← THE SECTION CUT · AFRICA

Ghana

8.0N 2.0W · 28 EVENTS · 9 DOMAINS
INDEPENDENCE FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM · 6 MARCH 1957
▼ PULL DOWN TO EXTRACT THE CORE
1966 – present · Coups, republics, and modern democracy
6 EVENTS
1966–1981 · An era of coups 2 REFS
June 1979 · Rawlings's first coup and a brief civilian return 2 REFS
1947 – 1966 · Independence and the Nkrumah era
5 EVENTS
1949 · Nkrumah founds the Convention People's Party 2 REFS
6 March 1957 · Ghana wins independence 3 REFS
1850 – 1957 · The British Gold Coast colony
4 EVENTS
1874 · The Gold Coast becomes a crown colony 2 REFS
1902 · Asante annexed and Northern Territories added 2 REFS
c. 1670 – 1900 · The Asante Empire and the Golden Stool
5 EVENTS
c. 1700 · Okomfo Anokye and the Golden Stool 3 REFS
c. 1701 · Founding of the Asante Empire 3 REFS
1471 – 1807 · European forts, gold, and the Atlantic slave trade
5 EVENTS
1482 · Portugal builds Elmina Castle 3 REFS
16th–early 19th centuries · The Atlantic slave trade 3 REFS
c. 1000 – 1600 · The Akan forest states and the gold trade
3 EVENTS
c. 11th–13th centuries · The medieval Ghana Empire flourishes far to the northwest 2 REFS
c. 12th century · Rise of Bono and the early Akan states 2 REFS
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EVERY ERA, EVENT AND REFERENCE ON ONE PAGE
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Quick facts · atlas reference
Capital
Accra
Population
27 m
Area
238,533 km²
Region
Western Africa
Languages
English
Currency
Ghanaian cedi (₵)
Demonym
Ghanaian
UN member
Yes
Dossier · press a specimen — it turns over

Economy

GDP
$114 B’25 WB-WDI
GDP per capita
$3,257’25 WB-WDI
GDP growth
6.0%’25 WB-WDI
Inflation
14.2%’25 WB-WDI
Trade openness
69.0%’24 WB-WDI

Society

Population
35 m’25 WB-WDI
Life expectancy
65.7 yrs’24 WB-WDI
Urban population
58.9%’25 WB-WDI
Fertility rate
3.3’24 WB-WDI
Literacy rate
76.5%’21 WB-WDI

Governance

Voice & accountability
60.4’24 WB-WGI
Political stability
66.1’24 WB-WGI
Government effectiveness
52.5’24 WB-WGI
Regulatory quality
53.4’24 WB-WGI
Rule of law
57.9’24 WB-WGI
Control of corruption
43.9’24 WB-WGI

Health

Health spending
2.9%’23 WB-WHO
Physicians
0.27’23 WB-WHO
Under-5 mortality
35.9’24 WB-UNICEF-WHO
Measles immunisation
90.0%’24 WB-UNICEF-WHO
Safe drinking water
42.9%’24 WB-WHO

Education

Adult literacy
76.5%’21 WB-UNESCO
Education spending
2.9%’22 WB-UNESCO
Primary enrolment
101.0%’24 WB-UNESCO
Secondary enrolment
75.7%’24 WB-UNESCO
Tertiary enrolment
21.3%’24 WB-UNESCO

Technology

R&D spending
0.4%’10 WB-UNESCO
Researchers (per million)
87’15 WB-UNESCO
Internet users
72.2%’24 WB-ITU
Mobile subscriptions
114’24 WB-ITU
High-tech exports
2.1%’23 WB-WDI

Geography

Land area
227,533 km²’23 WB-WDI
Forest area
35.2%’23 WB-WDI
Agricultural land
55.4%’23 WB-WDI
CO₂ per capita (t)
0.7’24 WB-WDI
Renewable energy
39.0%’21 WB-WDI

Resources

Resource rents
13.3%’21 WB-WDI
Oil rents
4.1%’21 WB-WDI
Mineral rents
5.2%’21 WB-WDI
Forest rents
3.8%’21 WB-WDI
Electricity access
91.9%’24 WB-WDI
Gold (mined)
150 t’25 USGS-MCS

Military

Military burden
0.4%’24 WB-SIPRI
Defense spending
$269 M’24 WB-SIPRI
Armed forces
16,000’20 WB-SIPRI

A hatched gap has no underside — there is nothing to turn over. Absence is stated, never zeroed.

The record · what changed here
EVERY CLAIM SOURCED
ABSENCE ≠ ZERO
NO SIDES