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 - 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. - Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower. - Exports: $2.642 billion (f.o.b., 2003 est.): gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds. - Imports: $3.24 billion (f.o.b., 2003 est.): capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs. - Major trading partners: Netherlands, UK, U.S., Germany, France, Nigeria, Belgium, Italy, China, Côte d'Ivoire.
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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