Why was West Africa known as the Gold Coast?
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Why was West Africa known as the Gold Coast?
Gold Coast is a former British colony in West Africa known today as the Republic of Ghana. In the transatlantic slave trade era, Europeans identified the region as the Gold Coast because of the large supplies of and market for gold that existed there.
How did Ghana get the name Gold Coast?
The Gold Coast was so-named because it was an important source of gold. The Portuguese interest in trading for gold, ivory, and pepper so increased that in 1482 the Portuguese built their first permanent trading post on the western coast of present-day Ghana.
Who nicknamed the coast of West Africa the Gold Coast?
The Gold Coast was a British colony that declared independence in 1957 and changed its name to Ghana. It was named the Gold Coast by the Portuguese who landed in the area in the late 15th century because of the abundance of gold.
Who named Ghana Gold Coast?
Portuguese
Gold Coast & European Exploration: Before March 1957 Ghana was called the Gold Coast. The Portuguese who came to Ghana in the 15th Century found so much gold between the rivers Ankobra and the Volta that they named the place Mina – meaning Mine. The Gold Coast was later adopted to by the English colonisers.
How did Europeans come to the Gold Coast?
The first European explorers to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial deposits of gold in the soil. In 1483, the Portuguese came to the continent for increased trade….Gold Coast (British colony)
| Colony of the Gold Coast | |
|---|---|
| Today part of | Ghana |
Who discovered the Gold Coast?
Prior to independence on March 6, 1957, Ghana was called the Gold Coast. The earliest Europeans to set foot on the land were the Portuguese in the 15th century (1471). On their arrival, they found so much gold between the rivers Ankobra and the Volta that they named the area “da Mina”, meaning “The Mine”.
When did the British came to Gold Coast?
British officials had first penetrated the area in the 1880s, and after 1896 protection was extended to northern areas whose trade with the coast had been controlled by Asante.
Which country was formerly know as Gold Coast?
Ghana
Ghana is considered one of the more stable countries in West Africa since its transition to multi-party democracy in 1992. Formerly known as the Gold Coast, Ghana gained independence from Britain in 1957, becoming the first sub-Saharan nation to break free from colonial rule.
Where is the Gold Coast located in Africa?
Gold Coast. Gold Coast, section of the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, in Africa. It extends approximately from Axim, Ghana, or nearby Cape Three Points, in the west to the Volta River in the east and is so called because it was an important source of gold. An area of intense colonial rivalry from the 17th century,…
Why is Ghana called the Gold Coast?
Gold Coast is a former British colony in West Africa known today as the Republic of Ghana. In the transatlantic slave trade era, Europeans identified the region as the Gold Coast because of the large supplies of and market for gold that existed there.
What is the history of the Gold Coast?
Gold Coast is a former British colony in West Africa known today as the Republic of Ghana. In the transatlantic slave trade era, Europeans identified the region as the Gold Coast because of the large supplies of and market for gold that existed there. Portuguese traders built the fort of Elmina in 1482 within ten years…
What does Gold Coast stand for?
Gold Coast. Gold Coast is a former British colony in West Africa known today as the Republic of Ghana. In the transatlantic slave trade era, Europeans identified the region as the Gold Coast because of the large supplies of and market for gold that existed there. Portuguese traders built the fort of Elmina in 1482 within ten years…