Ghana Fact Sheet

GENERAL TRAVEL INFORMATION

GHANA OFFICIAL TOURISM WEBSITE
http://www.touringghana.com

FACTS ABOUT GHANA

GEOGRAPHY
Ghana is located on the West Coast of Africa, sharing borders with Cote D'Ivoire, Togo and Burkina Faso. Formerly known as the Gold Coast, Ghana is rich in mineral resources particularly gold.

THE PEOPLE
Ghana's population totals about 22,409,572. It is highest (3 million), in the nation's capital - Accra. Overall about 60 different languages are spoken in Ghana, with English as the official language.

RELIGION
Christians of varied denominations account for 59% of the population, while 16% are Muslims and about another 21% practice indigenous traditional religions.

GOVERNMENT
In 1957, Ghana, then the Gold Coast, attained independence from the British. Ghana is a multi-party constitutional democracy with an elected President, a single chamber legislature, and an independent judiciary. After 51 years of independence, Ghana can boast of one of the most stable economies in Sub Saharan Africa.

CLIMATE
Ghana is a tropical country. Northern Ghana has a rainy season from about April to July and from September to November. The rest of the year is hot and dry with temperatures up to 38 (degree Celsius). In Southern Ghana the rains last from April to June and again from September to October. Generally temperatures are between 21 degree Celsius and 32 (degree Celsius).

The harmattan, a dry desert wind, blows from the northeast from December to March. It lowers the humidity and creates hot days and cool nights in the north. In the south the effects of the harmattan are felt in January. In most areas the highest temperatures occur in March, the lowest in August. The coolest time of year is between June and September when the main rainfall occurs.

CURRENCY
The currency of Ghana is the Cedi. Rates of exchange are posted daily by banks and Forex Bureau. There are no restrictions on the amount of foreign currency that can be bought into Ghana. Most transactions are in cash.

American Express, Visa Cards, and Master Cards are accepted at major banks, hotels, airlines and major shopping centers. The Barclays Bank accepts travellers cheques not exceeding $500 and the Visa cards. Standard Chartered Bank accepts traveller's cheques up to $200, American express, and the Visa cards. Cal bank accepts only the Visa cards and Diners. SG-SSB accepts both Travellers cheques and Visa cards. Stanbic bank accepts travellers cheques, American express, Master cards and the Visa cards. HFC (Home Finance Corporation) bank accepts travellers cheques and American express. Major hotels in the country accept Travellers cheques, American Express, Visa cards and the Master cards.

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ELECTRICITY
220 volts AC, 50Hz; usually three-pin plugs.

HOW TO GET TO GHANA
You can be in Ghana 9 to 10 hours after take off New York (JFK) or Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) Airport on any direct flight bound for Ghana. Through London, Frankfurt or Dusseldorf, Amsterdam, or Rome the trip from the transit point takes approximately 6½ hours by British Airways, KLM, Alitalia, and Lufthansa. Kenyan Airways, South African Airways or Ethiopian Airways should take 6 hours from Johannesburg, Harare, Addis Ababa/Nairobi, and Cairo/Beirut. Re-confirmation of your flight 72 hours in advance may be necessary for some airlines.

PASSPORT/VISA
A valid passport and visa are required for travel to Ghana. Tourist visa is required for stay of up to 30 days (extendible).

HEALTH
A malaria course is recommended prior to your departure. Proof of yellow fever vaccination is required by all nationals entering the country. Immunization against typhoid is usually advised.

COMMUNICATION
International dialing is available in most hotels. Pay phones and phone-cards are easily available. Mobile Phone Rentals are also available. DHL, Federal Express, EMS courier, Fax and various secretarial services are available at most hotels.

EQUIPMENT
Most equipment is allowed freely into the country.

WHAT TO PACK
Ghana is a tropical country, light cotton clothes for daytime and evening is recommended.

BUSINESS HOURS
Government offices are generally open from 8am to 5pm. There is usually an hour break between 12 noon and 1pm.

TAXES AND TIPS
All hotels are required by law to include a 17.5% Value Added Tax (VAT) and a 2.5% Health Insurance Tax on all room charges. Restaurants are obliged to add a 5% Tax to your invoice as service fees as well as VAT (15%) & National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) 2.5%. You may choose to leave an additional tip of a small amount.

WHERE TO STAY
Ghana has numerous hotels and can boast of some of the best facilities in the sub-region.

Check out: - In most hotels the check out time is 12 noon. While Check-in starts at 3pm