Ada, Ghana

Ada Foah Ada
District Capital
Old trading fort in Ada Foah
Ada Foah Location in Ghana
Coordinates: 5°47′N 0°38′E / 5.783°N 0.633°E / 5.783; 0.633
Country	Ghana
Region	Greater Accra Region
District	Dangme East

Ada Foah or Ada is a coastal town in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Just off the Accra-Aflao motorway, this town is located along the Volta River. It's also the capital of the Dangme East District and the seat of the District Assembly.

The Dutch were the first to open trade between Europe and Ada in the 16th century and built a new trading post here in 1775. Later, the Danes took over, who at this time had power over the whole coast east of Accra. They remained in Ada for more than a century and had business relationships with the locals. To defend their trading post against the attacking neighboring tribes, the Danes built Fort Kongenstein in 1783. This fort actually gave Ada Foah its name: Ada Fort, village of the fort.

Only traces of Fort Kongenstein are found in Ada, in the Greater Accra Region. The port of Ada is located at the mouth of the Volta River. Thus, Ada boasts both of outstanding beaches and exquisite riverfront scenery. The fort built by the Danish in 1783 was purchased by the English on March 15, 1850. Ada people were sold and shipped to the Americas through this fort as slaves. The fort has almost disappeared into the sea.

When the British arrived at the end of the 19th century, the Danish sold their forts and trading posts to them. That was the time independence ended and British Colonial Rule was imposed. During this time of trading with the Europeans Ada also became a major market for the slave trade. After slave trade had been abolished, the Adas traded products of the African tropical forest (mostly palm oil, palm kernels and rubber).

Ada used to be a major trading center and trade was one of the main sources of income. There were large warehouses for storing the trading goods close to the seaside. Its special location at the estuary ensured a quick transportation along the Volta River up to the North of the country. The economic activities reached a peak around 1901 when a transportation system called the Volta River Transport System was launched.