Elmina
Ghana
This coastal town on Ghana's Atlantic shore, Elmina holds the distinction of being the first European settlement in West Africa. The Portuguese struck an agreement with the local king in the 1470s to build São Jorge da Mina Castle, and the town's name derives from the Portuguese word for "mine," a reference to the gold that also gave the Gold Coast its colonial name. Strong European cultural influence remains visible today, and the town sits a short distance west of Cape Coast.
- Population34,403
- Nearest water0.8 km
- Nearest mountain12.9 km