Ghana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 

Ghana officially called the Republic of Ghana, is a multinational state and unitary presidential constitutional republic, located along the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean, in the subregion of West Africa in Africa.

The country is bordered by the Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, Togo in the east and the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean in the south. The word Ghana means "Warrior King".

Prior to colonization by the British in the mid-19th century, Ghana was the site of numerous kingdoms and empires. In 1957, it became the first African nation to declare independence from European colonization.

This made Ghana the symbol of Black achievement, helped to inspire other African nations to seek independence, and had a major influence on Pan-Africanism and the Black Pride movements in the United States of America.

Ghana has a land mass of 238,535 km2, with 2,093 kilometres of international land borders. It is a democratic constitutional republic divided into ten administrative regions, with a multiethnic population of around 24 million as of 2010.

Its varied geography includes savannas, woodlands, forests, a coastal line, springs, cave systems, mountains, estuaries, wildlife parks, and nature reserves.

The coast of Ghana stretches 560 kilometres (350 miles) and includes a rich assortment of culturally significant castles, forts, ports and harbors.

One of the most stable and developed countries in Africa, Ghana's economy is among the largest on the continent and one of the fastest growing in the world.

It is a significant petroleum and natural gas producer, one of the world's largest gold and diamond producers, and the second largest producer of cocoa in the world.

Ghana is home to Lake Volta, the largest artificial lake in the world by surface area. Ghana is a regional power in West Africa and on continental Africa, a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement, and a member of both the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Group of 24 (G24).

Republic of Ghana:

Motto: "Freedom and Justice"

Capital: Accra (5°33′N 0°15′W)

Largest city: Kumasi

Official languages: English

Ethnic groups (2010):
• 47.5% Akan
• 16.6% Mossi and Dagomba
• 13.9% Ewe
•   7.4% Ga-Adangbe
•   1.1% Mande
• 13.5% other

Demonym: Ghanaian

Government: Unitary presidential constitutional republic
• President: 
• Vice-President: 

Legislature: Parliament - Independence from the United Kingdom 

• Declared: 6 March 1957 
• Realm: 6 March 1957 - 1 July 1960 
• Republic: 01 July 1960 
• Current constitution: 28 April 1992 

Area:
• Total    238,535 km2 (82nd) - 92,099 sq mi
• Water (%): 4.61 (11,000 km2 / 4,247 mi2)

Population: 2010 estimate 24.2 million     
Density: 101.5/km2 (103rd) - 258.8/sq mi

GDP (PPP): 2014 estimate
• Total: $97.5 billion
• Per capita: $3,718.4

Currency: Ghana cedi (GH₵) (GHS)
Time zone: GMT (UTC+0)
Drives on the right
Calling code: +233
ISO 3166 code: GH
Internet TLD: .gh