Average life expectancy is 79 years, a longevity rate topped in Asia only by Japan.

CNN: The Really Useful Guide

There is a high mortality rate -- with an average life span of only 47 -- minimal infrastructure and limited tools for economic development.

CNN: Commentary: A week with the heroes

In Roman times the average life span was just 22 (mainly because of the appalling rate of infant mortality), by 1800 it was 40 years, 1900 around the late 40s and today it hovers around the mid-to-late 70s.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Magazine | The 100+ club

Despite improvements in life expectancy and literacy, the current economic growth rate will not drag the average Ghanaian out of poverty for another 30 years.

ECONOMIST: Ghana