Part 322

@Ghana:Geography

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

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 2 00 W

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 238,540 sq km land : 230,020 sq km water: 8,520 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

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

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

Elevation extremes: 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: 12% permanent crops : 7% permanent pastures: 22% forests and woodland: 35% other: 24% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 60 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: dry, dusty, harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts

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

Environment - 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

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

@Ghana:People

Population: 18,100,703 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (male 3,928,741; female 3,891,591) 15-64 years: 54% (male 4,775,610; female 4,939,664) 65 years and over : 3% (male 268,579; female 296,518) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.21% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 33.88 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 10.89 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 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 total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 78.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)