Ghana
Ghana compares in size to Oregon, and boarders
the Atlantic Ocean to the South. Called the Gold Coast in
colonial times, the area was first seen by Portuguese traders
in 1470. They were followed by the English (1553), the Dutch
(1595), and the Swedes (1640). British rule over the Gold
Coast began in 1820, but it was not firmly established until
1901. Ghana become an independent country on March 6, 1957.
Ghana has been seen as one of the continents most stable democracies,
and its people, the friendliest in Africa.
To date, Smile Africa has delivered about
40,000 books and other resources to build ten LearningSPACE
libraries across Ghana’s ten regions. Additionally,
50 girls will each receive the Smile Africa Girls’ Scholarship
for three years, as a tribute to Ghana@50 jubilee celebration
of independence.
Ghana: Basic Statistical Data
Population |
22,931,299 |
Population Growth Rate |
1.972% |
Median Age |
Total: 20.2 years
Male: 19.9 years
Female: 20.4 years
|
Literacy |
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 57.9%
Male: 66.4%
Female: 49.8% |
Birth Rate |
29.85 births/1,000 population |
Death Rate |
9.55 deaths/1,000 population |
| Infant Mortality Rate |
Total: 53.56 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 58 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 48.99 deaths/1,000 live births
|
| GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) |
$59.15 billion (2006 est.) |
| GDP (Real Growth Rate) |
5.7% (2006 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) |
$2,600 (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment Rate |
20% (1997 est.) |
| Population Below Poverty Line |
31.4% (1992 est.) |
| Inflation rate |
10.9% (2006 est.) |
| Public Debt |
38.6% of GDP (2006 est.) |
| Area |
Total: 239,460 sq km
Land: 230,940 sq km
Water: 8,520 sq km |
| Natural Resources |
Gold, Timber, Industrial Diamonds, Bauxite, Manganese,
Fish, Rubber, Hydropower, Petroleum, Silver, Salt, and
Limestone |
| HIV/AIDS |
3.1% of Population |
| Major Infectious Diseases |
Degree of risk: Very high
Food or waterborne diseases: Bacterial and protozoal Diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: Malaria and yellow fever are high
risks in some locations
Water contact disease: Schistosomiasis
Respiratory disease: Meningococcal meningitis |
|
