Cape Coast
Cape Coast is a city, fishing port, and the capital of Cape Coast Metropolitan District and Central Region of Ghana. It is one of the country's most historic cities, a World Heritage Site, home to the Cape Coast Castle, with the Gulf of Guinea situated to its south. According to the 2010 census, Cape Coast had a settlement population of 169,894 people. The language of the people of Cape Coast is Fante.
Cape Coast, Oguaa
City of Cape Coast | |
|---|---|
City | |
1st top-left image; Arch bridge and Harbour view from Elmina Castle in Cape Coast • 2nd bottom-left image; City hall of Cape Coast • 1st top-right image; Shores of Cape Coast • 2nd bottom-right image; Balcony of Cape Coast Castle. | |
Cape Coast Cape Coast | |
| Coordinates: 05°06′N 01°15′W | |
| Country | Ghana |
| Admin. Region | Central Region |
| District | Cape Coast Metropolitan |
| Founded | 1482 |
| Government | |
| • Member of Parliament for Cape Coast North | Dr. Kwamena Minta Nyarku (NDC) |
| • Members of Parliament for Cape Coast South | Kweku George Ricketts-Hagan (NDC) |
| Elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 169,894 |
| Demonym | Cape Coaster |
| Time zone | GMT |
| Postcode district | CC |
| Area code | 033 |
| Website | http://ccma.gov.gh/ |
The older traditional names of the city are Oguaa and Kotokuraba (meaning "River of Crabs" or "Village of Crabs"). 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. 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.