colony · West Africa

Portuguese Gold Coast

1482 CE – 1642 CE · capital Elmina

Portugal's chain of trading forts on the Gold Coast, centred on Sao Jorge da Mina, which for over a century channelled West African gold to Lisbon.

Origins

Portuguese ships reached the gold-trading coast of present-day Ghana in 1471. In 1482, on the orders of King John II, Diogo de Azambuja built the fortress of Sao Jorge da Mina at Elmina, after negotiating with a local chief remembered as Caramansa. Smaller forts followed at Axim, Shama and other points.

Rule and society

The forts were run by a royal monopoly whose governor bought gold from Akan traders with cloth, brass, beads and slaves brought from elsewhere in Africa. At its height the Mina trade supplied a large share of Portugal's gold. The garrisons were small and depended on agreements with coastal rulers such as the Kingdom of Eguafo.

Decline and legacy

The Dutch, rivals in the trade, captured Elmina in 1637 and Axim in 1642, ending Portuguese power on the coast. Their posts became the core of the Dutch Gold Coast, and Elmina Castle is now a World Heritage Site.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Portuguese Gold Coast. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/portuguese-gold-coast
MLA
“Portuguese Gold Coast.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/portuguese-gold-coast. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Portuguese Gold Coast.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/portuguese-gold-coast.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Portuguese Gold Coast’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/portuguese-gold-coast (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻