ecent drought in north severely affecting marginal
agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; dry,
northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)

_#_Note: Lake Volta is world's largest artificial lake

_*_People
_#_Population: 15,616,934 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 86 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 53 years male, 56 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Ghanaian(s); adjective--Ghanaian

_#_Ethnic divisions: black African 99.8% (major tribes--Akan 44%,
Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%), European and other 0.2%

_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 38%, Muslim 30%, Christian 24%,
other 8%

_#_Language: English (official); African languages include Akan,
Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga

_#_Literacy: 60% (male 70%, female 51%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)

_#_Labor force: 3,700,000; agriculture and fishing 54.7%, industry
18.7%, sales and clerical 15.2%, services, transportation, and
communications 7.7%, professional 3.7%; 48% of population of working age
(1983)

_#_Organized labor: 467,000 (about 13% of labor force)

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Republic of Ghana

_#_Type: military

_#_Capital: Accra

_#_Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo,
Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta,
Western

_#_Independence: 6 March 1957 (from UK, formerly Gold Coast)

_#_Constitution: 24 September 1979; suspended 31 December 1981

_#_Legal system: based on English common law and customary law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

_#_Executive branch: chairman of the Provisional National Defense
Council (PNDC), PNDC, Cabinet

_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly dissolved after 31
December 1981 coup, and legislative powers were assumed by the
Provisional National Defense Council

_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State and Head of Government--Chairman of the Provisional
National Defense Council Flt. Lt. (Ret.) Jerry John RAWLINGS (since
31 December 1981)

_#_Political pa