1658–1659 Hendrik Carloff Founded 1658 Date dissolved 1850 | 1847–1850 Rasmus Eric Schmidt Currency Danish rigsdaler | |
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Languages Danish, German (official)
Ga, Dangme,
Ewe, Akan Political structure Denmark-Norway crown colony (1658–1814)
Denmark territory (1814–1850) 1658–1670 Frederick III of Denmark (first) 1848–1863 Frederick VII of Denmark (last) Capital Osu, Accra (1658–1850, Osu Castle) | ||
The Danish Gold Coast (Danish: Danske Guldkyst or Dansk Guinea) denotes the colonies that Denmark-Norway controlled in Africa as a part of the Gold Coast (roughly present-day southeast Ghana), which is on the petroleum and natural gas rich Gulf of Guinea. It was colonized by the Dano-Norwegian fleet, first under indirect rule by the Danish West India Company (a chartered company), later as a crown colony of the kingdom of Denmark-Norway.
Contents
Following the Norwegian Declaration of Independence in 1814, Denmark's five Danish Gold Coast Territorial Settlements and forts of the Kingdom of Denmark were sold to the United Kingdom and were incorporated into the British Gold Coast in 1850.
History
On April 20, 1663, the Danish seizure of Fort Christiansborg and Carlsborg (Cape Castle) completed the annexation of the Swedish Gold Coast settlements. From 1674 to 1755 the settlements were administered by the Danish West India-Guinea Company. From December 1680 to 29 August 1682, the Portuguese occupied Fort Christiansborg.
In 1750 it was made a Danish crown colony. From 1782 to 1785 it was under British occupation. On 30 March 1850 all of Denmark's Danish Gold Coast Territorial Settlements and forts of the Kingdom of Denmark were sold to Britain and incorporated into the British Gold Coast.
The title of its chief colonial administrator was Opperhoved (singular; sometimes rendered in English as Station Chief) since 1658, only in 1766 upgraded to Governor.
Main forts
The following forts were in the possession of Denmark until all forts were sold to the United Kingdom in 1850.
Temporarily held forts and trading posts
Apart from these main forts, several forts and trading posts were temporarily held by the Danes.