Read Next
Gold Coast
historical region, Africa
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
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, it was acquired by the British in the 19th century. The Gold Coast colony (as Ghana) became a dominion of the British Commonwealth (March 6, 1957) and achieved independence as the Republic of Ghana in 1960.