Elmina, also known as Edina by the local
Fante, is a town and the capital of the
Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem District on the south coast of
Ghana in the
Central Region, situated on a
bay
A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a na ...
on the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Afr ...
, west of
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 ...
. Elmina was the first
European settlement in
West Africa and it has a population of 33,576 people.
History
Prior to the arrival of the Portuguese, the town was called Anomansah ("perpetual" or "inexhaustible drink") from its position on the peninsula between the Benya lagoon and the sea.
In 1478 (during the
War of the Castilian Succession
The War of the Castilian Succession was the military conflict contested from 1475 to 1479 for the succession of the Crown of Castile fought between the supporters of Joanna 'la Beltraneja', reputed daughter of the late monarch Henry IV of Castil ...
), a Castilian armada of 35
caravels
The caravel (Portuguese: , ) is a small maneuverable sailing ship used in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. The lateen sails gave it speed and the capacity for sailing wi ...
and a Portuguese fleet fought a large
naval battle
Naval warfare is combat in and on the sea, the ocean, or any other battlespace involving a major body of water such as a large lake or wide river. Mankind has fought battles on the sea for more than 3,000 years. Even in the interior of large lan ...
near Elmina for the control of the Guinea trade (gold, slaves, ivory and
melegueta pepper), the
Battle of Guinea
The Battle of Guinea took place on the Gulf of Guinea, in western Africa, 1478, between a Portuguese fleet and a Castilian fleet in the context of the War of the Castilian Succession.
The outcome of the battle of Guinea was decisive for Portu ...
. The war ended with a Portuguese naval victory, followed by the official recognition by the
Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs were Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of Spain. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being b ...
of Portuguese sovereignty over most of the West African territories in dispute embodied in the
Treaty of Alcáçovas, 1479.
[Historian Malyn Newitt: "However, in 1478 the Portuguese surprised thirty-five Castilian ships returning from Mina uinea/nowiki> and seized them and all their gold. Another...Castilian voyage to Mina, that of ]Eustache de la Fosse
Tassin or Eustache de la Fosse (also spelled Delafosse) (ca. 1451 - 23 April 1523) was a Flemish-speaking sailor and merchant from Tournai, who traveled with Portuguese sailors from Palos to territories of West Africa (1479–80) in what are now ...
, was intercepted ... in 780. (...) All things considered, it is not surprising that the Portuguese emerged victorious from this first maritime colonial war. They were far better organised than the Castilians, were able to raise money for the preparation and supply of their fleets, and had clear central direction from ... rince/nowiki> John." I
''A History of Portuguese Overseas Expansion, 1400–1668''
New York: Routledge, 2014, pp. 39, 40.[Bailey W. Diffie and George D. Winius: "In a war in which the Castilians were victorious on land and the Portuguese at sea, …" i]
''Foundations of the Portuguese Empire 1415-1580''
volume I, University of Minnesota Press, 1985, p. 152. This was the first colonial war among European powers. Many more would come.
The town grew around
São Jorge da Mina Castle, built by the
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
Diogo de Azambuja in 1482 on the site of a town or village called Amankwakurom or Amankwa. It was Portugal's West African headquarters for trade and exploitation of African wealth. The original Portuguese interest was gold, with 8,000 ounces shipped to Lisbon from 1487 to 1489, 22,500 ounces from 1494 to 1496, and 26,000 ounces by the start of the sixteenth century.
Later the port expanded to include tens of thousands of slaves channeled through the trading post of Elmina, ten to twelve thousand from 1500 to 1535 alone. By 1479, the Portuguese were transporting slaves from as far away as
Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...
, who accounted for 10 percent of the trade in Elmina, and were used to clear land for
tillage.
[
The location of Elmina made it a significant site for re-provisioning ships headed south towards the Cape of Good Hope on their way to India. After years of Portuguese commerce on the Elmina Coast, the Dutch learned of the profitable activity taking place through ]Barent Eriksz Barent Eriksz (also known as Barent Erickzen and Bernard Ericks) was a Dutch trader from Medemblik, who is considered the initiator of Dutch trade with the Gold Coast in Africa.
Eriksz departed from Medemblik in 1590, and wanted to sail to Brazil ...
of Medemblik
Medemblik () is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia. It lies immediately south of the polder and former municipality of Wieringermeer.
History
Medemblik was a prosperous ...
, one of the earliest traders and Guinea navigators. Ericksz learned about trading on the Elmina coast while he was a prisoner on Principe and subsequently became a major resource to the Dutch in terms of providing geographical and trading information. The Dutch West India Company
The Dutch West India Company ( nl, Geoctrooieerde Westindische Compagnie, ''WIC'' or ''GWC''; ; en, Chartered West India Company) was a chartered company of Dutch merchants as well as foreign investors. Among its founders was Willem Usselincx ...
captured Elmina in 1637; in subsequent centuries it was mostly used as a hub for the slave trade. The British attacked the city in 1782
Events
January–March
* January 7 – The first American commercial bank (Bank of North America) opens.
* January 15 – Superintendent of Finance Robert Morris goes before the United States Congress to recommend establish ...
, but it remained in Dutch hands until 1872, when the Dutch Gold Coast was sold
Sold may refer to:
* ''Sold'' (Boy George album), 1987
* ''Sold'' (Died Pretty album), 1996
* ''Sold'' (TV series), a British comedy drama television series
* ''Sold'' (McCormick novel), a 2006 novel by Patricia McCormick and Illustrated by Br ...
to the British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
. The king of Ashanti, claiming to be suzerain, objected to the transfer, and initiated the third Anglo-Ashanti war
The Anglo-Ashanti wars were a series of five conflicts that took place between 1824 and 1900 between the Ashanti Empire—in the Akan interior of the Gold Coast—and the British Empire and its African allies. Though the Ashanti emerged victori ...
of 1873–1874.
Elmina is also home to Fort Coenraadsburg on St. Jago Hill, built by the Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
in 1555 under the name Forte de Santiago; it was used for commerce. In 1637 it was conquered and renamed by the Dutch, after they captured Elmina's main castle. Today, Elmina's main economic industry is fishing, salt production and tourism. Elmina Castle is very close to Cape Coast Castle
Cape Coast Castle ( sv, Carolusborg) is one of about forty "slave castles", or large commercial forts, built on the Gold Coast of West Africa (now Ghana) by European traders. It was originally a Portuguese "feitoria" or trading post, establish ...
, another historic fortress notable for its role in transatlantic slave trade.
Economy
Beginning in 2003, Elmina, along with foreign investor
An investor is a person who allocates financial capital with the expectation of a future return (profit) or to gain an advantage (interest). Through this allocated capital most of the time the investor purchases some species of property. Typ ...
s, began The Elmina Strategy 2015, a massive project to improve many aspects of the town, consisting of water drainage and waste management helping to improve the health of the citizens, repairing the fishing industry and harbour of within Elmina, tourism and economic development, improved health services, and improved educational services.[Elminaheritage.com](_blank)
. ''Elminaheritage.com''.
Climate
Tourism
Apart from Elmina Castle and Fort Coenraadsburg, the main tourist attractions in Elmina include the Dutch Cemetery and the Elmina Java Museum.
Sister cities
List of sister cities of Elmina, designated by Sister Cities International:
Festival
Elmina is home to the annual Bakatue Festival
The Bakatue Festival is celebrated by the chiefs and peoples of Elmina in the Central Region of Ghana. The festival, established at least as far back as 1847, is celebrated on the first Tuesday in the month of July every year.
The festival
The D ...
, a celebration of the sea and the local fishing culture, held on the first Tuesday of July each year.
''Bakatue'' translated means "the opening of the lagoon" or the "draining of the Lagoon". It is celebrated to commemorate the founding of the town, Elmina by the Europeans. It is also celebrated to invoke the deity, Nana Benya's continuous protection of the state and its people.
Notable institution
* Benya FM
Gallery
File:Canoes at the shore.jpg, Canoes at the shore
File:Elmina, a coastal town.jpg, Elmina, a coastal town
File:Benya lagoon and it surroundings located in Elmina.jpg, Benya lagoon and it surroundings located in Elmina
See also
* Elmina Castle
References
Citations
Bibliography
* Diffie, Bailey W., and George D. Winius
''Foundations of the Portuguese Empire, 1415-1580''
Volume 1, University of Minnesota Press, 1977.
* Newitt, Malyn
''A History of Portuguese Overseas Expansion, 1400-1668''
Routledge, New York, 2005.
External links
Ghana-pedia website - Elmina
Elmina Site Page from Aluka Digital Library
Elminaheritage.com
{{Coord, 5, 05, N, 1, 21, W, display=title
Former Portuguese colonies
Populated places in the Central Region (Ghana)