Ghana

<p>Ghana is a multiethnic country rich in natural resources and is one of the most stable and democratic countries in West Africa. Ghana has been inhabited for at least several thousand years, but little is known about its early inhabitants. By the 12th century, the gold trade started to boom in Bono (Bonoman) state in what is today southern Ghana, and it became the genesis of the Akan people's power and wealth in the region. Beginning in the 15th century, the Portuguese, followed by other European powers, arrived and competed for trading rights. Numerous kingdoms and empires emerged in the area, among the most powerful were the Kingdom of Dagbon in the north and the Asante (Ashanti) Empire in the south. By the mid-18th century, Asante was a highly organized state with immense wealth; it provided enslaved people for the Atlantic slave trade, and in return received firearms that facilitated its territorial expansion. The Asante resisted increasing British influence in the coastal areas, engaging in a series of wars during the 19th century before ultimately falling under British control. 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, with Kwame NKRUMAH as its first leader.<br><br>Ghana endured a 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 of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS of the National Democratic Congress won the 2008 presidential election and took over as head of state. MILLS died in 2012 and was constitutionally succeeded by his vice president, John Dramani MAHAMA, who subsequently won the 2012 presidential election. In 2016, Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO of the NPP defeated MAHAMA, marking the third time that Ghana’s presidency had changed parties since the return to democracy. AKUFO-ADDO was reelected in 2020. In recent years, Ghana has taken an active role in promoting regional stability and is highly integrated in international affairs.</p>

Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo

8 00 N, 2 00 W

Africa

slightly smaller than Oregon

539 km

tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north

mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area

gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone

360 sq km (2013)

Volta river mouth (shared with Burkina Faso [s]) - 1,600 km<br><br><strong>note:</strong> [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

population is concentrated in the southern half of the country, with the highest concentrations on or near the Atlantic coast, as shown in this population distribution map

dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds from January to March; droughts

Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake (manmade reservoir) by surface area (8,482 sq km; 3,275 sq mi); the lake was created after the Akosombo Dam was completed in 1965

Akan 45.7%, Mole-Dagbani 18.5%, Ewe 12.8%, Ga-Dangme 7.1%, Gurma 6.4%, Guan 3.2%, Grusi 2.7%, Mande 2%, other 1.6% (2021 est.)

Asante 16%, Ewe 14%, Fante 11.6%, Boron (Brong) 4.9%, Dagomba 4.4%, Dangme 4.2%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.9%, Kokomba 3.5%, Akyem 3.2%, Ga 3.1%, other 31.2% (2010 est.)

Christian 71.3% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 31.6%, Protestant 17.4%, Catholic 10%, other 12.3%), Muslim 19.9%, traditionalist 3.2%, other 4.5%, none 1.1% (2021 est.)

2.12% (2025 est.)

27.09 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

5.73 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

population is concentrated in the southern half of the country, with the highest concentrations on or near the Atlantic coast, as shown in this population distribution map

3.768 million Kumasi, 2.660 million ACCRA (capital), 1.078 million Sekondi Takoradi (2023)

22.1 years (2022 est.)

234 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

3.51 children born/woman (2025 est.)

1.73 (2025 est.)

0.27 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2015 est.)

10.9% (2016)

12% (2022 est.)

53.4% (2022 est.)

drought in north; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction; water pollution; inadequate potable water

tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north

43.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

56.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

presidential republic

16 regions; Ahafo, Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, North East, Northern, Oti, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western, Western North

mixed system of English common law and customary law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

All Peoples Congress or APC <br>Convention People's Party or CPP <br>Ghana Freedom Party or GFP <br>Ghana Union Movement or GUM <br>Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP <br>Liberal Party of Ghana or LPG <br>National Democratic Congress or NDC <br>National Democratic Party or NDP <br>New Patriotic Party or NPP <br>People's National Convention or PNC <br>Progressive People's Party or PPP <br>United Front Party or UFP <br>United Progressive Party or UPP 

ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, AU, C, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

6 March 1957 (from the UK)

Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

<strong>description:</strong> three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green, with a large five-pointed black star centered in the yellow band<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> red stands for the blood shed for independence, yellow for the country's mineral wealth, and green for its forests and natural wealth; the black star is said to be the lodestar of African freedom<br><br><strong>history:</strong> uses the colors of the Pan-African movement

black star, golden eagle

red, yellow, green, black

West African lower-middle income economy; major gold, oil and cocoa exporter; macroeconomic challenges following nearly four decades of sustained growth; recent progress in debt restructuring, fiscal reforms, financial stability, and curbing runaway inflation under 2023-26 IMF credit facility program

$82.825 billion (2024 est.)

cassava, yams, plantains, maize, oil palm fruit, taro, rice, oranges, pineapples, cocoa beans (2023)

mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building, petroleum

7.1% (2024 est.)

13.928 million (2024 est.)

23.4% (2016 est.)

12.3% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

Switzerland 24%, UAE 18%, India 8%, South Africa 7%, China 7% (2023)

gold, crude petroleum, cocoa beans, manganese ore, cocoa paste (2023)

China 30%, Netherlands 8%, India 5%, USA 5%, Russia 5% (2023)

refined petroleum, cars, plastics, plastic products, footwear (2023)

state-owned TV station, 2 state-owned radio networks; several privately owned TV stations and a large number of privately owned radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are accessible; several cable and satellite TV subscription services are obtainable

.gh

9G

11 (2025)

7 (2025)

Ghana Armed Forces (GAF): Army, Air Force, Ghana Navy<br><br>Ministry of Interior: Ghana Police Service (2025)

estimated 15-20,000 active Armed Forces (2025)

the military's inventory is a mix of older (mostly Soviet-era) and some newer armaments from such suppliers as China, Japan, Jordan, T&uuml;rkiye, the UK, and the US; the government has committed to an increase in funding for equipment acquisitions, including armor, mechanized, and special forces capabilities for the Army, light attack aircraft for the Air Force, and more modern coastal patrol vessels for the Navy (2025)

18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2025)

875 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 725 (plus about 275 police) South Sudan (UNMISS); 670 Sudan (UNISFA) (2025)

the military’s primary missions are border defense, assisting with internal security, peacekeeping, and protecting the country’s territorial waters, particularly its offshore oil and gas infrastructure; it has benefited from cooperation with foreign partners, such as the UK and the US, and experience gained from participation in multiple international peacekeeping missions<br> <br>in recent years, Ghana has expanded the Army and reinforced its presence in the northern part of the country to shore up porous borders, interdict smuggling routes, and counter threats from the terrorist organization Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of al-Qa'ida linked militant groups which has a considerable presence in Burkina Faso and has conducted attacks in Cote d'Ivoire and Togo; Ghana has also made efforts to increase the Navy's capabilities to protect its maritime claims and counter threats such as piracy and illegal fishing (2025)

Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute (GSSTI; established 2011) (2025)

has nascent space program focused on Earth observation, space science education, and telecommunications; seeks to exploit remote sensing (RS) technology for agriculture, natural-resource management, weather forecasting, and national security; relies on foreign imagery for analysis but seeks to develop its own RS satellite capabilities; has established cooperative relationships with China, Japan, and a number of regional states, particularly South Africa; working with Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan, and Uganda on a satellite to monitor climate changes in the African continent; member of the African Space Agency; partner in the Square Kilometer Array radio telescope (2025)

2017 - first satellite (GhanaSat-1), a technology demonstration/remote sensing nanosatellite built by a Gabonese university with assistance from Japan and released from the International Space Station; established Ghana Radio Astronomy Observatory<br><br>2024 - released a national space policy