A West African country bordering on the Gulf of Guinea, Ghana is bounded by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It compares in size to Oregon, and its largest river is the Volta.
Country lead by President: John Agyekum Kufuor (2001)
Population
22,409,572 (growth rate: 2.1%); birth rate: 30.5/1000; infant mortality rate: 55.0/1000; life expectancy: 58.9; density per sq mi: 252
Land Area
89,166 sq mi (230,940 sq km); total area: 92,456 sq mi (239,460 sq km)
Monetary unit
Cedi Language
English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)
Ethnicity 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)
Religion Christian 63%, indigenous beliefs 21%, Islam 16%
Transportation Railways: total: 953 km (2004). Highways: total: 46,176 km; paved: 8,496 km; unpaved: 37,679 km (1999 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 (2003). Ports and harbors: Takoradi, Tema. Airports: 12 (2004 est.).
