Which town was known as La Mina by the Portuguese?
Which town was known as La Mina by the Portuguese?
Elmina Castle was erected by the Portuguese in 1482 as Castelo de São Jorge da Mina (St. George of the Mine Castle), also known as Castelo da Mina or simply Mina (or Feitoria da Mina), in present-day Elmina, Ghana (formerly the Gold Coast).
What is the oldest castle in Ghana?
Elmina Castle
Elmina Castle is the oldest and largest in Ghana, West Africa. Along the West and East Coast of Ghana, there are a line up of Forts and Castles.
Who is the founder of Elmina?
Diogo de Azambuja
The town grew around São Jorge da Mina Castle, built by the Portuguese Diogo de Azambuja in 1482 on the site of a town or village called Amankwakurom or Amankwa. It was Portugal’s West African headquarters for trade and exploitation of African wealth.
Who built the first castle in Ghana?
In 1482, the Portuguese built St. George’s Castle (Elmina Castle). This vast rectangular 97,000sq ft fortification is the earliest known European structure in the tropics.
Who gave Ghana its name?
In 1957, when the leaders of the former British colony of the Gold Coast sought an appropriate name for their newly independent state—the first black African nation to gain its independence from colonial rule—they named their new country after ancient Ghana.
Where did the Portuguese first settle in Ghana?
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”.
Which European country came to Ghana first?
the Portuguese
The History of The Republic of Ghana 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”.
How many castles are in Ghana?
32 forts and castles
The UNESCO has documented 32 forts and castles along Ghana’s coast as World Heritage Sites.
Who is the king of Elmina?
Kobena Gyan
May 17, 1894: Kobena Gyan, King of Elmina returns from exile in Sierra Leone after 21 years. The king was then asked to take the oath of allegiance and sign a paper before him; he got very vexed and excited, struck the table with his fist and said, “I am not afraid of your power. You may hang me if you like.
Who are the real Ghanaians?
The Ghanaian people are a nation originating in the Ghanaian Gold Coast. Ghanaians predominantly inhabit the republic of Ghana, and are the predominant cultural group and residents of Ghana, numbering 20 million people as of 2013. Native Ghanaians make up 85.4 per cent of the total population.
What is the full meaning of Ghana?
The etymology of the name Ghana means “Strong Warrior King” and was the title accorded to the kings of the medieval “Ghana” Empire in West Africa, not to be confused with today’s Ghana, as the empire was further north in modern-day Republic of Mali, Senegal, southern Mauritania, as well as in the region of Guinea.
Who was the first Portuguese to come to Ghana?
The Portuguese first reached what became known as the Gold Coast in 1471. Prince Henry the Navigator first sent ships to explore the African coast in 1418. The Portuguese had several motives for voyaging south. They were attracted by rumors of fertile African lands that were rich in gold and ivory.