Surface: 238.686 km²
Population: 16.470.000 inhabitants
Density of population: 69 inhabitants/km²
Capital: Accra (1.781.000 inhabitants)
Official language: English
Official currency: Cedi
Imported products: car pieces, petroleum products, cars
Exported products: cocoa (60%), aluminum, gold, lumber
Brut Intern Product: 6.900 million $
State type: Republic

Geographical Characteristics
The Volta River's Valley occurs 60% of the country's surface with Ashanti Plateau in the west side and Togo Mountains and Fazao Mountains in the east side. The Volta River flows through a narrow ravine to 70 km to the sea, here it is a barrage, Akosombo.

Climate
The southern region is wetter then the northern region with a rainfall of 200 cm per year and 2 rainy seasons between May-June and October. In the north there is only one rainy season (between July and September) with a rainfall of 100 cm per year. In Accra the medium temperature is 27°C in January and 25°C in July.

Agriculture
70% of the people work in agriculture, 12% of the country's surface is cultivated and 15% are grasslands but the food produce is not enough. The arid climate in the north, earth erosion and cutting trees in excess are important problems. Cocoa tree is the main cultivated plant and Ghana is the 3rd world's producer. For commerce they cultivate tobacco, coffee, pepper, rubber, oil tree and fruit trees. In the south they cultivate corn, rice, manioc, bananas and igname and in the north peanuts, millet and sorg and they also grow here cows, sheep and goats. 37% of the country's surface is covered with forests, the lumber is an important exported product. Fishing is an important industry, they fish along the coast and in the ocean with oceanic fleet over 310.000 tones annually, including 20% from Volta Lake.

Mining and Industry
The main ores are gold, diamonds, manganese and bauxite, and also a few quantities of petroleum. The electric energy is obtained from Aksombo Barrage which was constructed in 1965 and created Volta Lake which occurs 3.5% of Ghana's surface. It generates 80% of the electric energy of the nation and export energy to Togo and Benin. The lake offers water for irrigations, a route for communications and a resource for food. Aluminum industry is very important and there are also some factories for lumber and cocoa.

Cities
Accra is the capital of Ghana and has 1.781.000 inhabitants. It is the great commercial and industrial center. Kumasi is the second important city and has 348.000 inhabitants and Tamale is the third with 136.828 inhabitants.



Ghana Lists

	Ghana
	African countries
	African Union member states
	Countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean
	Economic Community of West African States
	English-speaking countries and territories
	Liberal democracies
	Members of the Commonwealth of Nations
	States and territories established in 1957

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Tags: accra, cedi, republic, ashanti plateau, akosombo

Date Added: 12 December '06

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