Which country was formerly known as the Gold Coast?

Ghana was formerly known as the Gold Coast under British colonial rule. It adopted the name Ghana when it became independent on 6 March 1957.

The colonial name referred to the region’s historic gold trade, which attracted European merchants from the late fifteenth century. Britain gradually consolidated control over the territory and administered it as the Gold Coast colony, alongside other territories in the region.

Ghana’s independence, led by Kwame Nkrumah, made it the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from European colonial rule in the postwar period. The modern name “Ghana” was chosen in reference to the medieval Ghana Empire, which was located farther northwest and was not the same state as present-day Ghana. Accra is Ghana’s capital.