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Compare British Virgin Islands (2008) - Ghana (2008)

Compare British Virgin Islands (2008) z Ghana (2008)

 British Virgin Islands (2008)Ghana (2008)
 British Virgin IslandsGhana
Administrative divisions none (overseas territory of the UK) 10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western
Age structure 0-14 years: 20.2% (male 2,410/female 2,337)


15-64 years: 74.5% (male 9,004/female 8,534)


65 years and over: 5.4% (male 665/female 602) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 38.2% (male 4,438,308/female 4,329,293)


15-64 years: 58.2% (male 6,661,512/female 6,687,738)


65 years and over: 3.6% (male 380,495/female 433,953) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber
Airports 3 (2007) 12 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
total: 7


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
total: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Area total: 153 sq km


land: 153 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke
total: 239,460 sq km


land: 230,940 sq km


water: 8,520 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Oregon
Background First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. 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 re-elected in 2004. Kufuor is constitutionally barred from running for a third term in upcoming Presidential elections, which are scheduled for December 2008.
Birth rate 14.82 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 29.85 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $204.7 million


expenditures: $180.4 million (2004)
revenues: $4.347 billion


expenditures: $5.197 billion (2007 est.)
Capital name: Road Town


geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Accra


geographic coordinates: 5 33 N, 0 13 W


time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Coastline 80 km 539 km
Constitution 13 June 2007 approved 28 April 1992
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: British Virgin Islands


abbreviation: BVI
conventional long form: Republic of Ghana


conventional short form: Ghana


former: Gold Coast
Death rate 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 9.55 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $36.1 million (1997) $3.387 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela E. BRIDGEWATER


embassy: 24 4th Circular Rd. Cantonments, Accra


mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra


telephone: [233] (21) 741-000


FAX: [233] (21) 741-389
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Kwame BAWUAH-EDUSEI


chancery: 1156 15th St. NW #905, Washington, DC 20005


telephone: [1] (202) 785-1379


FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430


consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international none Ghana struggles to accommodate returning nationals who worked in the cocoa plantations and escaped fighting in Cote d'Ivoire
Economic aid - recipient $NA $1.316 billion in loans and grants (2007)
Economy - overview The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 820,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 2005. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, made the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since 1959. Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly twice the per capita output of the poorest countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance. Gold and cocoa production, and individual remittances, are major sources of foreign exchange. The domestic economy continues to revolve around agriculture, which accounts for about 35% of GDP and employs about 55% of the work force, mainly small landholders. Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program in 2002, and is also benefiting from the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative that took effect in 2006. Thematic priorities under its current Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy, which also provides the framework for development partner assistance, are: macroeconomic stability; private sector competitiveness; human resource development; and good governance and civic responsibility. Sound macro-economic management along with high prices for gold and cocoa helped sustain GDP growth in 2007. Ghana signed a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact in 2006, which aims to assist in transforming Ghana's agricultural sector.
Electricity - consumption 41.85 million kWh (2005) 6.906 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 256 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 461 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production 45 million kWh (2005) 7.042 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m
Environment - current issues limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) 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 83%, other 17% (includes white, Indian, Asian and mixed) Akan 45.3%, Mole-Dagbon 15.2%, Ewe 11.7%, Ga-Dangme 7.3%, Guan 4%, Gurma 3.6%, Grusi 2.6%, Mande-Busanga 1%, other tribes 1.4%, other 7.8% (2000 census)
Exchange rates the US dollar is used cedis per US dollar - 0.95 (2007), 9,174.8 (2006), 9,072.5 (2005), 9,004.6 (2004), 8,677.4 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006)


head of government: Premier Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 23 August 2007)


cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the House of Assembly


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor
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)


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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held in December 2008)


election results: John Agyekum KUFUOR reelected president in election; percent of vote - John KUFUOR 52.4%, John ATTA-MILLS 44.6%
Exports 0 bbl/day (2004) 8,041 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds, horticulture
Exports - partners Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006) Netherlands 11.3%, UK 8.7%, US 6.7%, Spain 5.7%, Belgium 5.2%, France 4.4% (2006)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March calendar year
Flag description blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) 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 - composition by sector agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 6.2%


services: 92% (1996 est.)
agriculture: 37.3%


industry: 25.3%


services: 37.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1% (2002 est.) 6.2% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 30 N, 64 30 W 8 00 N, 2 00 W
Geography - note strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 2.2%


highest 10%: 30.1% (1999)
Illicit drugs transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering 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
Imports 604.3 bbl/day (2004) 45,010 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs
Imports - partners Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006) Nigeria 16.7%, China 13%, UK 5.7%, Belgium 4.7%, US 4.7%, South Africa 4.1%, France 4.1% (2006)
Independence none (overseas territory of the UK) 6 March 1957 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 7.4% (2007 est.)
Industries tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building
Infant mortality rate total: 16.13 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 18.82 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 13.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 53.56 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 58 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 48.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2% (2005) 11% (2007 est.)
International organization participation Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land NA 310 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction Supreme Court
Labor force 12,770 (2004) 11.29 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 0.6%


industry: 40%


services: 59.4% (2005)
agriculture: 56%


industry: 15%


services: 29% (2005 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: 20%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (2005)
arable land: 17.54%


permanent crops: 9.22%


other: 73.24% (2005)
Languages English (official) Asante 14.8%, Ewe 12.7%, Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%, Dangme 4.3%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.7%, Akyem 3.4%, Ga 3.4%, Akuapem 2.9%, other 36.1% (includes English (official)) (2000 census)
Legal system English law based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral House of Assembly (13 elected seats and 1 non-voting ex officio member in the attorney general; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 20 August 2007 (next to be held in 2011)


election results: percent of vote by party - VIP 45.2%, NDP 39.6%, independent 15.2%; seats by party - VIP 10, NDP 2, independent 1
unicameral Parliament (230 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 7 December 2004 (next to be held December in 2008)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPP 128, NDC 94, PNC 4, CPP 3, independent 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 76.86 years


male: 75.71 years


female: 78.07 years (2007 est.)
total population: 59.12 years


male: 58.31 years


female: 59.95 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 57.9%


male: 66.4%


female: 49.8% (2000 census)
Location Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm
Merchant marine - total: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,032 GRT/7,282 DWT


by type: petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2


foreign-owned: 1 (Brazil 1) (2007)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK -
Military branches - Ghanaian Army, Ghanaian Navy, Ghanaian Air Force (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 0.8% (2006 est.)
National holiday Territory Day, 1 July (1956) Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
Nationality noun: British Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: British Virgin Islander
noun: Ghanaian(s)


adjective: Ghanaian
Natural hazards hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts
Natural resources NEGL gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone
Net migration rate 8.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -0.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines - oil 13 km; refined products 316 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] Convention People's Party or CPP [Ladi NYLANDER]; Democratic Freedom Party or DFP [Alhaji Abudu Rahman ISSAKAH]; Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere or EGLE; Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Dan LARTEY]; National Democratic Congress or NDC [Dr. Kwabena ADJEI]; New Patriotic Party or NPP [Peter MAC-MANU]; People's National Convention or PNC [Alhaji Amed RAMADAN]; Reform Party [Kyeretwie OPUKU]; United Renaissance Party or URP [Charles WAYO]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 23,552 (July 2007 est.) 22,931,299


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 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 28.5% (2007 est.)
Population growth rate 1.923% (2007 est.) 1.972% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004) AM 0, FM 86, shortwave 3 (2007)
Railways - total: 953 km


narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)
Religions Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, other 2%, none 2% (1991) Christian 68.8% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 24.1%, Protestant 18.6%, Catholic 15.1%, other 11%), Muslim 15.9%, traditional 8.5%, other 0.7%, none 6.1% (2000 census)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.031 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.055 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.105 male(s)/female


total population: 1.053 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.025 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.996 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.877 male(s)/female


total population: 1.003 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: worldwide telephone service


domestic: NA


international: country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable to Bermuda; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean (2007)
general assessment: fixed-line infrastructure outdated and unreliable; competition among multiple mobile-cellular providers has spurred growth with subscribership about 25 per 100 persons and rising


domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been installed


international: country code - 233; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors
Telephones - main lines in use 11,700 (2002) 356,400 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 8,000 (2002) 5.207 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 1 (plus 1 cable company) (1997) 7 (2007)
Terrain coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Total fertility rate 1.72 children born/woman (2007 est.) 3.89 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 3.6% (1997) 11% (2000 est.)
Waterways - 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 (2007)
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