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England Description Georgia
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Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana endured a long series of coups before Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS took power in 1981 and banned political parties. After approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992, RAWLINGS won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John KUFUOR succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS took over as head of state in early 2009.
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Location
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Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
WebCam
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Geographic Coordinates
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8 00 N, 2 00 W
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Area - comparative
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slightly smaller than Oregon
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Coast line
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539 km
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Climate
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tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
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Terrain Georgia
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mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
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Natural Resources Georgia
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gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone
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Irrigated land
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310 sq km (2003)
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Total Renewable Water Resources
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53.2 cu km (2001)
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Natural Hazards
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dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts
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Environment Currentissues
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recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
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Geography Note
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Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
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Population Georgia
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24,339,838
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Population growth rate
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1.855% (2010 est.)
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Birth Rate
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28.09 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
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Death Rate
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8.93 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
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Netmigration Rate
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-0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
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Total Fertility Rate
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3.57 children born/woman (2010 est.)
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Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate
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1.9% (2007 est.)
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Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids
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260,000 (2007 est.)
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Hiv/Aids Deaths
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Akan 45.3%, Mole-Dagbon 15.2%, Ewe 11.7%, Ga-Dangme 7.3%, Guan 4%, Gurma 3.6%, Grusi 2.6%, Mande-Busanga 1%, other tribes 1.4%, other 7.8% (2000 census)
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Religions
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Christian 68.8% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 24.1%, Protestant 18.6%, Catholic 15.1%, other 11%), Muslim 15.9%, traditional 8.5%, other 0.7%, none 6.1% (2000 census)
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Languages
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Asante 14.8%, Ewe 12.7%, Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%, Dangme 4.3%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.7%, Akyem 3.4%, Ga 3.4%, Akuapem 2.9%, other 36.1% (includes English (official)) (2000 census)
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Education Expenditures
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5.4% of GDP (2005)
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Government Type
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constitutional democracy
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Administrative Divisions
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10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western
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Independence
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6 March 1957 (from the UK)
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National Holiday
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Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
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Constitution
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approved 28 April 1992
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Legal System
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based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage
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18 years of age; universal
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Legislative Branch
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unicameral Parliament (230 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
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Political Partie Sand Leaders
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Supreme Court
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Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders
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Christian Aid (water rights); Committee for Joint Action or CJA (education reform); National Coalition Against the Privatization of Water or CAP (water rights); Oxfam (water rights); Public Citizen (water rights); Students Coalition Against EPA [Kwabena Ososukene OKAI] (education reform); Third World Network (education reform)
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International Organization Participation
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ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF (associate member), OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Flag Description
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three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green, with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; red symbolizes the blood shed for independence, yellow represents the country's mineral wealth, while green stands for its forests and natural wealth; the black star is said to be the lodestar of African freedom
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Economy Overview
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Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly twice the per capita output of the poorest countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance. Gold and cocoa production and individual remittances are major sources of foreign exchange. Oil production is expected to expand in late 2010 or early 2011. The domestic economy continues to revolve around agriculture, which accounts for more than a third of GDP and employs more than half of the work force, mainly small landholders. Ghana signed a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact in 2006, which aims to assist in transforming Ghana's agricultural sector. Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program in 2002, and is also benefiting from the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative that took effect in 2006. Thematic priorities under its current Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy, which also provides the framework for development partner assistance, are: macroeconomic stability; private sector competitiveness; human resource development; and good governance and civic responsibility. Sound macro-economic management along with high prices for gold and cocoa helped sustain GDP growth in 2008 and 2009.
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GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
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$36.57 billion (2009 est.)
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GDP (Official Exchange Rate)
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$14.93 billion (2009 est.)
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GDP Real Growth Rate
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4.7% (2009 est.)
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GDP Per Capita (PPP)
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$1,500 (2009 est.)
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Labor Force
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10.33 million (2009 est.)
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Unemployment Rate
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11% (2000 est.)
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Population Below Poverty Line
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28.5% (2007 est.)
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Distribution Of Family Income
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39.4 (2005-06)
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Unvestment Gross Fixed
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35% of GDP (2009 est.)
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Inflation Rrate
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67.5% of GDP (2009 est.)
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Central Bank Discount Rate
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19.6% (2009 est.)
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Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
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17% (31 December 2008)
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Stock Of Money
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NA%
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Stock Of Quasi Money
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$NA (31 December 2008)
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Stock Of Domestic Credit
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$NA (31 December 2008)
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Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares
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$NA (31 December 2008)
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Agriculture - Products
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$3.394 billion (31 December 2008)
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Industries
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cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber
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Industrial Production Growth Rate
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mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building
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Electricity Production
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4.5% (2009 est.)
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Electricity Consumption
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6.746 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity Exports
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5.702 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity Imports
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249 million kWh (2007 est.)
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Oil Production
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435 million kWh (2007 est.)
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Oil Consumption
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7,399 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil Exports
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56,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil Imports
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4,843 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil Proved Reserves
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45,380 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Natural Gas Production
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15 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Natural Gas Consumption
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural Gas Exports
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural Gas Imports
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural Gas Proved Reserves
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Current Account Balance
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22.65 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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Exports
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-$2.666 billion (2009 est.)
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Exports Commodities
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$5.737 billion (2009 est.)
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Exports Partners
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gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds, horticulture
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Imports
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Netherlands 13.4%, Ukraine 11.7%, UK 8%, France 5.7%, US 5.1% (2008)
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Imports Commodities
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$9.807 billion (2009 est.)
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Imports Partners
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capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs
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Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold
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China 16%, Nigeria 15%, India 5.6%, US 5.6%, France 4.5%, UK 4.5% (2008)
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Debt - External
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$1.854 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
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Radio Broadcast Stations
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$NA
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Television Broadcast Stations
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$NA
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Internet Country Code
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cedis (GHC) per US dollar - 1.4 (2009), 1.1 (2008), 0.95 (2007), 9,174.8 (2006), 9,072.5 (2005)
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Airports
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AM 0, FM 86, shortwave 3 (2007)
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Military Service Age and Obligation
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11 (2009)
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