Republic of Ghana

Political Status: Independent member of the Commonwealth since March 6, 1957; under military control 1966–1969 and 1972–1979; Third Republic overthrown by military coup of December 31, 1981; constitution of Fourth Republic, approved in referendum of April 28, 1992, formally launched on January 7, 1993.

Area: 92,099 sq. mi. (238,537 sq. km.).

Population: 18,912,079 (2000C); 23,954,000 (2008E).

Major Urban Center (2005E): ACCRA (1,963,000).

Official Language: English.

Monetary Unit: New Cedi (market rate December 1, 2009: 1.43 cedi = $1US).

President: John Evans Atta MILLS (National Democratic Congress); elected for a four-year term in runoff balloting on December 28, 2008, and January 2, 2009, and sworn in on January 7 in succession to John Agyekum KUFUOR (New Patriotic Party).

Vice President: John Dramani MAHAMA (National Democratic Congress); elected with the president in ...