Q. Which of the following represents the correct sequence of the West African export coasts when arranged from North to South?

[A] Grain Coast — Ivory Coast — Gold Coast — Slave Coast

[B] Gold Coast — Grain Coast — Slave Coast — Ivory Coast

[C] Ivory Coast — Grain Coast — Slave Coast — Gold Coast

[D] Slave Coast — Gold Coast — Ivory Coast — Grain Coast

Answer: A
Notes:

Explanation:

The correct north-to-south (and west-to-east along the coastal curve) order is Grain Coast  Ivory Coast  Gold Coast  Slave Coast. During the colonial era, the West African coastline along the Gulf of Guinea was categorized by European traders according to the primary commodities exported from each region:

  • Grain Coast (Most Northerly): Coincides with modern Sierra Leone and Liberia (named after Malagueta pepper grains).
  • Ivory Coast: Coincides with modern Côte d’Ivoire.
  • Gold Coast: Coincides with modern Ghana.
  • Slave Coast (Most Southerly/Easterly): Coincides with modern Togo, Benin, and western Nigeria (Bight of Benin).
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