Exact population: 22,409,572 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)

Literacy: Total population: 74.8%; male: 82.7%; female: 67.1%

Ethnicities: Black African 98.5% (major tribes - Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%, Gurma 3%, Yoruba 1%), European and other 1.5% (1998)

Area: Total: 239,460 sq km; land: 230,940 sq km; water: 8,520 sq km

Land boundaries: Total: 2,094 km; border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km

Terrain: Mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area

Extremes: Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m

Imports: Nigeria 12.6%, China 11.4%, UK 6.6%, US 6.4%, France 4.9%, Netherlands 4.2% (2004)

Exports: Netherlands 12.3%, UK 10%, France 6.9%, US 6.4%, Belgium 4.7%, Germany 4.6%, Japan 4.2% (2004)

Industries: Mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building

Source: CIA World Factbook