Simple directory > Regional > Ghana

Country :Ghana Official name: Republic of Ghana Head of State: President John Agyekum Kufuor (leader of NPP) (since 2001; re-elected 7 Dec 2004) Head of government: President John Agyekum Kufuor Ruling party: New Patriotic Party (NPP) (since 2000; re-elected 7 Dec 2004) Area: 239,460 square km Population: 20.35 million (2004) Capital: Accra Official language: English Currency: Cedi (C) = 100 pesewas Exchange rate: C9,012.50 per US$ (Nov 2004) GDP per capita: US$327 (2003) GDP real growth: 4.70% (2003) Labour force: 9.90 million (2003) Unemployment: 20.00% (2003) Inflation: 27.70% (2003) Balance of trade: -US$1.45 billion (2003) Foreign debt: US$7.20 billion (2003)

Historical profile

1957 Ghana (formerly the Gold Coast) was granted independence from British rule.

1960 Dr Kwame Nkrumah of the People's Convention Party became president.

1966 Lt Gen J A Ankrah of the National Liberation Council seized power.

1969 Dr Kofi Busia of the Progress Party secured victory in the parliamentary elections and became prime minister.

1972 After another military coup, Col Ignatius Acheampong of the National Redemption Council took control of the country.

1978 Acheampong was arrested and Lt-Gen F Akuffo, previously chief of the defence staff, replaced him as head of state.

1979 Akuffo's government was deposed in a coup launched by Flt-Lt Jerry J Rawlings. The constitution was promulgated. Dr Hilla Limann of the People's National Party (PNP) was elected as president.

1981 Jerry J Rawlings and the Provisional National Defence Council returned to power through a second military coup.

1983–89 There was discontent with the regime and the ineffectiveness of its economic policies was reflected in a series of attempted coups, student unrest and alleged anti-government conspiracies.

1990 A national referendum on the restoration of multi-party politics was demanded.

1992 A new constitution was endorsed in a referendum to allow for a multi-party system. Jerry Rawlings was elected president and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) secured an overall majority in legislative elections.

1993 The constitution entered into force and the Fourth Republic was inaugurated.

1996 Jerry Rawlings won the presidential election and his party, the NDC, won the legislative elections.

2000 John Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won the run-off presidential elections and the NPP became the largest party in parliament.

2001 After 19 continuous years as president, Jerry Rawlings stepped down allowing John Atta Mills to take up the NDC candidacy in the presidential election. President John Kufuor of the NPP became the first elected president in Ghana's history to succeed another elected president. He appointed a 25-member Council of State to fulfil an advisory role.

2002 The ruling NPP won the by-elections in the northern constituency of Bimbilla, giving them a majority in parliament. Ethnic battles in the north led to the murder of Ghana's second most important king, Ya Naa Yakubu Andani of the Dagbon people. The death of the tribal king led to the resignation of two senior government ministers.

2003 Ghana is to grant mining licences in its protected forest reserves to attract new foreign investment.

2004 In February, former president, Jerry Rawlings, testified at the commission investigating human rights offences during the early years of his rule. Incumbent John Agyekum Kufuor (NPP) was re-elected president in December and the ruling NPP won the parliamentary elections.

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