Gold Coast

After being "discovered" by the European colonial powers in the late 15th century, it didn't take long for the coastline of present-day Ghana to become highly coveted property... there's a reason they called it the "Gold" Coast, and nobody wanted to miss out on the early plundering. The Portuguese were first on the scene, establishing Elmina Castle in 1482 to swap their goods for the abundant precious metals of West Africa. But other forts would follow, as would other Europeans ... and other, less-honorable forms of trade.