Exact population: 5,548,702 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)

Literacy: Total population: 60.9%; male: 75.4%; female: 46.9%

Ethnicities: Native African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%

Area: Total: 56,785 sq km; land: 54,385 sq km; water: 2,400 sq km

Land boundaries: Total: 1,647 km; border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km

Terrain: Gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes

Extremes: Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: Mont Agou 986 m

Imports: China 25.5%, India 13.3%, France 11.5% (2004)

Exports: Burkina Faso 16.3%, Ghana 15%, Benin 9.4%, Mali 7.6%, China 7.4%, India 5.6% (2004)

Industries: Phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement; handicrafts, textiles, beverages

Source: CIA World Factbook