A Tour to Western Coast of Africa

The Western Coast of Africa has its history when European traders named four different stretches of West African coastline after goods found at each place: the Grain Coast, the Ivory Coast, the Gold Coast, and the Slave Coast. European took slaves from all over Africa, not just from the “Slave Coast.” During those days, Europeans are powerful people and that they travel around each place to gather slaves and to trade. Slaves are even treating as a good and involve in trading industry.

European traders called part of the Western African coast the Ivory Coast. Most ivory comes from elephant tusks. Many elephants were killed for their tusks before an International agreement banning ivory trading was signed in 1989. Ivory Coast is now the independent country of Côte d’Ivoire. This “Ivory Coast” is in French language. Côte d’Ivoire was a French colony until 1960 and the people here still speak French. The official language of Nigeria is English. Most of what is now Nigeria was a British colony until 1960. The West African country if Nigeria is so rich in oil that it is one of only 11 members of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) – it coordinates oil production and pricing among its members. One of the biggest cities in West Africa is Lagos which used to be the capital of Nigeria but in 1991 the Nigerian government moved the capital to the city of Abuja. The three major ethnics group of Nigeria are the Yoruba, Hausa-Fulani and Igbo.

On the west coast of Africa is the country of Ghana and the capital is Accra. Accra is the city who became capital of the British Gold Coast Colony in 1877 and remained the capital when the colony became independent as Ghana in 1957. European traders called part of Western African Coast the Gold Coast and now an independent country as Ghana. Gold mining is still an important part of Ghana’s economy. Ghana still mines gold, but it makes more money growing Cocoa beans. Two-thirds of the world’s supply of cocoa comes from Africa, much of it from Ghana. Off the West African Coast is Madeira Island. This island is famous for the Madeira type of wine. Madeira wine became popular in Europe in the 17^th century.

Inland from the West African Coast is the Ashanti region of Ghana. In the 18^th century, the Ashanti Kingdom grew powerful and wealthy because of its gold mines. This area’s weavers make beautiful cloth called kente cloth. In the past, royalty were the only Ashanti group who are permitted to wear this cloth. Today, anyone can wear beautiful kente cloth, and it has become to represent Africa as a whole. The Ashanti people attach great spiritual importance to stool. According to Ashanti legend, the founder of the Ashanti Kingdom was designated his people’s leader when a golden stool floated down from the heavens and landed in his lap.

On the west coast of Africa is the country of Liberia and the capital is Monrovia. Monrovia city was named after U.S. President James Monroe, who supported the foundation of Liberia by freed American slaves. European traders called part of the West African Coast the Grain Coast and now the country of Liberia. The country still produces a lot of grains, in the form of rice. Freed American Slaves found this country and called it the Liber – in the country’s name refers to freedom.

On the west coast of Africa is the country Senegal. Senegal almost completely surrounds the tiny nation of the Gambia. This little country lies on either side of the Gambia River, which runs through the middle Senegal.On the west coast of Africa is the port of Dakar. Dakar is located on Cap Vert, a peninsula that sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean and is the westernmost point in Africa.

European traders called the part of the Western African coast the Slave Coast. European slave traders took African slaves to North and South America from the 15^th to the 19^th century. Brazil imported more slaves, only 6 percent of slaves brought across the Atlantic Ocean went to the United States. Most were taken to South America and the islands of the Caribbean. About 10 million African slaves were taken from Africa to the Americas from 15^th to 19^th century and this not includes the estimated 2 million slaves who died on the way across the ocean. In 1865, the slavery become illegal in all of the United States. The 13^th Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery in the country.