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About Ghana
Ghana is located in the southwest region of Africa and has a tropical climate. An elected president and representative parliament govern its 21 million people. As a former colony of the United Kingdom, the official language is English, although over 100 native languages are spoken.
Economics and Development
As a developing country, Ghana struggles with poverty and the income per person is only $2,500 per year which places it in the bottom third of the world’s poorest countries. The majority of the labor force works as subsistence farming. Aside from economics, Ghana faces low levels of health care with infant mortality rates that are nine times higher than in the United States.
Education
The government aims to provide tuition-free primary and middle school schooling to all Ghanaian children. While this has been accomplished in most urban areas, many rural areas provide only limited access to education. Also, parents must still provide uniforms and school fees which leads many children to forego school in order to work. The illiteracy rate for the country is 25%.
Religion
Ghana is 69% Christian, 16% Muslim, and 9% practice traditional indigenous religions.
KEY FACTS
Median age: 20 (compared to 37 in the US)
Income per Capita: $2,500 (169 out of 232 countries) (purchasing power parity)
60% of people work in subsistence farming
Religion: Christian 69%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 9%
Climate: Tropical
Government: Elected president and representative parliament
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