Ghana, the then Gold Coast was a British Crown Colony on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa from 1821 to its independence as part of the nation of Ghana in 1957. The term Gold Coast is also often used to describe all of the four separate jurisdictions that were under the administration of the Governor of the Gold Coast.
These were the Gold Coast itself, Ashanti, the Northern Territories Protectorate and the British Togoland trust territory. The Central Region is one of the sixteen administrative regions of Ghana. It is bordered by Ashanti and Eastern regions to the north, Western region to the west, Greater Accra region to the east, and to the south by the Gulf of Guinea.
The first European explorers to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered multiple African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial deposits of gold in the soil. In 1483, the Portuguese came to the continent for increased trade. They built the Elmina Castle, the first European settlement on the Gold Coast. Shortly after, they acquired slaves and gold in trade for European goods, such as metal knives, beads, mirrors, rum, and guns. News of the successful trading spread quickly, and British, Dutch, Danish, Prussian and Swedish traders arrived as well. The European traders built several forts along the coastline.
The Gold Coast had long been a name for the region used by Europeans because of the large gold resources found in the area. The slave trade was the principal exchange and major part of the economy for many years. In this period, European nations began to explore and colonize the Americans. Soon the Portuguese and Spanish began to export African slaves to the Caribbean, and North and South America.
The Dutch and British also entered the slave trade, at first supplying markets in the Caribbean and on the Caribbean coast of South America. The Central region is renowned for its many elite higher education institutions and an economy based on an abundance of industrial minerals and tourism. The Central region attains many tourist attractions such as castles, forts and beaches stretched along the Central region’s coastline.
The Central Region of Ghana, a hub of education, with some of the best schools in the country, has an economy which is dominated by services followed by mining and fishing, with about 20 districts, among which are; the Agona East, Agona West, Abura, Ajumako, Assin North, Assin South, Awutu Senya West, Cape Coast metropolitan among others. Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle are prominent UNESCO World Heritage Sites and serve as a reminder of the slave trade. The Central Region is a major center for tourism with some of the most beautiful beaches, and national parks (Kakum National Park). U.S. President Barack Obama made his first international trip to the city of Cape Coast in 2009.
With the region’s pride in offering quality education, it is clad with educational institutions, ranging from senior high schools, to technical schools to tertiary institutions. Below are some of these institutions.
Public Universities
University of Cape Coast
University of Education, Winneba
Cape Coast Technical University
Private Universities Edit
KAAF University College
Marysons College, Cape Coast
Pan African Christian University College
Training Colleges and Polytechnics Edit
Ola Training College, Old Elmina Road, Cape Coast
Presbyterian Women Training College
Gladmond Vocational Institute, Abura/Asebu/Kwamank
Methodist Voc Trg Centre, Abura/Asebu/Kwamank
Archbishop Porter’s Polytechnic, CAPE COAST
Fosu College of Education, Assin Fosu.
Komenda College of Education, Komenda.
Senior High Schools
Aburaman Senior High School, Abura/Asebu/Kwamank
Academy of Christ the King, Cape Coast
Adankwaman Sec/Comm, Assin Darman
Adisadel College
Aggrey Memorial Senior High School, Cape Coast
Apam Senior High School
Assin Manso Senior High School, Assin Manso
Assin North Sec/Tech, Assin Asempanaye
Assin Nsuta Senior High School, Assin Nsuta
Assin State College, Assin Bereku
Awutu-Winton Senior High School, Awutu/Efutu/Senya
Besease Sec/Comm, Ajumako Besease
Boa-Amponsem Senior High School, DUNKWA-ON-OFFIN
Breman Asikuma Senior High School, Asikuma/Od/Brakwa
Charity Comm Sch, Twifo Hemang
Charity International Senior High School, Gomoa Manso
Diaso Senior High School, Upper Denkyira
Dunkwa Sec/Tech, Dunkwa -On-Offin
Edinaman Day Senior School, Edin/Kom/Eguafo
Effutu Sec/Tech, Cape Coast
Ekumfi T.I Ahmadiyya Senior High School, Ekumfi Ekroful
Eguafo-Abrem Senior High School, Edin/Kom/Eguafo
Enyan Denkyira Senior High, Abura/Asebu/Kwamank
Eyan Denkyira Senior High School, Ajumako/Enyan/Esiam
Ghana National College
Gomoa Sec/Tech, Gomoa
Holy Child High School, Ghana
Insaanyya Senior High Business School, Kasoa
Jukwa Senior High, Twifo Hemang
Komenda Senior High School Edin/Kom/Eguafo
kumfi T. I Ahmadiiyya Senior High, Abura/Asebu/Kwamank
Kwanyako Senior High School, Agona Kwanyako
Kwegyir Aggrey Senior High School
Mando Day Senior High School, Ajumako/Enyan/Esiam
Mankessim Sec/Tech, Mankessim
Mfantsiman Girls’ Secondary School
Mfantsipim School
MOSECO, Kasoa
Nsaba Presby Senior High, Abura
Nyakrom Day Senior High, Agona Nyakrom
Nyankumase Ahenkro Senior High, Fante Nyankomase
Obama College, Mankessim
Obiri Yeboah Senior High, Assin Fosu
Obrakyere Sec/Tech Awutu/Efutu/Senya
Odoben Senior High, Asikuma/Od/Brakwa
Oguaa Sec/Tech, Cape Coast
Pank Secondary Business College, Awutu Bawjiase
Potsin T.I Ahm Senior High School, Gomoa Potsin
S.D.A Senior High School, Gomoa Manso
Saltpond Meth. Senior High, Saltpond
Sammo Senior High School, Cape Coast
Senya Senior High
St. Augustine’s College (Cape Coast)
Swedru School of Business
Swedru Senior high, Agona Swedru
University Practice Senior High School
Wesley Girls’ High School
Winneba Senior High, Winneba
Moree Senior High Technical School
The Central Region is well known for its varied choices in cuisine. Etsew and Fantefante (fresh fish palm oil stew) is the main dish enjoyed. Kenkey and Fufu are both eaten with a variety of sauces, stews, and soups. Seafood is commonly eaten across the Central Region.
The region prides itself with great leaders and notable citizens it has produced over the years. One prominent leader, may his soul rest in perfect peace, the ‘Asomdwe hene’ of the nation Ghana, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, traces his roots to Cape Coast in the central region. Other notable citizens such as, Van Vicker, Yvonne Nelson, Jackie Appiah, renowned movie stars, as well as one of the greatest pioneers of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Paa Kwesi Ndoom.
As eloquent as the people of central region are in English, they are known for expressing themselves in their local dialect, fante with a touch of the English language as they would say. At the sound of their names, one can easily tell their roots bo matter where they might be at that particular point in time. The Johnsons, Appaiahs, Petersons, Jeffersons and many more.
‘Fante fuor, y3 w) adze, oye ‘
REFERENCES
1. Available online at, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Region_(Ghana)
2. Available online at, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Coast_(British_colony)#:~:text=The%20Gold%20Coast%20was%20a,nation%20of%20Ghana%20in%201957.
