Cape Coast
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Cape Coast, or Cabo Corso, is the capital of the Central Region of Ghana, located by the Gulf of Guinea. From the 16th century the city has changed hands between the British, the Portuguese, the Swedish, the Danish and the Dutch. The city was originally known as Oguaa.
History
Founded by the Portuguese in the 15th century, Cape Coast grew around Cape Coast Castle, now a World Heritage Site. It was converted to a castle by the Dutch in 1637, then expanded by the Swedes in 1652 and captured by the British in 1664. The British based their Gold Coast operations in the town until Accra became their capital in 1877.
Attractions
The town's symbol is a crab and a statue of one lies in the city centre. Fort William was built in 1820 and is now a lighthouse, while Fort Victoria was built in 1702. Other attractions include the Cape Coast Centre for National Culture, the Oguaa Fetu Afahye harvest festival and, since 1992, the biennial Panafest theatre festival.
Education
Cape Coast is the seat of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana's leading university in teaching and research. Cape Vars, as it is popularly called, is one of the very few universities in the world that lies on a sea front, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. UCC is part of Ghana's "Ivy League." The city also boasts of Ghana's finest secondary schools: St. Augustine College, Mfantsipim, Adisadel College, Aggrey Memorial AME Secondary School, Ghana National College, Holy Child Secondary, and many more "ivy secondary schools."