Profile on Ghana
Ghana is situated in West Africa and is bounded by Burkina Faso, Togo, the Atlantic Ocean and Cote d’Ivoire. Ghana, with Accra as its capital city, covers a land area of 239,000 sq km and has an estimated Population 23,328,000 (2008 estimate). It is also estimated that about 4 million people are resident in the capital city, Accra. The official language is English. There are about 75 spoken languages and numerous ethnic groups, including the Akan, the Mossi, the Ewe, the Ga-Adangme, the Fante, and the Hausa in the country. Ghana is dominated by the Christianity religion, followed by Islam as well as indigenous beliefs. The country’s currency was redenominated in 2007 and renamed the Ghana Cedi
Ghana Governance, Leadership and Economy A well-administered country by regional standards, Ghana is often seen as a model for political and economic reform in Africa. Cocoa exports are an essential part of the economy; Ghana is the world’s second-largest Cocoa producer.The discovery of major offshore oil reserves was announced in June 2007, encouraging expectations of a major economic boost. However, oil is not expected to flow for some years. Ghana has a high-profile peacekeeping role; troops have been deployed in Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone and DR Congo.
Ghana enjoys a high degree of media freedom and the private press and broadcasters operate without significant restrictions. The Commonwealth Press Union has described Ghana’s media as “one of the most unfettered” on the continent. The private press is lively, and often carries criticism of government policy. Animated phone-in programmes are staple fare on many radio stations.
Nearly one third of Ghanaians have access to the internet, and mobile telephones are becoming a significant source of news news
