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 reelected in 2004.
John Atta Mills won the 2008 presidential election and took over as head of state, but he died in July 2012 and was constitutionally succeeded by his vice president John Dramani Mahama, who subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election.
Population: 25,758,108
Nationality: noun: Ghanaian(s) adjective: Ghanaian
Ethnic groups: Akan 47.5%, Mole-Dagbon 16.6%, Ewe 13.9%, Ga-Dangme 7.4%, Gurma 5.7%, Guan 3.7%, Grusi 2.5%, Mande-Busanga 1.1%, other 1.6%
Languages: 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 (includes English (official)) 36.1%
Religions: Christian 71.2% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 28.3%, Protestant 18.4%, Catholic 13.1%, other 11.4%), Muslim 17.6%, traditional 5.2%, other 0.8%, none 5.2%
GDP: $ 45 550 000 000.00 (2013)
Ghana Army, Ghana Navy, Ghana Air Force.
Disputed maritime border between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire.
Ghana is 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.
Capital: Accra
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo. Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake (manmade reservoir) by surface area (8,482 sq km; 3,275 sq mi).
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 2 00 W.
Area:
total: 238,533 sq km
land: 227,533 sq km
water: 11,000 sq km.
Land boundaries:
total: 2,420 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 602 km, Cote d'Ivoire 720 km, Togo 1,098 km.
Coastline: 539 km.
Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone.