into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in
1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or
West Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US,
and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany)
proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone;
unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October
1990; all four power rights formally relinquished 15 March 1991
National holiday: German Unity Day (Day of Unity), 3 October (1990)
Constitution: 23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution
of the united German people 3 October 1990
Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial
review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Roman HERZOG (since 1 July 1994) was
elected by the Federal Convention including members of the Bundestag
and an equal number of members elected by the Land Parliaments
head of government: Chancellor Dr. Helmut KOHL (since 4 October
1982) was elected by an absolute majority of the Bundestag
cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the president upon the proposal of
the chancellor
Legislative branch: bicameral chamber (no official name for the
two chambers as a whole)
Federal Assembly (Bundestag): election last held 16 October 1994
(next to be held by NA 1998); results - CDU 34.2%, SPD 36.4%,
Alliance 90/Greens 7.3%, CSU 7.3%, FDP 6.9%, PDS 4.4%, Republicans
1.9%; seats - (usually 656 total, but 672 for the 1994 term) CDU
244, SPD 252, Alliance 90/Greens 49, CSU 50, FDP 47, PDS 30; elected
by direct popular vote under a system combining direct and
proportional representation; a party must win 5% of the national
vote or three direct mandates to gain representation
Federal Council (Bundesrat): State governments are directly
represented by votes; each has 3 to 6 votes depending on size and
are required to vote as a block; current composition: votes - (68
total) SPD-led states 41, CDU-led states 27
Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional Court
(Bundesverfassungsgericht), half the judges are elected by the
Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Union (CDU),
Helmut KOHL, chairman; Christian Social Union (CSU), Theo WAIGEL,
chairman; Free Democratic Party (FDP), Wolfgang GERHARDT, chairman;
Social Democratic Party (SPD), Oskar LA FONTAINE, chairman; Alliance
'90/Greens, Krista SAGER, Juergen TRITTIN, cochairpersons; Party of
Democratic Socialism (PDS), Lothar BISKY, chairman; Republikaner,
Rolf SCHLIERER, chairman; National Democratic Party (NPD),
Ellen-Doris SCHERER; Communist Party (DKP), Rolf PRIEMER and Heinz
STEHR, cochairpersons
Other political or pressure groups: expellee, refugee, and
veterans groups
International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer),
AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CDB (non-regional),
CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO,
MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE,
PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMIR, UNCRO, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOMIG, UNPROFOR, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Juergen CHROBOG
chancery: 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 298-4000
FAX: [1] (202) 298-4249
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston,
Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Charles E. REDMAN
embassy: Deichmanns Aue 29, 53170 Bonn
mailing address: APO AE 09080, PSC 117, Bonn
telephone: [49] (228) 3391
FAX: [49] (228) 339-2663
branch office: Berlin
consulate(s) general: Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig,
Munich, and Stuttgart
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and yellow
Economy
-------
Economic overview: Germany, the world's third-most powerful
economy, faces its own unique problem of bringing its eastern area
up to scratch after 45 years of communist rule. Despite substantial
progress toward economic integration, the eastern states will
continue to rely on subsidies from the federal government into the
next century. Assistance to the east of about $100 billion annually
has helped the region average nearly 8% annual economic growth since
1991, even though the overall German economy has averaged less than
2% growth. The economic recovery in the east has been led by the
construction industries, with growth increasingly supported by the
service sectors and light manufacturing industries. Western Germany,
which accounts for 90% of overall German GDP and has three times the
per capita income of eastern Germany, is perennially the first- or
second-largest exporter, after the US, in the world. Nonetheless,
business and political leaders have in recent years become
increasingly concerned about Germany's apparent decline in
attractiveness as a business location. They cite the increasing
preference of German companies to locate manufacturing facilities -
long the strength of the postwar economy - to foreign countries,
including the US, rather than in Germany, so they can be closer to
their markets and avoid Germany's high production costs. The
conditions under which European economic integration - especially
movement toward a single European currency - will proceed will be
another key issue facing Germany in the next few years.
GDP:
Germany: purchasing power parity - $1.4522 trillion (1995 est.)
western: purchasing power parity - $1.3318 trillion (1995 est.)
eastern: purchasing power parity - $120.4 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate:
Germany: 1.8% (1995 est.)
western: 1.5% (1995 est.)
eastern: 6.3% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita:
Germany: $17,900 (1995 est.)
western: $21,100 (1995 est.)
eastern: $6,600 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 34.2%
services: 64.8% (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
western: 2% (1995 est.)
eastern: 2% (1995 est.)
Labor force: 36.75 million
by occupation: industry 41%, agriculture 6%, other 53% (1987)
Unemployment rate:
western: 8.7% (December 1995)
eastern: 14.9% (December 1995)
Budget:
revenues: $690 billion
expenditures: $780 billion, including capital expenditures of $96.5
billion (1994)
Industries:
western: among world's largest and technologically advanced
producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery,
vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages
eastern: metal fabrication, chemicals, brown coal, shipbuilding,
machine building, food and beverages, textiles, petroleum refining
Industrial production growth rate:
western: 2.8% (1994)
eastern: NA%
Electricity:
capacity: 115,430,000 kW
production: 493 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 5,683 kWh (1993)
Agriculture:
western: potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbage;
cattle, pigs, poultry
eastern: wheat, rye, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, fruit; pork,
beef, chicken, milk, hides
Illicit drugs: source of precursor chemicals for South American
cocaine processors; transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin
and Latin American cocaine for West European markets
Exports: $437 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: manufactures 89.3% (including machines and machine
tools, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel products),
agricultural products 5.5%, raw materials 2.7%, fuels 1.3% (1993)
partners: EC 47.9% (France 11.7%, Netherlands 7.4%, Italy 7.5%, UK
7.7%, Belgium-Luxembourg 6.6%), EFTA 15.5%, US 7.7%, Eastern Europe
5.2%, OPEC 3.0% (1993)
Imports: $362 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: manufactures 75.1%, agricultural products 10.0%, fuels
8.3%, raw materials 5.0% (1993)
partners: EC 46.4% (France 11.3%, Netherlands 8.4%, Italy 8.1%, UK
6.0%, Belgium-Luxembourg 5.7%), EFTA 14.3%, US 7.3%, Japan 6.3%,
Eastern Europe 5.1%, OPEC 2.6% (1993)
External debt: $NA
Economic aid:
donor: ODA, $6.954 billion (1993)
Currency: 1 deutsche mark (DM) = 100 pfennige
Exchange rates: deutsche marks (DM) per US$1 - 1.4617 (January
1996), 1.4331 (1995), 1.6228 (1994), 1.6533 (1993), 1.5617 (1992),
1.6595 (1991)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation
--------------
Railways:
total: 43,966 km
standard gauge: 43,531 km 1.435-m; 40,355 km are owned by Deutsche
Bahn AG (DB); 17,015 km of the DB system are electrified and 16,941
km are double- or more-tracked
narrow gauge: 389 km 1.000-m gauge (DB operates 146 km of 1.000-m
gauge); 7 km 0.900-m gauge; 39 km 0.750-m gauge
note: in addition to the DB system there are 54 privately-owned
industrial or excursion railways, ranging in route length from 2 km
to 632 km, with a total length of 3,465 km (1995)
Highways:
total: 636,282 km
paved: 531,018 km (including 10,955 km of expressways)
unpaved: 105,264 km (1991 est.)
Waterways:
western: 5,222 km, of which almost 70% are usable by craft of
1,000-metric-ton capacity or larger; major rivers include the Rhine
and Elbe; Kiel Canal is an important connection between the Baltic
Sea and North Sea
eastern: 2,319 km (1988)
Pipelines: crude oil 3,644 km; petroleum products 3,946 km;
natural gas 97,564 km (1988)
Ports: Berlin, Bonn, Brake, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Cologne, Dresden,
Duisburg, Emden, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Kiel, Lubeck, Magdeburg,
Mannheim, Rostock, Stuttgart
Merchant marine:
total: 452 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,054,327
GRT/6,367,036 DWT
ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 193, chemical tanker 15, combination
bulk 4, combination ore/oil 5, container 166, liquefied gas tanker
12, multifunction large-load carrier 6, oil tanker 11, passenger 3,
railcar carrier 3, refrigerated cargo 7, roll-on/roll-off cargo 14,
short-sea passenger 7 (1995 est.)
Airports:
total: 617
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 13
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 65
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 67
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 51
with paved runways under 914 m: 351
with unpaved runways over 3 047 m: 2
with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 6
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 7
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 55 (1995 est.)
Heliports: 55 (1995 est.)
Communications
--------------
Telephones: 44 million
Telephone system: Germany has one of the world's most
technologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of
intensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerly
backward system of the eastern part of the country is being rapidly
modernized and integrated with that of the western part
domestic: the region which was formerly West Germany is served by an
extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by
modern networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio
relay, and a domestic satellite system; cellular telephone service
is widely available and includes roaming service to many foreign
countries; since the reunification of Germany, the telephone system
of the eastern region has been upgraded and enjoys many of the
advantages of the national system
international: satellite earth stations - 14 Intelsat (12 Atlantic
Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean
region), 2 Intersputnik (1 Atlantic Ocean region and 1 Indian Ocean
region); 6 submarine cable connections; 2 HF radiotelephone
communication centers; tropospheric scatter links
Radio broadcast stations:
western: AM 80, FM 470, shortwave 0
eastern: AM 23, FM 17, shortwave 0
Radios: 70 million (1991 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 246 (repeaters 6,000); note - there
are 15 Russian repeaters in eastern Germany
Televisions: 44.8 million (1992 est.)
Defense
-------
Branches: Army, Navy (includes Naval Air Arm), Air Force, Border
Police, Coast Guard
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 21,540,919
males fit for military service: 18,537,347
males reach military age (18) annually: 449,292 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $42.8 billion,
1.5% of GDP (1995)
======================================================================
@Ghana
-----
Map
---
Location: 8 00 N, 2 00 W -- Western Africa, bordering the North
Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Flag
----
Description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow,
and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the
yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia;
similar to the flag of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in
the yellow band
Geography
---------
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references: Africa
Area:
total area: 238,540 sq km
land area: 230,020 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
total: 2,093 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo
877 km
Coastline: 539 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
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
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m
Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite,
manganese, fish, rubber
Land use:
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 7%
meadows and pastures: 15%
forest and woodland: 37%
other: 36%
Irrigated land: 80 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues: recent drought in north severely affecting
agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations;
water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
natural hazards: dry, dusty, harmattan winds occur from January to
March; droughts
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not
ratified - Desertification, Marine Life Conservation
Geographic note: Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial
lake; northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)
People
------
Population: 17,698,271 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 3,856,673; female 3,819,946)
15-64 years: 54% (male 4,658,142; female 4,814,060)
65 years and over: 3% (male 262,159; female 287,291) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.29% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 35 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 11.15 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 80.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.17 years
male: 54.18 years
female: 58.22 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.59 children born/woman (1996 est.)
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%
Religions: indigenous beliefs 38%, Muslim 30%, Christian 24%,
other 8%
Languages: English (official), African languages (including Akan,
Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 64.5%
male: 75.9%
female: 53.5%
Government
----------
Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Ghana
conventional short form: Ghana
former: Gold Coast
Data code: GH
Type of government: constitutional democracy
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)
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
Constitution: new constitution approved 28 April 1992
Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Jerry John RAWLINGS
(since 3 November 1992); elected for a four-year term by direct
universal suffrage; the president can appoint a vice president;
election last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA December 1996)
cabinet: Cabinet; president nominates members subject to approval by
the Parliament
Legislative branch: unicameral
Parliament: elections last held 29 December 1992 (next to be held NA
December 1996); results - opposition boycotted the election, the
National Democratic Congress won 198 of the total 200 seats and 2
seats were won by independents; because of interim bye-elections,
the National Democratic Congress and its remaining coalition
partner, Every Ghanian Living Everywhere (EGLE), now control 189
seats; former coalition partner, NCP, has 8 seats; independents hold
3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Congress (NDC),
Jerry John RAWLINGS; New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Ala ADJETY;
People's Heritage Party (PHP), Alex ERSKINE; National Convention
Party (NCP), Kow ARKAAH; Every Ghanian Living Everywhere (EGLE),
Ashang OKINE; Peoples Convention Party (PCP), B.K. NKETSIA; Peoples
National Convention (PNC), Alhaji Asuma BANDA
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer),
ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNAMIR, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ekwow SPIO-GARBRAH
chancery: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 686-4520
FAX: [1] (202) 686-4527
consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Edward BRYNN
embassy: Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra
mailing address: P. O. Box 194, Accra
telephone: [233] (21) 775348
FAX: [233] (21) 775747
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green
with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band;
uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag
of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band
Economy
-------
Economic overview: Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has
twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa.
Heavily reliant on international assistance, Ghana has made steady
progress in liberalizing its economy since 1983. Overall growth
continued at a rate of approximately 5% in 1995, due largely to
increased gold, timber, and cocoa production - major sources of
foreign exchange. The economy, however, continues to revolve around
subsistence agriculture, which accounts for almost half of GDP and
employs 55% of the work force, mainly small landholders. Public
sector wage increases, regional peacekeeping commitments, and the
containment of internal unrest in the underdeveloped north have
placed substantial demands on the government's budget and have led
to inflationary deficit financing, depreciation of the cedi, and
rising public discontent with Ghana's austerity program.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $25.1 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 5% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $1,400 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 47%
industry: 16%
services: 37% (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 69% (1995 est.)
Labor force: 3.7 million
by occupation: agriculture and fishing 54.7%, industry 18.7%, sales
and clerical 15.2%, professional 3.7%, services, transportation, and
communications 7.7%
Unemployment rate: 10% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.05 billion
expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $178
million (1993)
Industries: mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum, food
processing
Industrial production growth rate: 2.8% (1994 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 1,180,000 kW
production: 6.1 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 323 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts,
corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international
drug trade; transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin
destined for Europe and the US
Exports: $1 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities: cocoa 40%, gold, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum,
manganese ore, and diamonds
partners: Germany , US , UK , Netherlands , Japan (1995)
Imports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities: petroleum, consumer goods, foods, intermediate goods,
capital equipment
partners: UK, US, Germany, Japan, Netherlands (1995)
External debt: $4.6 billion (December 1993 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $472 million (1993)
Currency: 1 new cedi (C) = 100 pesewas
Exchange rates: new cedis per US$1 - 1,246.11 (September 1995),
956.71 (1994), 649.06 (1993), 437.09 (1992), 367.83 (1991)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation
--------------
Railways:
total: 953 km; note - undergoing major renovation (1995 est.)
narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge; 32 km double track
Highways:
total: 38,145 km
paved: 7,476 km (including 21 km of expressways)
unpaved: 30,669 km (1990 est.)
Waterways: Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers provide 168 km of
perennial navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides
1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways
Pipelines: none
Ports: Takoradi, Tema
Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,427 GRT/35,894 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (1995 est.)
Airports:
total: 12
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 3
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2
with paved runways under 914 m: 2
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2 (1995 est.)
Communications
--------------
Telephones: 70,000 (1988 est.)
Telephone system: poor to fair system
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 4 (repeaters 8)
Televisions: 250,000 (1993 est.)
Defense
-------
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force, Palace Guard, Civil
Defense
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 4,135,538
males fit for military service: 2,303,423
males reach military age (18) annually: 176,332 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $30 million, 0.8%
of GDP (1994)
======================================================================
@Gibraltar
---------
(dependent territory of the UK)
Map
---
Location: 36 11 N, 5 22 W -- Southwestern Europe, bordering the
Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain
Flag
----
Description: two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and
red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band;
hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band
Geography
---------