British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) | Ghana (2004) | |
Administrative divisions | - | 10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 38% (male 3,988,800; female 3,904,989)
15-64 years: 58.3% (male 6,030,151; female 6,071,725) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 359,042; female 402,325) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber |
Airports | 1 (2001) | 12 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 60 sq km
land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago |
total: 239,460 sq km
land: 230,940 sq km water: 8,520 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Oregon |
Background | Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. | 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. 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. Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS, head of state since 1981, won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. He was succeeded by John KUFUOR, who defeated former Vice President Atta MILLS in a free and fair election. |
Birth rate | - | 24.9 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $1.943 billion
expenditures: $2.192 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) |
Capital | - | Accra |
Climate | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds | tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north |
Coastline | 698 km | 539 km |
Constitution | - | approved 28 April 1992 |
Country name | conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT |
conventional long form: Republic of Ghana
conventional short form: Ghana former: Gold Coast |
Currency | - | cedi (GHC) |
Death rate | - | 10.67 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $7.398 billion (2003 est.) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Carlin YATES
embassy: 6th and 10th Lanes, 798/1 Osu, Accra mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra telephone: [233] (21) 775-347, 775-348 FAX: [233] (21) 701-813 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador Alan J. KYEREMATEN
chancery: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 686-4520 FAX: [1] (202) 686-4527 consulate(s) general: New York |
Disputes - international | Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain | Ghana must still deal with refugees and returning nationals escaping rebel fighting in Cote d'Ivoire |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $6.9 billion (1999) |
Economy - overview | All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. | Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly 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 35% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders. Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program in 2002. Policy priorities include tighter monetary and fiscal policies, accelerated privatization, and improvement of social services. Receipts from the gold sector should help sustain GDP growth in 2004. Inflation should ease, but remain a major internal problem. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 8.835 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | - | 300 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | - | 950 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military | 8.801 billion kWh (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
Ethnic groups | - | 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) |
Exchange rates | - | cedis per US dollar - NA (2003), 7,932.7 (2002), 7,170.76 (2001), 5,455.06 (2000), 2,669.3 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch |
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 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008) election results: John Agyekum KUFUOR reelected president in election; percent of vote - John KUFUOR 53.4%, John Atta MILLS 43.7% |
Exports | - | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | - | gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds |
Exports - partners | - | Netherlands 11.2%, UK 10.7%, France 7.7%, Germany 6.2%, Japan 5.2%, Italy 4.6%, Turkey 4.4%, US 4.3% (2003) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag | three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; 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 |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $44.44 billion (2003 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 35.4%
industry: 25.4% services: 39.2% (2003 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 4.7% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 6 00 S, 71 30 E | 8 00 N, 2 00 W |
Geography - note | archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility | Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km |
total: 39,409 km
paved: 11,665 km unpaved: 27,744 km (1999 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: 2.2%
highest 10%: 30.1% (1999) |
Illicit drugs | - | 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 corruption have made money laundering a problem, but the lack of a well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center |
Imports | - | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | - | capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | - | Nigeria 13.2%, China 9.3%, UK 7.2%, US 6.1%, Germany 4.8%, France 4.5%, South Africa 4% (2003) |
Independence | - | 6 March 1957 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | 3.8% (2000 est.) |
Industries | - | mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 52.22 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 55.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 49.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 26.7% (2003 est.) |
International organization participation | - | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | 110 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court |
Labor force | - | 10 million (2003 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25% (1999 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 2,094 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km |
Land use | arable land: NEGL
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 16.26%
permanent crops: 9.67% other: 74.07% (2001) |
Languages | - | English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga) |
Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply | based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Parliament (230 seats; note - increased from 200 seats in last election; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 128, NDC 92, other 10 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 56.27 years
male: 55.36 years female: 57.22 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.8% male: 82.7% female: 67.1% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia | Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo |
Map references | Political Map of the World | Africa |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 19,086 GRT/26,185 DWT
by type: petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 5 foreign-owned: Brazil 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Spain 1 (2004 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 | - |
Military branches | - | Army, Navy, Air Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $44 million (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 0.6% (2003) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 5,391,378 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 2,994,600 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 244,809 (2004 est.) |
National holiday | - | Independence Day, 6 March (1957) |
Nationality | - | noun: Ghanaian(s)
adjective: Ghanaian |
Natural hazards | NA | dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts |
Natural resources | coconuts, fish, sugarcane | gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower |
Net migration rate | - | -0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
People - note | - | there are 9,500 Liberians, 2,000 Sierra Leoneans, and 1,000 Togolese refugees residing in Ghana (2002) |
Pipelines | - | refined products 74 km (2004) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Convention People's Party or CPP [Nii Noi DOWUONA, general secretary]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE [Owuraku AMOFA, chairman]; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan LARTY]; 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]; Reform Party [Kyeretwie OPUKU, general secretary] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.) |
20,757,032
note: 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 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | 31.4% (1992 est.) |
Population growth rate | - | 1.36% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Diego Garcia | Takoradi, Tema |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 0, FM 49, shortwave 3 (2001) |
Radios | NA | - |
Railways | - | total: 953 km
narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge (2003) |
Religions | - | Christian 63%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 21% |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) |
general assessment: poor to fair system; Internet accessible; many rural communities not yet connected; expansion of services is underway
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been installed international: country code - 233; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors; fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia |
Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 302,300 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 799,900 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 10 (2001) |
Terrain | flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) | mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area |
Total fertility rate | - | 3.17 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 20% (1997 est.) |
Waterways | none | 1,293 km
note: 168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta (2003) |