"text":"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. John Atta MILLS won the 2008 presidential election and took over as head of state, but he died in July 2012 and was constitutionally succeeded by his vice president, John Dramani MAHAMA, who subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election."
}
},
"Geography":{
"Location":{
"text":"Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo"
"text":"English is the official language (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Religions":{
"text":"Christian 71.2% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 28.3%, Protestant 18.4%, Catholic 13.1%, other 11.4%), Muslim 17.6%, traditional 5.2%, other 0.8%, none 5.2% (2010 est.)"
},
"Population":{
"text":"26,327,649",
"note":{
"text":"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 2015 est.)"
"text":"33.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Life expectancy at birth":{
"total population":{
"text":"66.18 years"
},
"male":{
"text":"63.76 years"
},
"female":{
"text":"68.66 years (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Total fertility rate":{
"text":"4.06 children born/woman (2015 est.)"
},
"Contraceptive prevalence rate":{
"text":"19.5% (2013)"
},
"Health expenditures":{
"text":"5.4% of GDP (2013)"
},
"Physicians density":{
"text":"0.1 physicians/1,000 population (2010)"
},
"Hospital bed density":{
"text":"0.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)"
},
"Drinking water source":{
"improved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 92.6% of population ++ rural: 84% of population ++ total: 88.7% of population"
},
"unimproved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 7.4% of population ++ rural: 16% of population ++ total: 11.3% of population (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Sanitation facility access":{
"improved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 20.2% of population ++ rural: 8.6% of population ++ total: 14.9% of population"
},
"unimproved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 79.8% of population ++ rural: 91.4% of population ++ total: 85.1% of population (2015 est.)"
}
},
"HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate":{
"text":"1.47% (2014 est.)"
},
"HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS":{
"text":"250,200 (2014 est.)"
},
"HIV/AIDS - deaths":{
"text":"9,200 (2014 est.)"
},
"Major infectious diseases":{
"degree of risk":{
"text":"very high"
},
"food or waterborne diseases":{
"text":"bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever"
},
"vectorborne diseases":{
"text":"malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever"
},
"water contact disease":{
"text":"schistosomiasis"
},
"respiratory disease":{
"text":"meningococcal meningitis"
},
"animal contact disease":{
"text":"rabies"
},
"note":{
"text":"highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)"
}
},
"Obesity - adult prevalence rate":{
"text":"10.9% (2014)"
},
"Children under the age of 5 years underweight":{
"text":"13.4% (2011)"
},
"Education expenditures":{
"text":"8.1% of GDP (2011)"
},
"Literacy":{
"definition":{
"text":"age 15 and over can read and write"
},
"total population":{
"text":"76.6%"
},
"male":{
"text":"82%"
},
"female":{
"text":"71.4% (2015 est.)"
}
},
"School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)":{
"total":{
"text":"12 years"
},
"male":{
"text":"12 years"
},
"female":{
"text":"11 years (2012)"
}
},
"Child labor - children ages 5-14":{
"total number":{
"text":"1,806,750"
},
"percentage":{
"text":"34% (2006 est.)"
}
}
},
"Government":{
"Country name":{
"conventional long form":{
"text":"Republic of Ghana"
},
"conventional short form":{
"text":"Ghana"
},
"former":{
"text":"Gold Coast"
}
},
"Government type":{
"text":"constitutional democracy"
},
"Capital":{
"name":{
"text":"Accra"
},
"geographic coordinates":{
"text":"5 33 N, 0 13 W"
},
"time difference":{
"text":"UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
"text":"several previous; latest drafted 31 March 1992, approved and promulgated 28 April 1992, entered into force 7 January 1993; amended 1996 (2012)"
},
"Legal system":{
"text":"mixed system of English common law and customary law"
},
"International law organization participation":{
"text":"has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction"
"text":"President John Dramani MAHAMA (since 24 July 2012); Vice President Kwesi Bekoe AMISSAH-ARTHUR (since 6 August 2012); note - President MAHAMA assumed the presidency after the death of President John Atta MILLS and subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election; the president is both chief of state and head of government"
},
"head of government":{
"text":"President John Dramani MAHAMA (since 24 July 2012); Vice President Kwesi Bekoe AMISSAH-ARTHUR (since 6 August 2012)"
},
"cabinet":{
"text":"Council of Ministers; nominated by the president, approved by Parliament"
},
"elections/appointments":{
"text":"president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 8 December 2012 (next to be held in December 2016)"
},
"election results":{
"text":"John Dramani MAHAMA elected president; percent of vote - John Dramani MAHAMA (NDC) 50.7%, Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO (NPP) 47.7%, other 1.6%"
}
},
"Legislative branch":{
"description":{
"text":"unicameral Parliament (275 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)"
},
"elections":{
"text":"last held on 7 - 8 December 2012 (next to be held in December 2016)"
},
"election results":{
"text":"percent of vote by party - NPP 47.5%, NDC 46.4%, PNC 0.6%, independent 2.5%, other 3.0%; seats by party - NDC 150, NPP 120, PNC 1, independent 3, other 1"
}
},
"Judicial branch":{
"highest court(s)":{
"text":"Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 12 justices)"
},
"judge selection and term of office":{
"text":"chief justice appointed by the president in consultation with the Council of State (a small advisory body of prominent citizens) and with the approval of Parliament; other justices appointed by the president upon the advice of the Judicial Council (an 18-member independent body of judicial, military and police officials, and presidential nominees) and on the advice of the Council of State; justices can retire at age 60, with compulsory retirement at age 70"
},
"subordinate courts":{
"text":"Court of Appeal; High Court; Circuit Court; District Court; regional tribunals"
}
},
"Political parties and leaders":{
"text":"Convention People's Party or CPP [Samia NKRUMAH] ++ National Democratic Congress or NDC [John Dramani MAHAMA] ++ New Patriotic Party or NPP [Paul AFOKO] ++ People's National Convention or PNC [Alhaji Amed RAMADAN]",
"note":{
"text":"listed are four of the more popular political parties as of December 2012; there are more than 20 registered parties"
}
},
"Political pressure groups and leaders":{
"text":"Christian Aid (water rights) ++ Committee for Joint Action or CJA (social and economic issues) ++ National Coalition Against the Privatization of Water or CAP (water rights) ++ Oxfam (water rights) ++ Public Citizen (water rights) ++ Students Coalition Against EPA [Kwabena Ososukene OKAI] (education reform) ++ Third World Network (social and economic issues)"
"text":"three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green, with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; red symbolizes the blood shed for independence, yellow represents the country's mineral wealth, while green stands for its forests and natural wealth; the black star is said to be the lodestar of African freedom",
"note":{
"text":"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"
}
},
"National symbol(s)":{
"text":"black star, golden eagle: national colors: red, yellow, green, black"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"\"God Bless Our Homeland Ghana\""
},
"lyrics/music":{
"text":"unknown/Philip GBEHO"
},
"note":{
"text":"music adopted 1957, lyrics adopted 1966; the lyrics were changed twice, in 1960 when a republic was declared and after a 1966 coup"
}
}
},
"Economy":{
"Economy - overview":{
"text":"Ghana's economy was strengthened by a quarter century of relatively sound management, a competitive business environment, and sustained reductions in poverty levels, but in recent years has suffered the consequences of loose fiscal policy, high budget and current account deficits, and a depreciating currency. Ghana has a market-based economy with relatively few policy barriers to trade and investment in comparison with other countries in the region. Ghana is well-endowed with natural resources. Agriculture accounts for nearly one-quarter of GDP and employs more than half of the workforce, mainly small landholders. The services sector accounts for about half of GDP. Gold and cocoa exports, and individual remittances, are major sources of foreign exchange. Expansion of Ghana’s nascent oil industry has boosted economic growth, but the recent oil price crash has reduced by half Ghana’s 2015 anticipated oil revenue. Production at Jubilee, Ghana's offshore oil field, began in mid-December 2010 and currently produces roughly 110,000 barrels per day. The country’s first gas processing plant at Atubao is also producing natural gas from the Jubilee field, providing power to several of Ghana’s thermal power plants. As of 2015, the biggest single economic issue is the lack of consistent electricity. While the MAHAMA administration is taking steps to improve the situation, it will be the third or fourth quarter of 2015 before any relief is visible. Ghana signed a $920 million extended credit facility with the IMF in April, 2015 to help it address its growing economic crisis. The IMF fiscal targets will require Ghana to reduce the fiscal deficit by cutting subsidies, decreasing the bloated public sector wage bill, strengthening revenue administration, and increasing revenues. The challenge for Ghana will come as the MAHAMA Administration approaches the 2016 election cycle facing public dissatisfaction in the midst of economic austerity."
"Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy":{
"text":"9.098 million Mt (2012 est.)"
}
},
"Communications":{
"Telephones - fixed lines":{
"total subscriptions":{
"text":"260,000"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"1 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephones - mobile cellular":{
"total":{
"text":"30.4 million"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"118 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephone system":{
"general assessment":{
"text":"primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been installed; outdated and unreliable fixed-line infrastructure heavily concentrated in Accra"
},
"domestic":{
"text":"competition among multiple mobile-cellular providers has spurred growth with a subscribership of more than 80 per 100 persons and rising"
},
"international":{
"text":"country code - 233; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC, Main One, and GLO-1 fiber-optic submarine cables that provide connectivity to South Africa, Europe, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors (2009)"
}
},
"Broadcast media":{
"text":"state-owned TV station, 2 state-owned radio networks; several privately owned TV stations and a large number of privately owned radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are accessible; several cable and satellite TV subscription services are obtainable (2007)"
"text":"1,293 km (168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta) (2011)"
},
"Merchant marine":{
"total":{
"text":"4"
},
"by type":{
"text":"petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 3"
},
"foreign-owned":{
"text":"2 (Brazil 1, South Korea 1) (2010)"
}
},
"Ports and terminals":{
"major seaport(s)":{
"text":"Takoradi, Tema"
}
}
},
"Military":{
"Military branches":{
"text":"Ghana Army, Ghana Navy, Ghana Air Force (2012)"
},
"Military service age and obligation":{
"text":"18-26 years of age for voluntary military service, with basic education certificate; no conscription; must be HIV/AIDS negative (2012)"
},
"Manpower available for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"6,268,191"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"6,194,339 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower fit for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"4,136,406"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"4,220,761 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually":{
"male":{
"text":"267,896"
},
"female":{
"text":"260,992 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Military expenditures":{
"text":"0.56% of GDP (2014) ++ 0.61% of GDP (2013) ++ 0.27% of GDP (2012)"
}
},
"Transnational Issues":{
"Disputes - international":{
"text":"disputed maritime border between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire"
"text":"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 limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center; significant domestic cocaine and cannabis use"
