drugs:
source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and European-produced synthetic drugs; major financial center
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Ghana
Introduction
Ghana
Background:
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 long 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 succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. Kufuor is constitutionally barred from running for a third term in upcoming Presidential elections, which are scheduled for December 2008.
Geography
Ghana
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: 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)
Total renewable water resources:
53.2 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.98 cu km/yr (24%/10%/66%) per capita: 44 cu m/yr (2000)
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
People
Ghana
Population:
23,382,848 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 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 37.8% (male 4,470,382/female 4,360,359) 15–64 years: 58.7% (male 6,852,363/female 6,866,470) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 386,150/female 447,124) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 20.4 years male: 20.2 years female: 20.7 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.928% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
29.22 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
9.39 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
−0.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 52.31 deaths/1,000 live births male: 56.64 deaths/1,000 live births female: 47.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59.49 years male: 58.65 years female: 60.35 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.78 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS
