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Ghana Country Profile
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 Ghana at a GlanceLocation: | Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo | Climate: | tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north | Terrain: | mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area | Resources: | gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone | Hazards: | dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts | Population: | 23,832,495 |
A Brief Profile of GhanaFormed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana endured a long series of coups before Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS took power in 1981 and banned political parties. After approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992, RAWLINGS won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John KUFUOR succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. Kufuor is constitutionally barred from running for a third term in upcoming Presidential elections, which are scheduled for December 2008.

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