Where Is the Gold Coast in Western Africa?

The Gold Coast in western Africa is surrounded by the Ivory Coast, Togo, and Burkina Faso and its water boundary is the Gulf of Guinea. Countries that are near include Nigeria, Benin, Mali, Niger, Guinea, and Liberia. The Gulf of Guinea is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean.

This area was called the Gold Coast because of the large amounts of gold contained in its soil. In 1957 the Gold Coast became Ghana and that changed to the Republic of Ghana in 1960. Let’s look at the beginnings of the Gold Coast and Ghana.

History of the Gold Coast

So you know where the Gold Coast is in western Africa. However, you may not know much about its history leading up to the independence of the area and the adoption of the name Ghana.

Portuguese Settlers

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to settle in the Gold Coast, starting in 1471. They built the first settlement called the Castle of Elmina in 1482. Soon, they were very successful in trading gold, knives, slaves, rum, and guns. When others heard of the success of the Portuguese, they wanted in on the action. Traders came from England, Prussia, Denmark, Sweden, and Holland.

British Settlers

In 1821, the English took over some privately owned lands along the coast and abolished the African Company of Merchants to form the British Gold Coast. They annexed the Danish Gold Coast in 1850 and the Dutch Gold Coast in 1871. Conflict arose between the British and the native Ashanti people. The four Anglo-Ashanti Wars took place between 1863 and 1896. The Ashanti lost their independence in the final war and staged an uprising in 1900. On January 1, 1902, the Ashanti people became a British protectorate.

So by 1901, the entire Gold Coast was a British colony and the British exported a variety of things like: cocoa, ivory, ore, diamonds, pepper, and timber. They provided transportation and built hospitals and schools.

Gold Coast Became Ghana

Around 1945, the natives began demanding more autonomy and in 1956, British Togoland and the Fante and Ashanti protectorates merged with the Gold Coast. This new colony was named the Gold Coast. The next year, the independent colony was named Ghana, after the older Ghana Empire, so the Gold Coast in western Africa now goes by the name Ghana.

Republic of Ghana

The word “ghana” means “warrior king” which was the name of the kings who ruled the medieval Ghana Empire. Ghana became the legal name of the Gold Coast in 1957. It was the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence. On July 1, 1960, Ghana asserted its independence from British rule and formed the Republic of Ghana.

Language and Flag

Accra is the capital of the Republic of Ghana and the official language is English. The flag consists of three horizontal stripes of red, gold, and green. These stand for the blood shed for independence, the mineral wealth, and rich agriculture of Ghana. There is a black star in the center which stands for African emancipation. The country has switched back and forth between military and civilian control. Now, Ghana has a stable democratic government.

For the 24 million people living there, Ghana has a warm climate. Ghana is very near the equator and the Prime Meridian passes through it, so it is the closest country to the center of the world, which would be zero degrees latitude and longitude. The actual center is in the Gulf of Guinea, about 380 miles south of Ghana.