Ghana Ghana Ghana (), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located along the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean, in the subregion of West Africa. Spanning a land mass of , Ghana is bordered by the Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, Togo in the east and the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean in the south. "Ghana" means "Warrior King" in the Soninke language. The first permanent state in the territory of present-day Ghana dates back to the 11th century. Numerous kingdoms and empires emerged over the centuries, of which the most powerful was
Gold Coast (region) more territory inland in the late 19th century after the Anglo-Ashanti wars. In 1957, the territory of Gold Coast was granted independence as Ghana. Gold Coast (region) The Gold Coast was the name for a region on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa that was rich in gold and also in petroleum, sweet crude oil and natural gas. It now forms the country of Ghana. The Gold Coast, Slave Coast, Pepper Coast (or Grain Coast) were named after the main export resources there. Early uses of the term Gold Coast refer literally to the coast and not the interior.