Part 279

Land boundaries: total: 2,093 km border countries: Burkina Faso 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km

Coastline: 539 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

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

Terrain: mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m

Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber

Land use: arable land: 5% permanent crops: 7% meadows and pastures: 15% forest and woodland: 37% other: 36%

Irrigated land: 80 sq km (1989)

Environment: current issues: recent drought in north severely affecting agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water natural hazards: dry, dusty, harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Marine Life Conservation

Geographic note: Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake; northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)

People ------

Population: 17,698,271 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (male 3,856,673; female 3,819,946) 15-64 years: 54% (male 4,658,142; female 4,814,060) 65 years and over: 3% (male 262,159; female 287,291) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.29% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 35 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 11.15 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 80.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 56.17 years male: 54.18 years female: 58.22 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.59 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Ghanaian(s) adjective: Ghanaian

Ethnic divisions: black African 99.8% (major tribes - Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%), European and other 0.2%

Religions: indigenous beliefs 38%, Muslim 30%, Christian 24%, other 8%

Languages: English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 64.5% male: 75.9% female: 53.5%

Government ----------