The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive. By 1471, they had reached the area that was to become known as the Gold Coast.[7] The Gold Coast was so-named because it was an important source of gold.[7] The Portuguese interest in trading for gold, ivory, and pepper so increased that in 1482 the Portuguese built their first permanent trading post on the western coast of present-day Ghana. This fortress, atrade castle called São Jorge da Mina (later called Elmina Castle), was constructed to protect Portuguese trade from European competitors, and after frequent rebuildings and modifications, still stands.[6]
