: Accra
geographic coordinates: 5 33 N, 0 13 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
|
|
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:
|
approved 28 April 1992
|
|
Legal system:
|
The country still practice English common law and customary law.
Ghana has not accepted compulsory International Court of Justice
(ICJ) jurisdiction.
Ghana is a member of: OAU, UN, IMF, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24,
G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, UNESCO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, CCC, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, ACP, CCC,
UNCTAD, ICAO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WCL,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO. |
|
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 (eligible
for a second term); election last held 7 December 2004 (next
to be held December 2008)
election results: John Agyekum KUFUOR reelected president
in election; percent of vote - John KUFUOR 53.4%, John Atta
MILLS 43.7%
|
|
Legislative branch:
|
unicameral Parliament (230 seats; note - increased from 200
seats in last election; members are elected by direct, popular
vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held
December 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - NPP 128, NDC 92, other 10
|
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme Court
|
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Convention People's Party or CPP [Nii Noi DOWUONA, general
secretary]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Owuraku
AMOFA, chairman]; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan
LARTY]; 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]; Reform Party [Kyeretwie OPUKU, general
secretary]
|
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
NA
|
|
International organization participation:
|
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM,
OAS (observer), OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
|
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Fritz Kwabena POKU
chancery: 1156 15th St. NW #905, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 785-1379
FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430
consulate(s) general: New York
|
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Carlin YATES
embassy: 6th and 10th Lanes, 798/1 Osu, Accra
mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra
telephone: [233] (21) 775-347, 775-348
FAX: [233] (21) 701-813
|
|
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
|
|
Economy - overview:
|
Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly 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 34% of GDP and employs
60% of the work force, mainly small landholders. Ghana opted for
debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program
in 2002, but was included in a G-8 debt relief program decided upon
at the Gleneagles Summit in July 2005. Priorities under its current
$38 million Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) include
tighter monetary and fiscal policies, accelerated privatization, and
improvement of social services. Receipts from the gold sector helped
sustain GDP growth in 2005 along with record high prices for Ghana's
largest cocoa crop to date. Inflation should ease but remains a
major internal problem. Ghana also remains a candidate country to
benefit from Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) funding that
could assist in transforming Ghana's agricultural export sector. A
final decision on its MCC bid is expected in spring 2006.
|
|
GDP (purchasing power parity):
|
$54.86 billion (2005 est.)
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate):
|
$9.413 billion (2005 est.)
|
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
5.9% (2005 est.)
|
|
GDP - per capita (PPP):
|
$2,500 (2005 est.)
|
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 36.6%
industry: 24.6%
services: 38.7% (2005 est.)
|
|
Labor force:
|
10.62 million (2005 est.)
|
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture: 60%
industry: 15%
services: 25% (1999 est.)
|
|
Unemployment rate:
|
20% (1997 est.)
|
|
Population below poverty line:
|
31.4% (1992 est.)
|
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share:
|
lowest 10%: 2.2%
highest 10%: 30.1% (1999)
|
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
30 (1999)
|
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
15.1% (2005 est.)
|
|
Investment (gross fixed):
|
23.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
|
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $3.216 billion
expenditures: $3.506 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
|
|
Public debt:
|
75.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
|
|
Agriculture - products:
|
cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea
nuts, bananas; timber
|
|
Industries:
|
mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food
processing, cement, small commercial ship building
|
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
3.8% (2000 est.)
|
|
Electricity - production:
|
5.356 billion kWh (2003)
|
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 5%
hydro: 95%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
5.081 billion kWh (2003)
|
|
Electricity - exports:
|
400 million kWh (2003)
|
|
Electricity - imports:
|
500 million kWh (2003)
|
|
Oil - production:
|
7,433 bbl/day (2003 est.)
|
|
Oil - consumption:
|
39,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports:
|
NA bbl/day
|
|
Oil - imports:
|
NA bbl/day
|
|
Oil - proved reserves:
|
8.255 million bbl (1 January 2002)
|
|
Natural gas - production:
|
0 cu m (2003 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
0 cu m (2003 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - proved reserves:
|
23.79 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
|
|
Current account balance:
|
$-790 million (2005 est.)
|
|
Exports:
|
$2.911 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
|
|
Exports - commodities:
|
gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore,
diamonds
|
|
Exports - partners:
|
Netherlands 12.6%, UK 8.3%, US 6.7%, Belgium 5.8%, France 5.7%,
Germany 4.5% (2005)
|
|
Imports:
|
$4.273 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
|
|
Imports - commodities:
|
capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs
|
|
Imports - partners:
|
Nigeria 15.4%, China 12.7%, US 6.4%, UK 5.3%, Netherlands 4.1%,
South Africa 4.1% (2005)
|
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|
$1.897 billion (2005 est.)
|
|
Debt - external:
|
$6.999 billion (2005 est.)
|
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$6.9 billion (1999)
|
|
Currency (code):
|
cedi (GHC)
|
|
Currency code:
|
GHC
|
|
Exchange rates:
|
cedis per US dollar - 9,072.5 (2005), 9,004.6 (2004), 8,677.4
(2003), 7,932.7 (2002), 7,170.8 (2001)
|
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar year
|
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
321,500 (2005)
|
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
2.842 million (2005)
|
|
Telephone system:
|
general assessment: poor to fair system; Internet
accessible; many rural communities not yet connected;
expansion of services is underway
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local
loop has been installed
international: country code - 233; satellite earth
stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio
relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its
neighbors; fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides
connectivity to Europe and Asia
|
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 0, FM 49, shortwave 3 (2001)
|
|
Radios:
|
12.5 million (2001)
|
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
10 (2001)
|
|
Televisions:
|
1.9 million (2001)
|
|
Internet country code:
|
.gh
|
On the web
|
The best place to find current information about Ghana on
the web is BBC,
Wikipedia and the
CIA have good profiles on
Ghana. Other web portals that may prove very useful are
Ghanaweb.com,
MyJoyonline.com,
BusinessGhana.com and our
very own MyGhanaonline (Library). MyGhanaonline
is the new definition in web portal systems and has
information on Ghana and even more on the people
living in the country. The table below lists areas the
portal covers:
|
Articles
|
Autos
|
Business
|
Country [the] |
Downloads |
|
Education
|
Entertainment
|
Events |
Games & Fun |
Government
[the] |
|
Groups
|
Hall
of Fame |
Health
|
Help & Counsel |
Home
& You
|
|
Horoscopes
|
Jobs
|
Library |
Lifestyle
|
Lottery |
|
Magazine
|
Media
|
Members |
Movies |
Music |
|
Notices
|
People [the] |
Photo Gallery |
Politics
|
Radio |
| Real
Estate |
Romance
|
Science & Nature |
Search |
Shopping |
| Site
Help |
Sponsors |
Sports |
Technology |
Trade Fair |
|
Travel
|
Vital Info |
Web
Services |
Yellow Pages |
More
Links... |
|
|
Internet hosts:
|
380 (2006). Largest web host: MyGhanaonline
(go to 'our services') |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
|
12 (2000)
|
|
Internet users:
|
401,300 (2005)
|
|
Airports:
|
12 (2006)
|
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 7
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)
|
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 2 (2006)
|
|
Pipelines:
|
oil 13 km; refined products 316 km (2006)
|
|
Railways:
|
total: 953 km
narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)
|
|
Roadways:
|
total: 42,623 km
paved: 3,267 km
unpaved: 39,356 km (2004)
|
|
Waterways:
|
1,293 km
note: 168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra,
and Tano rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on
Lake Volta (2005)
|
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 6,308 GRT/9,418 DWT
by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo
2
foreign-owned: 1 (Brazil 1) (2006)
|
|
Ports and terminals:
|
Takoradi, Tema
|
|
Military branches:
|
Ghanaian Army, Ghanaian Navy, Ghanaian Air Force (2006)
|
|
Military service age and obligation:
|
18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military service
(2001)
|
|
Manpower available for military service:
|
males age 18-49: 4,808,451
females age 18-49: 4,762,459 (2005 est.)
|
|
Manpower fit for military service:
|
males age 18-49: 3,011,081
females age 18-49: 2,991,551 (2005 est.)
|
|
Manpower reaching military service age
annually:
|
males age 18-49: 251,056
females age 18-49: 247,777 (2005 est.)
|
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$83.65 million (2005 est.)
|
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
0.8% (2005 est.)
|
|
Disputes - international:
|
Ghana struggles to accommodate returning nationals who worked in the
cocoa plantations and escaped fighting in Cote d'Ivoire
|
|
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
|
refugees (country of origin): 40,853 (Liberia) (2005)
|
|
Illicit drugs:
|
Ghana is perceived to be an illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade;
major transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and,
to a lesser extent, South American cocaine destined for Europe
and the US; widespread crime and money laundering problem, but
the lack of a well-developed financial infrastructure in Ghana limits the
country's utility as a money-laundering center
|
|
|
|