arch)

Note: Lake Volta is world's largest artificial lake

- People
Population: 15,165,243 (July 1990), growth rate 3.2% (1990)

Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 89 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 56 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Ghanaian(s); adjective--Ghanaian

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

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

Language: English (official); African languages include Akan,
Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga

Literacy: 53.2%

Labor force: 3,700,000; 54.7% agriculture and fishing, 18.7% industry,
15.2% sales and clerical, 7.7% services, transportation, and communications,
3.7% professional; 48% of population of working age (1983)

Organized labor: 467,000 (about 13% of labor force)

- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Ghana

Type: military

Capital: Accra

Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central,
Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta,
Western

Independence: 6 March 1957 (from UK, formerly Gold Coast)

Constitution: 24 September 1979; suspended 31 December 1981

Legal system: based on English common law and customary law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

Executive branch: chairman of the Provisional National Defense
Council (PNDC), PNDC, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly dissolved after 31
December 1981 coup, and legislative powers were assumed by the
Provisional National Defense Council

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--Chairman of the Provisional
National Defense Council Flt. Lt. (Ret.) Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 31 December
1981)

Political parties and leaders: none; political parties outlawed
after 31 December 1981 coup

Suffrage: none

Elections: none

Communists: a small number of Communists and sympathizers

Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT,
IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IRC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, W