President: John Agyekum Kufuor (2001)

Area: 92,456 sq mi (239,460 sq km)

Population (2005 est.): 21,029,853 (growth rate: 1.3%); birth rate: 24.0/1000; infant mortality rate: 51.4/1000; life expectancy: 56.0; density per sq mi: 227

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Accra, 2,825,800 (metro. area), 1,661,400 (city proper)

Other large cities: Kumasi, 645,100; Tamale, 279,600

Monetary unit: Cedi

Languages: English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)

Ethnicity/race: black African 98.5% (major tribes: Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%), European and other 1.5% (1998)

Religions: Christian 63%, indigenous beliefs 21%, Islam 16%

Literacy rate: 75% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $48.27 billion; per capita $2,300. Real growth rate: 5.4%. Inflation: 13%. Unemployment: 20% (1997 est.). Arable land: 16%. Agriculture: cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber. Labor force: 10.24 million; agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25% (1999 est.). Industries: mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial shipbuilding. Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone. Exports: $3.01 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds. Imports: $3.699 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs. Major trading partners: Netherlands, UK, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Turkey, U.S., Nigeria, China, India (2003).

Member of Commonwealth of Nations

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 240,000 (2001); mobile cellular: 150,000 (2001). 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 Service Providers (ISPs): 12 (2000). Internet users: 200,000 (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 953 km (undergoing major rehabilitation) (2002). Highways: total: 39,409 km; paved: 11,665 km; unpaved: 27,744 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 1,293 km; note: Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers provide 1,125 km of perennial navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways. Ports and harbors: Takoradi, Tema. Airports: 12 (2002).

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