KEY FACTS

Joined Commonwealth: 1957
Population: 25,366,000 (2012)
GDP p.c. growth: 3.0% p.a. 1990–2012
UN HDI 2012: world ranking 135
Official language: English
Time: GMT
Currency: Cedi (¢)

Geography

Area: 238,537 sq km
Coastline: 539 km
Capital: Accra

The Republic of Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast, is a West African country lying on the Gulf of Guinea. It is surrounded (clockwise, from the west) by Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo. Ghana has ten regions: Greater Accra, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta and Western. After Greater Accra, Ashanti is the most populated region; Upper West, the least.

Main towns:

Accra (capital, pop. 2.45m in 2010), Kumasi (Ashanti, 1.93m), Tamale (Northern, 466,700), Ashiaman (Greater Accra, 289,100), Takoradi (Western, 273,900), Cape Coast (Central, 182,900), Teshie (Greater Accra, 182,100), Tema (Greater Accra, 178,800), Obuasi (Ashanti, 173,100), Sekondi (Western, 156,200), Madina (Greater Accra, 140,800), Koforidua (Eastern, 111,700), Wa (Upper West, 96,500), Techiman (Brong Ahafo, 91,400), Nungua (Greater Accra, 89,100), Tema New Town (Greater Accra, 87,400), Ho (Volta, 83,700), Sunyani (Brong Ahafo, 83,600), Bawku (Upper East, 66,200) and Bolgatanga (Upper East, 63,500).

Society

KEY FACTS 2012

Population per sq km: 106
Life expectancy: 61 years
Net primary enrolment: 87% (2013)

Population:

25,366,000 (2012); 53 per cent of people live in urban areas and 17 per cent in urban agglomerations of more than one million people; growth 2.5 per cent p.a. 1990–2012; birth rate 31 per 1,000 people (47 in 1970); life expectancy 61 years (49 in 1970). The population is predominantly of African groups: Akan (45 per cent in 2000 census), Mole–Dagbani (15 per cent), Ewe (12 per cent), Ga-Adangbe (seven per cent), Guan (four per cent), Gurma (four per cent), Grusi (three per cent). There are very small minorities of other races.

Language:

The official language is English. The principal indigenous language group is Akan, of which Twi and Fanti are the most commonly used forms. Ga is spoken in the Accra region, Ewe in Volta, and the Mole–Dagbani language group in northern Ghana.

Education:

Public spending on education was eight per cent of GDP in 2011. There are 11 years of compulsory education starting at the age of four. Primary school comprises six years and secondary seven, with cycles of three and four years. Some 72 per cent of pupils complete primary school (2008). The school year starts in September. The longest established public universities are the University of Ghana (Legon, Accra, established 1948); Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Kumasi, 1952); University of Cape Coast (1962); University for Development Studies (main campus at Tamale, 1992); University of Education (Winneba, 1992); and University of Mines and Technology (Tarkwa, 2004). Other major tertiary institutions include the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (Achimota, Accra, 1961). There are also many teacher-training colleges, polytechnics and specialised tertiary institutions; and many private universities. The female–male ratio for gross enrolment in tertiary education is 0.60:1 (2012). Literacy among people aged 15–24 is 81 per cent (2010). In 1977 Ghana hosted the Seventh Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers in Accra. Commonwealth Education Ministers meet every three years to discuss issues of mutual concern and interest.