Ghana’s money: cedi.

Ghana is drained by a large number of streams and rivers. In addition, there are a number of coastal lagoons, the huge man-made Lake Volta, the closest sea is Atlantic Ocean. The highest mountain is Mount Afadjato (880m).

Land and People (Religion)

Ghana's population is composed of many ethnolinguistic groups. Some 69% of the population is Christian (Pentecostal and other Protestant churches, and Roman Catholic) and 16% is Muslim (living mainly in the north), with the remainder following traditional religions.

Weather

The climate is tropical, but temperatures vary with season and elevation. Except in the north two rainy seasons occur, from April to July and from September to November. In the north the rainy season begins in April and lasts until September. Annual rainfall ranges from about 1,100 mm (about 43 in) in the north to about 2,100 mm (about 83 in) in the southeast.

The harmattan, a dry desert wind, blows from the northeast from December to March, lowering the humidity and creating hot days and cool nights in the north. In the south the effects of the harmattan are felt in January. In most areas the highest temperatures occur in March, the lowest in August.

Natural recourses

Gold, wood, diamonds, fish, oil.

Cocoa that is the biggest cash crop, rice, coffee, cassaca, peanuts, corn, shea nuts and bananas are widely grown. Also, fishing and lumbering are very important to Ghana. Although inadequate roads and facilities have hindered the development of the timber industry.

Minerals are found in the north, south and costal regions. The most important minerals are gold, industrial diamonds, bauxite and manganese. In 2007 there is some petroleum exploitation and exploration for additional reserves identified significant deposits.

Economy

Ghana’s economy is predominantly agricultural, with 60% of the population engaged in subsistence agriculture.Cocoa that is the biggest cash crop, rice, coffee, cassaca, peanuts, corn, shea nuts and bananas are widely grown. Also, fishing and lumbering are very important to Ghana. Although inadequate roads and facilities have hindered the development of the timber industry.

Minerals are found in the north, south and costal regions. The most important minerals are gold, industrial diamonds, bauxite and manganese. In 2007 there is some petroleum exploitation and exploration for additional reserves identified significant deposits.

The major industries in Ghana are mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, cocoa and other food processing, and shipbuilding. The major exports are gold and other minerals, cocoa, timber, and tuna. Imports include capital equipment, petroleum, and foodstuffs. The Netherlands, Nigeria, Great Britain, the United States, and China are Ghana's major trade partners. The country has a large but poorly maintained road system; rail lines connect the major centers in the south.

Industry

The major industries in Ghana are mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, cocoa and other food processing, and shipbuilding. The major exports are gold and other minerals, cocoa, timber, and tuna. Imports include capital equipment, petroleum, and foodstuffs. The Netherlands, Nigeria, Great Britain, the United States, and China are Ghana's major trade partners. The country has a large but poorly maintained road system; rail lines connect the major centers in the south.

Government

Ghana's president is John Agyekum Kufuor.

Ghana is governed under the constitution of 1992. The executive branch is headed by a president, who serves as both head of state and head of government. The unicameral legislature consists of a 230-seat Parliament. Both the president and the legislature are popularly elected for four-year terms; the president's tenure is limited to two terms. Administratively, the country is divided into ten regions.

What to see

Kakum National Park

Located 12 miles north of the seaside town of Cape Coast in Ghana's Central Region, Kakum National Park and the adjacent Assin Attandaso Resource Reserve cover approximately 135 square miles of tropical moist forest. The area provides habitat for the globally endangered forest elephants, bongo, yellow-backed duiker and diana monkeys, an estimated 550 butterfly species, 100 mammal, reptile, and amphibian species, and 269 species of birds. A canopy walkway, suspended 100 feet above the ground, offers bird-watchers an unusual opportunity for up-close viewing of many species.

Pictures of Kakum: