Ghana - Geography

Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Ghana. Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake (manmade reservoir) by surface area (8,482 sq km; 3,275 sq mi); the lake was created following the completion of the Akosombo Dam in 1965, which holds back the White Volta and Black Volta Rivers. Mother's mean age at first birth is 22.1 years (2022 est.) (Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49), whereas, the Maternal mortality ratio is 263 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Geographical data of Ghana
Location Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Geographic coordinates 8 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references Africa
Tarrain mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Natural Resources gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone
Natural Hazards dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds from January to March; droughts
Irrigated Land 360 sq km (2013)
Major rivers (by length in km) Volta river mouth (shared with Burkina Faso [s]) - 1,600 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major aquifers
Land Boundaries 2,420 km
Border Countries Burkina Faso 602 km; Cote d'Ivoire 720 km; Togo 1098 km
Coastline 539 km
Climate tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Area
Total Area
Land Area 227,533 sq km
Water Area 11,000 sq km
comparative Area slightly smaller than Oregon
Maritime Claims
Territorial sea 12 nm
Contiguous zone 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone 200 nm
Continental shelf 200 nm
Elevations
Highest point Mount Afadjato 885 m
Lowest point Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation 190 m
Land Use
Agricultural land 69.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land arable land: 20.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops permanent crops: 11.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture permanent pasture: 36.5% (2018 est.)
Forest 21.2% (2018 est.)
Other 9.7% (2018 est.)
Population Distribution

Population is concentrated in the southern half of the country, with the highest concentrations being on or near the Atlantic coast as shown in this population distribution map

People and Society

In Ghana, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: Akan 45.7%, Mole-Dagbani 18.5%, Ewe 12.8%, Ga-Dangme 7.1%, Gurma 6.4%, Guan 3.2%, Grusi 2.7%, Mande 2%, other 1.6% (2021 est.)

Population
Pop growth rate 2.15% (2024 est.)
Birth rate 27.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Death rate 5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Health expenditure 4% of GDP (2020)
Physicians Density
Hospital bed Density 0.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Total fertility rate 3.56 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Gross reproduction rate 1.75 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate 27.2% (2017/18)
Est married women (ages 15-49) 54.3% (2023 est.)
Literacy age 15 and over can read and write
Education expenditures 3.9% of GDP (2018 est.)
Net Migration rate -0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Nationality Ghanaian | Ghanaian(s)
Languages Asante 16%, Ewe 14%, Fante 11.6%, Boron (Brong) 4.9%, Dagomba 4.4%, Dangme 4.2%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.9%, Kokomba 3.5%, Akyem 3.2%, Ga 3.1%, other 31.2% (2010 est.)
Religions Christian 71.3% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 31.6%, Protestant 17.4%, Catholic 10%, other 12.3%), Muslim 19.9%, traditionalist 3.2%, other 4.5%, none 1.1% (2021 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years 37.4% (male 6,527,386/female 6,400,245)
15-64 years 58.2% (male 9,690,498/female 10,444,197)
65 years and over 4.4% (2024 est.) (male 684,189/female 842,577)
Dependency Ratios
Total dependency ratio 68.7
Youth dependency ratio 62.9
Elderly dependency ratio 5.9
Potential support ratio 17 (2021 est.)
Median Age
Total 21.4 years (2024 est.)
Male 20.6 years
Female 22.3 years
Urbanization
Urban population 59.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization 3.06% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas (Pop) 3.768 million Kumasi, 2.660 million ACCRA (capital), 1.078 million Sekondi Takoradi (2023).
Sex Ratio
At birth 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over 0.81 male(s)/female
Total population 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant Motality
Total 31.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male 34.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Female 27.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at birth
Total population 70.1 years (2024 est.)
Male 68.4 years
Female 71.8 years
Drinking Water Sources
Improved: urban urban: 98.7% of population
Improved: rural rural: 83.8% of population
Improved: total total: 92.4% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 1.3% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 16.2% of population
Unimproved: total total: 7.6% of population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility acess
Improved: urban urban: 84.8% of population
Improved: rural rural: 52.8% of population
Improved: total total: 71.1% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 15.2% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 47.2% of population
Unimproved: total total: 28.9% of population (2020 est.)
Major Infectious diseases
Degree of risk very high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases malaria, dengue fever, and sexually transmitted diseases: hepatitis B (2024)
Water contact diseases schistosomiasis
Animal contact diseases rabies
Respiratory diseases meningococcal meningitis
Alcohol consumption per capita
Total 1.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer 0.53 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine 0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits 0.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols 0.61 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
Total 3.5% (2020 est.)
Male 6.6% (2020 est.)
Female 0.3% (2020 est.)
Child marriage
Women married by age 15 5%
Women married by age 18 19.3%
Men married by age 18 3.9% (2018 est.)
Demographic profile

Ghana has a young age structure, with approximately 56% of the population under the age of 25 as of 2020. Its total fertility rate fell significantly during the 1980s and 1990s but has stalled at around four children per woman for the last few years. Fertility remains higher in the northern region than the Greater Accra region. On average, desired fertility has remained stable for several years; urban dwellers want fewer children than rural residents. Increased life expectancy, due to better health care, nutrition, and hygiene, and reduced fertility have increased Ghana’s share of elderly persons; Ghana’s proportion of persons aged 60+ is among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Poverty has declined in Ghana, but it remains pervasive in the northern region, which is susceptible to droughts and floods and has less access to transportation infrastructure, markets, fertile farming land, and industrial centers. The northern region also has lower school enrollment, higher illiteracy, and fewer opportunities for women.

Ghana was a country of immigration in the early years after its 1957 independence, attracting labor migrants largely from Nigeria and other neighboring countries to mine minerals and harvest cocoa – immigrants composed about 12% of Ghana’s population in 1960. In the late 1960s, worsening economic and social conditions discouraged immigration, and hundreds of thousands of immigrants, mostly Nigerians, were expelled.

During the 1970s, severe drought and an economic downturn transformed Ghana into a country of emigration; neighboring Cote d’Ivoire was the initial destination. Later, hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians migrated to Nigeria to work in its booming oil industry, but most were deported in 1983 and 1985 as oil prices plummeted. Many Ghanaians then turned to more distant destinations, including other parts of Africa, Europe, and North America, but the majority continued to migrate within West Africa. Since the 1990s, increased emigration of skilled Ghanaians, especially to the US and the UK, drained the country of its health care and education professionals. Internally, poverty and other developmental disparities continue to drive Ghanaians from the north to the south, particularly to its urban centers.

All Important Facts about Ghana

Want to know more about Ghana? Check all different factbooks for Ghana below.

Ghana is found in Western Africa