Geography of Ghana
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Ghana is a country in West Africa, along the Gulf of Guinea, just a few degrees north of the equator.
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| Continent | Africa | |
| Geographic coordinates | Template:Coor dm | |
| Area - Total - % water | Ranked 77th 238,540 km² 3.5% (8,520 km²') | |
| Coastline | 539 km | |
| Highest point | Mount Afadjato, 880 m | |
| Lowest point | Atlantic Ocean, 0 m | |
| Longest river | Volta River | |
| Largest inland body of water | Lake Volta | |
| Land Use - Arable land - Permanent crops - Permanent pastures - Forests and woodlands - Other | 12 % 7 % 22 % 35 % 24 % (1993 est.) | |
| Climate: | Tropical | |
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| Natural resources | gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower | |
| Environmental issues | drought, deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion, poaching, habitat destruction, water pollution, drinking water | |
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Borders
Ghana shares 2,03 km of land boundaries with three countries: Burkina Faso (548 km) to the north, Côte d'Ivoire (668 km) to the west, and Togo (877 km) to the east.
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nautical miles
continental shelf:
200 nautical miles
exclusive economic zone:
200 nautical miles
territorial sea:
12 nautical miles
Climate
The climate is tropical. The eastern coastal belt is warm and comparatively dry; the southwest corner, hot and humid; and the north, hot and dry. There are two distinct rainy seasons in the south--May-June and August-September; in the north, the rainy seasons tend to merge. A dry, northeasterly wind, the Harmattan, blows in January and February. Annual rainfall in the coastal zone averages 83 centimeters (33 in.).
Terrain
The terrain consists mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area. Half of the country lies less than 152 meters (500 ft.) above sea level, and the highest point is 883 meters (2,900 ft.). The 537-kilometer (334-mi.) coastline is mostly a low, sandy shore backed by plains and scrub and intersected by several rivers and streams, most of which are navigable only by canoe. A tropical rain forest belt, broken by heavily forested hills and many streams and rivers, extends northward from the shore, near the Côte d'Ivoire frontier. This area, known as the "Ashanti," produces most of the country's cocoa, minerals, and timber. North of this belt, the country varies from 91 to 396 meters (300-1,300 ft.) above sea level and is covered by low bush, park-like savanna, and grassy plains.
Irrigated land:
60 km² (1993 est.)
Natural hazards
Dry, dusty, harmattan winds occur from January to March. The country is also prone to droughts.
Environment
The recent drought in the north has had a severe effect on agriculture. Wildlife is threatened by poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations.
International agreements (ratified):
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
International agreements (signed, but not ratified)
Other
Volta Lake, the largest man-made lake in the world, extends from the Akosombo Dam in southeastern Ghana to the town of Yapei, 520 kilometers (325 mi.) to the north. The lake generates electricity, provides inland transportation, and is a potentially valuable resource for irrigation and fish farming.