Ghana

I'm leaving for Ghana next week. I'll be gone for ten days, filming stuff for a documentary I'm co-producing for KBYU. I've never been to a third-world country before...but as I've been doing some research, I've noticed there are a lot of things I take for granted.

Here are some interesting stats I pulled from the World Factbook.
- Ghana has roughly twice the per capita output of the poorest countries on West Africa.
- main exports are gold, timber, cocoa
- subsistence agriculture accounts for 35% of GDP and is 55% of the workforce
- 2007 GDP per capita was $1,400
- Labor force - 37.3% agriculture, 25.3% industry, 37.5% services (2006)
- unemployment rate 11% (2000) - the 2008 estimate is 20%
- Electricity production by source - Hydro 95%, fossil fuel 5%, Nuclear/other 0% (2001)
- life expectancy: total population 59.49 yrs, male 58.65 yrs, female 60.35 yrs (2008)
- literacy (age 15 and older can read and write): total population 57.9%, male 66.4%, female 49.8% (2000 census)

Compare that with the current U.S. stats.

Wow. We certainly have a lot to be thankful for.