POPULATION:
18,845,265 (2000 census)
20,757,032 (July 2004 est)

LANGUAGE:
Official - English; Local languages include Akan, Ewe, Ga, Dagbani, Nzema and Hausa.

RELIGION :
Mostly Christian, Moslem and Traditional religions also exist.

CAPITAL CITY : Accra
GOVERNMENT : Constitutional Democracy
INDEPENDENCE : 6th March 1957 from British Administration.
The country was formerly known as the Gold Coast.

LOCAL TIME: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
NATURAL RESOURCES : Gold, Diamond, Bauxite, Manganese, Timber and Cocoa.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:
January 1 - New Year"s Day
January/February - Eid Ul Adha (according to Muslim calendar)
March 6 - Independence Day
April - Good Friday, Easter Monday
May 1 - May Day
May 25 - African Union Day
July 1 - Republic Day
November/December - Eid Ul-Fitr (Moslem festival)
December 1st Friday - Farmers Day
December 25 - Christmas
December 26 - Boxing Day