Gold Coast

1. a former British territory in W Africa; now a part of Ghana.

2. a wealthy residential area along a shore, as in Florida between Miami and Palm Beach or in Chicago along the shore of Lake Michigan.

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Section of the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, western Africa.

Extending approximately from Axim, Ghana, in the west to the Volta River in the east, it was so called because it was an important source of gold. It was an area of intense colonial rivalry from the 17th century. Acquired as a colony by the British in the 19th century and named the Gold Coast, the area achieved independence as the Republic of Ghana in 1957.

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▪ Queensland, Australia

      city, extreme southeastern Queensland, Australia, about 20 miles (30 km) south-southeast of Brisbane. It extends for some 25 miles (40 km) along the state's southeastern coastline, from Paradise Point along the Pacific Highway to Coolangatta at the New South Wales border. Tweed Heads, across the border in New South Wales, is also part of the Gold Coast urban complex. The city, primarily a chain of seaside resorts, is home to a number of beaches that attract surfers, including Northcliffe, Broadbeach, Mermaid Beach, Surfers Paradise, Nobby's, Miami, Burleigh Heads, Palm Beach, Currumbin, Tallebudgera, Tugun-Bilinga, and Kirra. Southport is the administrative centre. There was an extensive building boom after restrictions were lifted in 1952; the area was created a city in 1959. Among the area's attractions are a bird sanctuary and a fauna reserve. Some light manufacturing, largely related to the tourist trade, is carried on there. Its population increases greatly during Christmas holidays. The Pacific Motorway, a major transportation link that connects Gold Coast to Brisbane, opened in 2000. Pop. (2006) local government area, 472,280; urban agglom., 541,675.

▪ historical region, Africa

      section of the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, in Africa. It extends approximately from Axim, Ghana, or nearby Cape Three Points, in the west to the Volta River in the east and is so called because it was an important source of gold. An area of intense colonial rivalry from the 17th century, it was acquired by the British in the 19th century. The Gold Coast colony (as Ghana) became a dominion of the British Commonwealth (March 6, 1957) and achieved independence as the Republic of Ghana in 1960.

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