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Global Sourcebook for International Data Management

                                         by Graham Rhind

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Ghana

Global Sourcebook | Index | Properties

GHANA
GHANA

For supplementary information, see links to post office home pages here External, to postal code pages here External and to other personal name and addressing issues pages here External.

Table of Contents

Ghana - Country information

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Local short name form

Official name

Area

Population

30 832 019 (2021) [1]

Capital

Currency

International telephone access code

233

ISO 3166 country codes

Car nationality plate code

GH

Internet country code

GH

GRC Country Code

GHA

Ghana - Number format

   Note: This section last updated 21st April 2021

In Fula (Fulfulde), Adlam script:

image

(where image indicates the decimal separator and image the thousands separator). Numbers in Adlam are written from right to left.

In Fula (Fulfulde), Latin script:

   1 234,45

(where , indicates the decimal separator and a space the thousands separator)

In English, Akan, Éwé, Ga and Hausa:

   1,234.45

(where . indicates the decimal separator and , the thousands separator)

Ghana - Date and time formats

image

   Note: This section last updated 21st April 2021

In Fula (Fulfulde), Adlam script:

   yyyy-mm-dd
   14:32  

In Fula (Fulfulde), Latin script; Hausa and English:

   dd/mm/yyyy
   14:32  

In Akan:

   yyyy/mm/dd
   14:32  

In Adlam:

   yyyy-mm-dd
   14:32  

In Ga:

   mm/dd/yyyy
   14:32  

Ghana - Languages

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The national language is English External.

71 other languages are spoken in Ghana. The geographical distribution of these languages is complex.

The main languages are Abron External (606 600 speakers); Ahanta External (100 000 speakers); Akan External (7 000 000 speakers); Anyin External (200 000 speakers); Awutu External (100 000 speakers); Birifor External (100 000 speakers); Bissa External (119 100 speakers); Buli External (100 000 speakers); Dagaari External (501 000 speakers); Dagbani External (540 000 speakers); Éwé External (1 615 000 speakers); Ga-Adangme-Krobo External (1 125 900 speakers); Gonjo External (250 000 speakers); Gua External (156 000 speakers; Gurenne External (526 000 speakers); Kasem External (100 000 speakers); Konkomba External (400 000 speakers); Kusaal External (500 000 speakers); Mampruli External (226 800 speakers); Ntcham External (100 000 speakers); Nzema External (285 800 speakers); Sehwi External (200 000 speakers); Sisaala External (20 000 speakers) and Wasa External (175 000 speakers).

Ghana - Personal names and forms of address

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English forms of address are usually used. The Akan’s use Owura for “Mr” and Awura for “Mrs” and “Miss”. They also often name their children from the day of the week upon which they were born and the order in which they were born. Thus Kwame Nkrumah, was so named for being born on a Saturday (Kwame) and being the ninth born (Nkrumah); and Kofi Annan was born on Friday (Kofi).

Women usually take their husband’s family name upon marriage.

   Tables of names can be acquired: given names External, surnames/family names External, family name prefixes External, forms of address External, job titles External

Ghana - Example address format

image

   Note: This section last updated 3rd May 2021

image

There are no street deliveries in Ghana. Deliveries are to post office boxes or to private mail bags.

Though postal deliveries are only to mailing addresses, street addresses will be found for the use of couriers, visitors etc. As not all streets are named, these may often be descriptive and unstructured, but usually written in English. Examples:

image

image

image

image

Where a digital address code (GhanaPostGPS) is used in an address block (please refer to the postal codes section), it is written after the postal city name, on the same line, in this way:

image

Address blocks may also contain a telephone number.

BBC article about managing in Ghana without street names External

   A table containing information about the relevant position of elements within address blocks can be acquired External

Ghana - Post office box

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This is written PO Box. Private Mail Bag is also found.

Ghana - Postal codes

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   Note: This section last updated 7th November 2017

Ghana has no traditional postal code system.

On 18th October 2017 Ghana Post introduced a digital address system, called GhanaPostGPS, intended as an alternative to the traditional address system. This system divides the country into 5m by 5m squares, each of which is given a code. Though billed as providing a unique address for every property, this system will duplicate addresses that share the same square in the grid. At the current time creation of a code requires a user to have access to mobile communications, and an app, and to position themselves at the property. People trying to find an address also need access to mobile communications, an app and the code, and the codes are not yet fully accurate due to GPS quality fluctuations.

These codes have the format:

   AA[-]999[-]9999

or

   A9[-]999[-]9999

where the first letter indicates a region and the second letter or number indicates the district. Ghana Post names the first three digits as the postal code, and the final four as a "unique address". Ghana Post suggest the continued use of traditional addresses alongside this GPS-based system.

As these are positional codes rather than postal codes in the traditional sense, I do not categorise them as postal codes in this resource.

Codes used per region are:

Region First letter Allowed second digits
Ash1anti A 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
Brong-Ahafo B 2, 3, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
Central C A, B, C, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, O, P, R, S, T, U, V. W, X
Eastern E 2, 3, A, B, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
Greater Accra G A, B, C, D, E, K, L, M, N, O, S, T, W, X, Y, Z
Northern N 2, 3, 4, 5, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, U, W, X, Y, Z
Upper East U A, B, G, K, L, N, O, P, R, S, T, U, W
Upper West X D, J, K, L, N, O, S, T, W, X, Y
Volta V A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
Western W A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, W, X, Y, Z

For more information: GhanaPostGPS External

Ghana - Postal code format graphic

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Ghana - Postal code format

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Ghana - Postal code specifics

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Ghana - Postal code regular expression

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Ghana - Postal code level of coverage

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Ghana - Postal code map

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Place names in Ghana

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   Note: This section last updated 31st July 2014

Refer to Exonyms in Ghana for full lists of place names in Ghana in other languages.

Ghana - Administrative districts

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   Note: This section last updated 9th June 2019

Ghana has 16 regions External, sometimes found written in addresses:

    Ahafo External
    Ashanti External
    Bono East External
    Bono External (previously Brong-Ahafo)
    Central External
    Eastern External
    Greater Accra External
    North East External
    Northern External
    Oti External
    Savannah External
    Upper East External
    Upper West External
    Volta External
    Western External
    Western North External

Administrative districts graphic

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Telephone numbers in Ghana

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   Note: This section last updated 22nd March 2023

Ghanean area codes have 2 digits when called from abroad, subscriber numbers have 7 digits. Mobile numbers have the area codes 20, 23-28, 50, 53, 54, 55, 56-57 or 59.

Properties with value Ghana

References

  1. ^ citypopulation.de/en/ghana/admin/ External 20230104

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All information copyright Graham Rhind 2024. Any information used should be acknowledged and referenced.