Country Profile

Bordered by Burkina Faso to the north, Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Togo to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, Ghana’s total land area is only slightly smaller than that of the UK at 227,540 sq km. With Accra as its capital, the country is divided into 10 administrative regions, which are further divided into a total of 216 districts. Over the past three decades Ghana’s population has more than doubled, growing from 11.6m in 1982 to 24.9m in 2012, according to figures from the World Bank. With more than 100 ethnic groups the population is highly diverse. Though certainly not without its obstacles, which include unemployment and an infrastructure deficit, Ghana continues to serve as a role model for peaceful, democratic rule in West Africa. With macroeconomic progress forecasted to continue, Ghana is in a good position to continue moving along the road of development. This chapter contains a viewpoint from President John Dramani Mahama and interviews with Mark Simmonds, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office; Olugbenga Ashiru, Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Zafer Çağlayan, Turkish Minister of Economy.