Chapter 40
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)
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@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)
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@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 ---------
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain
Geographic coordinates: 36 11 N, 5 22 W
Map references: Europe
Area: total area: 6.5 sq km land area: 6.5 sq km comparative area: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 1.2 km border country: Spain 1.2 km
Coastline: 12 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm