THE GOLD COAST, ASHANTI 



AND THE NORTHERN 



TERRITORIES 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. Geographical Position. 

 The Gold Coast Colony, with the dependencies of 

 Ashanti and the Northern Territories, forms a nearly 

 oblong tract of country, bounded on the north by the 

 llth parallel of north latitude and the French Sudan, 

 on the south by the Gulf of Guinea, on the east by Togo- 

 land, and on the west by the Ivory Coast (French). 

 The course of the Black Volta forms the natural boundary 

 on the north-west, and that of the Daka, continued as 

 the main Volta river, a large extent of the eastern, which, 

 however, is in course of realignment. 



Area and Population. The area of the whole country is 

 estimated at about 82,000 sq. miles, and the population 

 at upwards of 1,500,000. 



Divisions. The Colony proper forms the most southern 

 of the three divisions of which the country is composed, 

 and is bounded on the north by an irregular line dividing 

 it from Ashanti. This line commences upon the western 

 frontier at a point about 640' N. and 37' W., 

 and runs to a point on the Ofin river about 630' N. 

 and 2 W., continuing southward along the course of 

 the Ofin to its junction with the Pra river, whence it 

 follows the last-named river in a north-easterly direction 

 to near Abetifi, and continues in an irregular line to the 

 Volta, meeting it below the junction of the Assuokoko 

 stream. Ashanti is separated from the Northern Terri- 

 tories by an irregular boundary-line from east to west, 

 on the south side of the Black and main Volta rivers. 

 It is almost entirely forested up to the boundaries of the 

 largest towns. A view of Kumassi, the capital, is given, 

 showing the proximity of the forest (Fig. 14). 



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