Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in west Africa.

Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance.

Gold, timber, and cocoa production are major sources of foreign exchange while the domestic economy revolves around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 36% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force.

Located in west Africa, Ghana borders the Gulf of Guinea, between the Ivory Coast and Togo, covering 238,540 square kilometres - less than a third of the size of Nigeria.

The citizens of Ghana have a life expectancy of only 57, while 340,000 people have been hit by HIV/Aids.

In 1957, Ghana became the first country in colonial Africa to gain its independence but its journey from colonial rule has been scarred by a series of military coups.

This resulted in the suspension of the constitution in 1981 and the banning of political parties.

A new constitution, restoring multi-party politics, was approved in 1992. Jerry Rawlings, head of state since 1981, won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000.

He was succeeded by the current president John Kufuor.

Unemployment among the population of 19.9m currently stands at 20%, while 31% of the population live below the poverty line.