The Ghana reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
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Ghana

Republic of Ghana
Image:Ghana_flag_medium.png Image:ghanaarms23.PNG
(In Detail) (Full size)
National motto: Freedom and Justice
image:LocationGhana.png
Official language English (official), others
Capital Accra
Capital's coordinates 5° 33' N, 0° 15' W
(optionally) Largest City Accra
President John Kufuor
Area
 - Total
 - % water
Ranked 77th
238,540 km²
3.5%
Population
 - Total (Year)
 - Density
Ranked 50th
19,533,560
82/km²
GDP (PPP)
 - Total (Year)
 - GDP/head
Ranked 73rd
$41,250 million
$2,000
Currency Cedi
Time zone UTC, no (DST)
Independence 6 March 1957, from the United Kingdom
National anthem Hail the Name of Ghana
Internet TLD .GH
Calling Code233

					
The Republic of Ghana is a nation of western Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso in the north, Togo to the east, and borders the Gulf of Guinea to its south.

Table of contents
1 History
2 Politics
3 Regions
4 Geography
5 Economy
6 Demographics
7 Culture
8 Miscellaneous topics
9 External Links

History

Main article: History of Ghana

Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the British 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.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Ghana

Ghana is a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations. Its head of state is an elected president (currently John Agyekum Kufuor) with executive power. The Parliament of Ghana is unicameral and dominated by two main parties, the New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress.

Regions

Main article: Regions of Ghana

Ghana is divided into 10 regions

Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West Ghana, Volta, Western

Geography

Main article: Geography of Ghana

Map of Ghana
The capital is Accra.

Other cities:

Economy

Main article:
Economy of Ghana

Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has 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 40% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders. In 1995-97, Ghana made mixed progress under a three-year structural adjustment program in cooperation with the IMF. On the minus side, public sector wage increases and regional peacekeeping commitments have led to continued inflationary deficit financing, depreciation of the cedi, and rising public discontent with Ghana's austerity measures.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Ghana

Culture

Main article: Culture of Ghana

Miscellaneous topics

External Links


Commonwealth of Nations
Antigua and Barbuda | Australia | Bahamas | Bangladesh | Barbados | Belize | Botswana | Brunei | Cameroon | Canada | Cyprus | Dominica | Fiji | The Gambia | Ghana | Grenada | Guyana | India | Jamaica | Kenya | Kiribati | Lesotho | Malawi | Malaysia | Maldives | Malta | Mauritius | Mozambique | Namibia | Nauru | New Zealand | Nigeria | Pakistan | Papua New Guinea | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Samoa | Seychelles | Sierra Leone | Singapore | Solomon Islands | South Africa | Sri Lanka | Swaziland | Tanzania | Tonga | Trinidad and Tobago | Tuvalu | Uganda | United Kingdom | Vanuatu | Zambia


Africa
Algeria | Angola | Benin | Botswana | Burkina Faso | Burundi | Cameroon | Cape Verde | Central African Republic | Chad | Comoros | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Republic of the Congo | Côte d'Ivoire | Djibouti | Egypt | Equatorial Guinea | Eritrea | Ethiopia | Gabon | The Gambia | Ghana | Guinea | Guinea-Bissau | Kenya | Lesotho | Liberia | Libya | Madagascar | Malawi | Mali | Mauritania | Mauritius | Morocco | Mozambique | Namibia | Niger | Nigeria | Rwanda | São Tomé and Príncipe | Senegal | Seychelles | Sierra Leone | Somalia | South Africa | Sudan | Swaziland | Tanzania | Togo | Tunisia | Uganda | Zambia | Zimbabwe
Other areas
Canary Islands | Ceuta, Melilla, and other Spanish possessions | Madeira Islands | Mayotte | Réunion | Saint Helena | Western Sahara