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 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0–14 years: 41.18% (male 4,123,317; female 4,068,786)
15–64 years: 55.35% (male 5,455,577; female 5,555,278)
65 years and over: 3.47% (male 328,809; female 362,247) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.79% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 28.95 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 10.26 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: −0.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: 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: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 56.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 57.24 years
male: 55.86 years
female: 58.66 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.82 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 3.6% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 340,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 33,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Ghanaian(s)
adjective: Ghanaian
Ethnic groups: black African 99.8% (major tribes - Akan 44%,
Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%), European and other 0.2%
Religions: indigenous beliefs 38%, Muslim 30%, Christian 24%, other 8%
Languages: English (official), African languages (including Akan,
Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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
