NON MEMBER COUNTRIES
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Order the complete Ghana file in French GEOGRAPHICAL
SITUATION : Ghana is bordered to the north by
Burkina Faso, to the west by Ivory Coast and to the east by Togo; the coast
extends to the south 348 miles along the Gulf of Guinea.
SUPERFICIE : 92.090 sq miles
CAPITAL : Accra POPULATION : 18.3 million inhabitants (estimate) LANGUAGES - ETHNICAL GROUPS - RELIGIONS : Ethnical groups : Akans (52,4 %), Mossis-Dagombas (15,8 %), Ewés (11,9 %) Gas-Adangmés (7,8 %)… Languages : English (official language); the most spoken dialects are Twi, Fanti, Ga and 'Ewé (also spoken in Togo) Religions : christians (62,6 %), animists, muslims. Liberty of cult is a rule in Ghana.
HEALTH - EDUCATION : POLITICAL DATA : RELATIONS INTERNATIONALES : The Republic of Ghana is a member of several regional and international organizations, among which : CEDEAO, ECOMOG, OUA, APC… FINANCIAL BACKERS : BAD, WORLD BANK, AFD…
ECONOMY AND FINANCE : CURRENCY : Cédis (0,004 FF - 1999) (1 € = 6.160,14 Cédis in february 2002)GDP : $ 7.5 billion on December 31, 2000 GDP DISTRIBUTION : Primary sector : 42 % - Secondary sector : 27,5 % - Tertiary sector : 30,5 % FOREIGN TRADE : Exports in the year 2000 :$ 1,940 million : cocoa, gold, timber… Imports in the year 2000 : $ 2,832 million : milk, meat, agricultural food produce, equipment, medication…
FISHING makes up 5 % of GDP by itself and its production is estimated to be 300,000 tons/year. BREEDING has improved its performances in the poultry sector, however the livestock herd is declining. FOREST : It covers 11 % of the territory and
feeds two million people (from saw-mill employees to wild honey and medicinal
plant gatherers). Ghana has lost 123,500 acres of forest in 5 years, and
has taken measures in order to protect it and launched a reseeding project.
In the FOOD PROCESSING sector we find the Group Unilever, the Pionneer Food Cannery, Ghana Agro Food Company, and in the bottling industry, by order of importance : Guinness Ghana Breweries (merger of ABC and KBAL), Coca-Cola and Accra Brewery, whose total revenues in 1998 were over 200 million. INDUSTRIAL SUB-CONTRACTING : A recent phenomenon in Ghana, linked
to recovery and rehabilitation undergoing investments in the country. A
number of mostly foreign small and medium size companies are currently establishing
or developping business in Ghana. They operate in the mining sector, in
telecommunications, water, electricity or in the harbours of Tema and Takoradi. Mineral production & sales value for the year 2000 
MINING : 1988 production Gold 2,320,908 ounces Diamonds 808,967 carats Bauxite 442,514 tons Manganese 536,871 tons
The services sector has been enjoying growth rates of 6 to 7 % per year since 1951. INFRASTRUCTURES & TRANSPORT : Ghana Airways increased its number of passengers by 38 % from 1997 to 1998. On the other hand, road and railway transportation is stagnant. THE ROAD NETWORK : 19,883 miles of roads in bad
condition. A Road Fund has been instituted by the government and important
bitumizing programs launched. The FASE program signed in March 1999 with
the IMF plans for a revisal of project allocation procedures and a rigorous
decrease of current road contracts, among other items. THE RAIL NETWORK : It is run by the state-owned Ghana Railways Corporation (GRC) over 592 miles of railways (three main lines); GRC employs 5,500 individuals, or 50% too much manpower. The number of passengers dropped from 6 million in 1970 to 2.2 million today. In return, freight transport, 60 to 70% of which is made up by mining products, has slightly increased. The financial backers have obtained a concession on the GRC from the government. HARBOURS, with the two main ones in Takoradi
in the west and Tema in the east, carry cumulated freight of 7.6 million
tons (1998). Imports make up 75% of Ghanean traffic. It has been increasing
regularly since 1994. BANKING NETWORK : 15 banks (four of them foreign)
empoying 8,500 individuals. Interest rates remain high, thus credit is
limited. TOURISM is strongly progressing, important efforts
were made to accomodate the country's significant historical patrimony.
The Ghana Board of Tourism multiplies promotion initiatives (+11% tourists
in 1998). The hostelry infrastructure has been slightly improved, mainly
in Accra and in the touristic region of Cape Coast and Elmina... PRIVATIZATIONS - TELECOMMUNICATIONS - COMMERCE - HISTORY AND CIVILIZATION - ADDRESS BOOK…
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CLIMATE : tropical type climate
PRIMARY SECTOR
AGRICULTURE alone (except for cocoa
and timber) makes up 30 % of the GDP. Cereal production comprises
60 % corn, 18 % sorghum, 13 % rice and 9 % millet. It grows at a rate of
1 to 2 % per year. Starchy food production comprising 55 % manioc, grows
by about 1,7% per year.
