General Information

POPULATION: 18-20 million (1996 estimate).
ANNUAL GROWTH RATE: 3.1 per cent
PRINCIPAL CITIES:
Accra, population 1 million
Kumasi: 420,000
Tema: 200,000
Takoradi: 120,000
PRINCIPAL ETHNIC GROUPS:
Akan (Ashanti and Fante) 44.1 per cent
Mole-Dagbani 15 per cent
Ewe 13 per cent
Ga-Adangbe 8.3 per cent
Guan 3.7 per cent
Gurma 3.5 per cent
LITERACY: 75 per cent (1996)
LANGUAGE: English plus at least 75 African languages and dialects.
Akan and Mole-Dagbani speak Twi
RELIGION: Christian 42.8 per cent; traditional religions 38.2 per cent; Muslim 12 per cent
PER CAPITA INCOME: $370 (World Bank 1997)
ECONOMIC GROWTH RATE: 1999: 4.2 per cent; 2000: forecast 5 per cent
INFLATION: 13. 8 per cent (1999)
INTEREST RATE: 34 per cent
CURRENCY: 46 Cedi to £1 sterling
EXPORTS TO UK: £154 million
IMPORTS FROM UK: £175 million
TOP IMPORT SUPPLIERS: Nigeria 14.1 per cent; UK 11.7; Italy 9; Ivory Coast 8; US 7; Germany 5
TOP EXPORT MARKETS: UK 11.7 per cent ; Togo 11.6; Italy 10.9; Holland 8.2; US 7; Germany 6.7; France 5.1.

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