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Cape Coast

Coordinates: 05°06′N 01°15′W / 5.100°N 1.250°W / 5.100; -1.250
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cape Coast
Oguaa
Kotokuraba
City
Counter-clockwise from top-left image: Arch bridge and harbour view from Elmina Castle; City hall of Cape Coast; Cape Coast Castle; Cape Coast shoreline.
Counter-clockwise from top-left image: Arch bridge and harbour view from Elmina Castle; City hall of Cape Coast; Cape Coast Castle; Cape Coast shoreline.
Etymology: Portuguese: Cabo Corso ("short cape")
Cape Coast is located in Ghana
Cape Coast
Cape Coast
Cape Coast is located in Africa
Cape Coast
Cape Coast
Coordinates: 05°06′N 01°15′W / 5.100°N 1.250°W / 5.100; -1.250
Country Ghana
RegionCentral Region
DistrictCape Coast Metropolitan
Founded1482
Government
[1]
 • TypeMayor–council
 • Metropolitan MayorHon. Ernest Arthur
Elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2010)[2][3]: 30, 3 
 • Total
169,894
 • Ethnicities
 • Religion
Time zoneGMT
Postcode district
CC
Area code033
ClimateAs
Websiteccma.gov.gh

Cape Coast is a city, a fishing port, and the capital of Cape Coast Metropolitan District in the Central Region of Ghana. It is one of the country's most historic cities, a World Heritage Site, and home to the Cape Coast Castle, with the Gulf of Guinea situated to its south.[4] It was also the first capital of Ghana. According to the 2021 census, Cape Coast had a settlement population of 189,925 people.[5][6] The language of the people of Cape Coast is Fante.[7][8]

The older traditional names of the city are Oguaa and Kotokuraba (meaning "River of Crabs" or "Village of Crabs").[9] The Portuguese navigators João de Santarém and Pedro Escobar who sailed past Oguaa in 1471 designated the place Cabo Corso (meaning "short cape"), from which the name Cape Coast derives.[9] From the 16th century to the country's independence in 1957, the city changed hands between the British, the Portuguese, the Swedish, the Danish and the Dutch. It is home to 32 festivals and celebrations.[10][3]

Toponymy

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The traditional name of the city is Oguaa, from the Fante word Gua, meaning "market".[11] Another traditional name is Koto-Kuraba meaning "crab-hamlet", which is a corrupted version of the word Koto-wuraba, meaing "crab rivulets". The word survives in the name of a market in the city.[12]: 164, 165 

Cabo Corso ("short cape") was the first European name given to the settlement by the early Portuguee navigators who first discovered it. The name was later corrupted by the British to "Cape Coast".[13]

History

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Early settlement

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The origin of the indigenous inhabitants of the settlement is thought to share similarities to those of Edina, as Cape Coast became the principal town of the Fetu Kingdom. "Fetu" was an old Guan(Etsii) kingdom located 10 miles (16 km) north of Cape Coast. The site is now known nowadays as Effutu.[12]: 164, 165 

Around this time, a market, known at the time as Ouga, grew and developed into an active commercial centre. Because of this growth, the King of Fetu appointed a chief to represent the settlement. The market drew the attention of William Towerson, the first documented English navigator to have reach the Guinea coast, who touched land in 1555.[12]: 165 

Arrival of Europeans

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A market in Cape Coast (c. 1602)

Trade grew between the people of Fetu and the Europeans. Sometime in 1650, a plot of land was bought from the King of Fetu by Hendrik Carloff, acting for Dutch privateers working against the Dutch West India Company. In 1655, a fort was built on the site of Carolusborg under the hands of the Swedish.[14] It switch hands several times before 1664, when it was captured from the Dutch by a joint English and Dutch force.[15][12]: 165, 166 

After the attack, the English named Cape Coast the headquarters of the Royal African Company in 1678. The Danes acquired a plot on top of a hill that was located about 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) north east of the fort. While the Cape Coast Castle was being built, the Dutch built a fort on their land, known as Fort Frederiksborg. The fort was later bought out by the English.[12]: 166 

For half a century, the English maintained Frederiksborg as a fortified outpost of the castle and renamed it Fort Royal, but by the middle of the 18th century the outpost had been abandoned. Other forts were built during this time, such as Phipps Tower, which was later abandoned and is now manage by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board.[12]: 166 

Colonial times

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The Napoleonic Wars at the beginning of the 19th century and the political unrest in the Gold Coast region as a result of the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade by Denmark and Britain are contributing factors in the Asante invasion of the coast in 1806. Cape Coast itself avoided the attack, but the confidence of the townspeople in the British ability to protect them against the Asante plummeted.[12]: 167 [16]

More forts were built, such as Smith's Tower on top of Dawson Hill and Fort McCarthy.[12]: 167 

Cape Coast was threatened a second time by the Asante in 1824 after British troops under Charles MacCarthy were defeated. the town was largely burnt down in 1817, slowing down its economy.[12]: 167, 169 [17]

Before the building of the Sekondi Harbour in the 1890s, the town was the most important anchorage in the county. Trading during the time was at its peak, but after 1850, the year the British acquired Danish possessions in which conditions turned south. Trade declined, rivalry with the Dutch got to new heights, and Asante pressures escalated.[12]: 170 

The capital of the Gold Coast was transferred from Cape Coast to Accra in 1877.[18] This, along with many other causes, resulted in irreversible damage to the town's economy. The 1880s saw a minor boom to its economy with the gold rush.[12]: 170 

Present (1900–present)

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The city's St. Francis Cathedral was dedicated in 1928.[19] The building is the first Catholic Cathedral built in Ghana.[20] In addition, one of the first Catholic schools in Ghana, St. Augustine's College, was established in Cape Coast during 1936. The cocoa marketing boom of the 1900s that Ghana experienced, the city experienced a certain period of economic prosperity.

After the completion of harbours and railways in other parts of the country such as Sekondi and Kumasi, cocoa cultivation and trade in Ghana diversified and Cape Coast lost some importance. However, after the establishment of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese and the university of the city in 1950 and 1962 respectively, Cape Coast became a educational hub in Ghana.[12]: 170 

Transportation

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See also: Transportation in Ghana
Residents passing by a street in Cape Coast

Transportation in the city is regulated by the Transport Department of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, with Dennis K. Sulemanu acting as the transport officer of the department.[21]

In 1873, there was a proposal for an line to link the settlements of Cape Coast and Kumasi in order to send troops to fight the Asante. It never came to fruition due to the war ending sooner than expected.[22]

Plans for the construction of an airport for the city was announced by Mahamudu Bawumia at the New Patriotic Party's manifesto launch on August 18, 2024. According to Mahamudu, the US$2 billion in funding has been secured from South Korean investors.[23][24]

Government

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Further information: Cape Coast South (Ghana parliament constituency) and Cape Coast North (Ghana parliament constituency)

The metropolitan has a mayor–council form of government. The mayor (executive chief) is appointed by the president of Ghana and approved by the city council, the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly.[25] The current mayor of Cape Coast is Hon. Ernest Arthur, serving his second term in office.[1]

Demographics

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Cape Coast was historically an early centre for Christian missionaries, most notably the Basel missionaries. Christianity is the most practiced religion in the city, followed by Islam and traditional religions. The biggest ethnic group that resided in the city are the Fante, who are a subgroup of the Akan. The ethnic group's language is Fante.[3]: 30, 3 

Geography

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Metropolitan Area

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Cape Coast is located at 05°06′N 01°15′W / 5.100°N 1.250°W / 5.100; -1.250 (5.100000, -1.250000) and is about 38.4 mi (61.8 km) from Sekondi-Takoradi and approximately 80 mi (130 km) from Accra.[26] The city resided in the Cape Coast Metropolitan, which have an area size of 122 km2 (47 sq mi) and is one of 6 metropolis in Ghana. The district is bordered to the south by the Gulf of Guinea, the Hemang-Lower Denkyira District to the north, to the west by the Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem Municipal District, and to the east the Abura/Asebu/Kwamankese District.[3]: 1, 3 

Topography

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Connor's Hill, Cape Coast (c. 1870)

The city's topography is classified as hilly, the hills overlain by sandy silts. The rock type of the city is dominated by the Birimian formation and batholiths, also consisting of granite and pegmatite. There are valleys of various streams between the hills, with Kakum being the largest stream. The minor streams end in wetlands, the largest of which drains into the Fosu Lagoon at Bakano. In the northern part of the district, however, the landscape is suitable for the cultivation of various crops.[3]: 1, 3 [27]: 43 

Parks

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Cape Coast is noted for its significant green spaces, but rapid population and infrastructure growth presents threats to its vegetation. The city's greenery plays crucial roles in flood management and improving residents overall well-being. Data from a 2023 study showed that the metropolitan's dense vegetation in 2018 was 47.12 km (29.28 mi), a 24.01% decrease from 71.13 km (44.20 mi) in 1991.[28]

Climate

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Cape Coast has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen: As), with two rainy seasons peaking in May to June and October. The dry periods (harmattan) occur between November and February. The annual rainfall ranges from 90 to 110 mm (3.5 to 4.3 in) along the coast while in the hinterland is between 110 and 160 mm (4.3 and 6.3 in). The average temperatures are around 24 to 32 °C (75 to 90 °F) while the relative humidity is between 60% and 80%.[29]

Climate data for Cape Coast (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 31.9
(89.4) 		32.9
(91.2) 		32.9
(91.2) 		32.7
(90.9) 		31.6
(88.9) 		30.1
(86.2) 		29.1
(84.4) 		28.9
(84.0) 		29.7
(85.5) 		30.9
(87.6) 		31.8
(89.2) 		31.9
(89.4) 		31.2
(88.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 22.6
(72.7) 		24.0
(75.2) 		24.2
(75.6) 		24.3
(75.7) 		24.1
(75.4) 		23.5
(74.3) 		22.9
(73.2) 		22.4
(72.3) 		23.0
(73.4) 		23.2
(73.8) 		23.5
(74.3) 		23.1
(73.6) 		23.4
(74.1)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 13.5
(0.53) 		18.7
(0.74) 		64.9
(2.56) 		92.8
(3.65) 		199.5
(7.85) 		209.4
(8.24) 		65.9
(2.59) 		29.9
(1.18) 		58.9
(2.32) 		89.8
(3.54) 		49.9
(1.96) 		29.6
(1.17) 		922.8
(36.33)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) 1 2 4 6 10 12 6 5 6 7 4 2 65
Source: World Meteorological Organization[30]

Economy

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Agriculture

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Cactus at a beach in Cape Coast

Agriculture in the city is managed by the Department of Agriculture of the metropolitan. The head of the department is Olympia Enyonam Williams.[31]

Service

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Tourism

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Non-governmental organizations

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Cape Coast is home to many NGOs, some of which have limited human resources due to financial pushbacks. These NGOs addresses and confront social issues in the metropolitan as a whole. Some NGOs with operations in the city are the Seeds of Sovereignty[32] and the Abraham Smiles Foundation.[33] A 2021 study's findings show that most people do show interest in participating in NGO related activities, depending on what the organization in question revolves around.[34]

Attractions

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The crab is the city's mascot and a statue of one stands in the city centre. Fort William, built in 1820, was an active lighthouse from 1835 to the 1970s, while Fort Victoria was built in 1702.

The main market of Cape Coast is called Kotokuraba Market.[35]

Other attractions include a series of Asafo shrines, Cape Coast Centre for National Culture, the Oguaa Fetu Afahye festival (held on the first Saturday of September), and since 1992, the biennial Panafest theatre festival.[36] The city is located 30 km south of Kakum National Park, one of the most diverse and best preserved national parks in West Africa.

It is believed that Michelle Obama, US First Lady, considers Cape Coast as her ancestral home,[37] and on 11 July 2009, she took the rest of the first family to tour Cape Coast Castle as part of her husband's trip to Cape Coast.

Education

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University of Cape Coast Library Complex

Cape Coast is the seat of the University of Cape Coast (UCC). It also has , the Cape Coast Technical University . The city also has some secondary and technical schools:

Sport

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Further information: Sport in Ghana
Nighttime view of Cape Coast Sports Stadium

The city is home to the Cape Coast Sports Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium which is currently home to the Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs. Construction of the stadium began in 2012 and officially opened on 3 May 2016. It was financed and designed by China.[38][39]

The Ebusua Dwarfs, a professional football club based in Cape Coast with a current squad of 30 players, currently competes in the Ghana Premier League. According to a 2018 study, like other teams in the league, high anxiety and a lack of self-confidence among the players could have led to a decline of performance.[40]

The city is also home to the Venomous Vipers, a professional football club. The current Board of Chairman of the team is Kweku Ackah-Yensu, who had taken office in 2022. They play against the Ebusua Dwarfs.[41]

Notable people

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Main category: People from Cape Coast

Media house

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  • Kastle FM
  • Asaase Radio
  • Cape FM

International Relations

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Sister cities

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The following is a list of sister cities of Cape Coast, designated by Sister Cities International:

See also

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Explanatory notes

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Mayor". Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly. Archived from the original on 24 June 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  2. ^ "2010 Population and Housing Census" (PDF). Ghana Statistical Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 September 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e 2010 Population & Housing Census (PDF) (Report). Cape Coast Municipality: Ghana Statistical Service. 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Cape Coast | Historic Town, Slave Trade, Castle | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  5. ^ "About - Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly". ccma.gov.gh. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Cape Coast Metropolitan (Metropolitan District, Ghana) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Cape Coast – Ko-Sa Beach Resort". Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  8. ^ "The irritating sounds of 'by force Twi' by some Fantes on Cape Coast radio".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ a b Briggs, Philip (2019). Ghana (8th ed.). Bradt Travel Guides. p. 203. ISBN 9781784776282.
  10. ^ Banda, Rajaa. "11 Fascinating things to know about Ghana's Cape Coast". The Culture Trip. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  11. ^ Dynamics of Systems of Secondary Cities in Africa (PDF). Cities Alliance (Report). p. 219. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Hyland, A. (1995). "THE ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY OF CAPE COAST". Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana. 16 (1). JSTOR 41406616. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  13. ^ St Clair 2009, p. 13.
  14. ^ St Clair 2009, pp. 30, 31.
  15. ^ St Clair 2009, p. 32.
  16. ^ St Clair 2009, p. 125.
  17. ^ St Clair 2009, p. 250.
  18. ^ St Clair 2009, p. 253.
  19. ^ Sundkler, B.; Steed, C. (4 May 2000). A History of the Church in Africa. Cambridge University Press. p. 719. ISBN 978-0-521-58342-8.
  20. ^ "St Francis de Sales Cathedral - Archdiocese of Cape Coast". Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  21. ^ "Transport Department". Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  22. ^ Jedwab, R. (31 January 2014). "Transportation Technology and Economic Change: The Impact of Colonial Railroads on City Growth in Africa" (PDF). Institute for International Economic Policy. p. 11. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  23. ^ "We have secured $2 billion funding for construction of Cape Coast Airport – Dr. Bawumia". ghanaweb.com. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  24. ^ Mohammed, H. "$2 billion secured to develop Cape Coast Airport – Bawumia". Citi Newsroom. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  25. ^ A Guide to District Assemblies in Ghana (PDF). Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Ghana. 2010. pp. 37, 38. ISBN 9988572131. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  26. ^ Straight line distances from: Daft Logic; "Google Maps Distance Calculator". Archived from the original on 26 July 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  27. ^ Moore, A. (2002). A pattern language in Ghana (Thesis). University of Georgia. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  28. ^ Duku, E.; Mensah, C.; Amadu, I.; Adzigbli, W. "Changes in urban green spaces in coastal cities and human well-being: The case of Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana". Geo: Geography and Environment. 10 (1). Wiley. doi:10.1002/geo2.119. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  29. ^ Ankrah, D.; Mensah, J.; Anaglo, J.; Boateng, S. "Climate variability indicators - scientific data versus farmers perception; evidence from southern Ghana". Cogent Food & Agriculture. 9 (1). Taylor & Francis: sec. 3.2. doi:10.1080/23311932.2022.2148323. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  30. ^ "World Weather Information Service". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  31. ^ "Agriculture". Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  32. ^ Esuon, J. (1 December 2020). "BNGO launches project to promote good sanitation and hygiene practices". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  33. ^ Arkoh, I. (29 May 2021). "Abraham Smiles Foundations launched in Cape Coast". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  34. ^ Kwadzo, M. (2021). "Factors determining individuals' participation in volunteer work: A study of the Cape Coast Metropolis in the Central Region of Ghana". Heliyon. 7 (8). doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07772.
  35. ^ "Ghana Place Names - Markets".
  36. ^ "PANAFEST – The Impetus and Objectives of PANAFEST". PANAFEST. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  37. ^ "Obamas confront history inside Ghana's slave dungeon". businesstimesafrica.net. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  38. ^ "Cape Coast Stadium". stadiumdb.com. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  39. ^ Gobah, T. (4 May 2016). "Prez Mahama opens Cape Coast stadium". Graphic Online. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  40. ^ Narteh Ogum, P. (2018). "Influence of demographic factors, anxiety and self confidence on penalty kick performance: the case of cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs football club of Ghana" (PDF). University of Cape Coast. pp. 10, 11. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  41. ^ Esuon, J. (17 January 2023). "Board is committed to transforming Venomous Vipers – Ackah-Yensu". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  42. ^ Association, Ghana Football. "GFA President chairs International Relations Committee". ghanafa.org. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  43. ^ "Nana Amba Eyiaba I". The Council of Women Traditional Leaders, Ghana. Archived from the original on 8 September 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  44. ^ "Profile of late former Vice President Amissah-Arthur". GhanaWeb. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  45. ^ Mireri, Julian (26 October 2020). "Dr Gifty Anti biography: Husband, siblings, wedding, daughter, photos". Yen.com.gh. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  46. ^ "President Mills mourns B. J. da -Rocha". Ghanaweb. 2 May 2010. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  47. ^ Bown, Lalage (9 October 2007). "Kwesi Brew". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  48. ^ Kofi Duah (25 September 2014). "Revealed: Joey B is no 'Tonga'". Graphic Online. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  49. ^ "Mahama picks Prof Naana Opoku-Agyemang as running mate". GBC Ghana Online. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  50. ^ "Efua Sutherland". Britannica. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  51. ^ "Cape Coast". bonn.de. Bonn. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  52. ^ "Buffalo Sister Cities". City of Buffalo. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  53. ^ "Sister Cities Committee". hpil.org. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  54. ^ "Linking The Diaspora: Cantrell signs agreement with African city". The Louisiana Weekly. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
Sources
  • St Clair, W. (2009) [2007]. The Door of No Return: The History of Cape Coast Castle and the Atlantic Slave Trade. BlueBridge. ISBN 1933346167.
  • Charles Tetty, "Medical Practitioners of African Descent in Colonial Ghana", International Journal of African Historical Studies, Vol. 18, No. 1 (1985), pp. 139–44, Boston University African Studies Center.
  • Gallery of Gold Coast Celebrities 1632–1958, Vol 1 2 & 3; I.S. Ephson, Ghana Publishing Corporation, 1970.
  • Kofi Baku, "Kobina Sekyi of Ghana: An Annotated Bibliography of His Writings", International Journal of African Historical Studies, Vol. 24, No. 2 (1991), pp. 369–81, Boston University African Studies Center.
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05°06′N 01°15′W / 5.100°N 1.250°W / 5.100; -1.250

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