Axim
Encyclopedia
Axim is a town, district and kingdom on the coast of Ghana
. It lies 64 kilometers west of the port city of Takoradi, south of the highway leading to the Côte d'Ivoire
border, in the Western Region to the west of Cape Three Points
.
Axim has a prominent seaside fort, Fort Santo Antonio
, built by the Portuguese in 1515 and between 1642 and 1872 expanded and altered by the Dutch
, who were in possession during that period. The fort, now property of the Ghana
ian state is currently in the custody of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) and is open to the public. Off-shore there are some picturesque islands, including one with a lighthouse.
The town is divided into two parts: Upper Axim and Lower Axim. The fort lies roughly on the division between the two parts, but closest to the centre of Upper Axim. Here, several large mansions of lumber-trading magnates and other businessmen remain from the British colonial period. Axim is ruled by two traditional omanhenes or chiefs and a political District Chief Executive of Nzema East.
The economy relies mainly on Axim's fishing fleet, but the area also has two tourist beach resorts as well as coconut and rubber plantations. The scenic and fertile terrain features many palm trees. Local artisanal miners pan for gold in streams inland from Axim. Axim has a transport station, two major bank branches, and some rural banks.
Every August, the major festival of Kundum takes place, coinciding with the best fishing-catch of the year; people come to Axim for the festivities and to fish and trade from several countries on the Guinea Coast.
Culturally, Axim forms part of the Nzema
complex within the Akan culture. Residents speak the Evalue, Fante
, and English
languages. Most of the townsfolk profess Christianity, with many churches including Anglican, Catholic
, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, and several newer sects. Axim has a small Islam
ic mosque
, and numerous traditional fetish priest
s.
A native of Axim, Anton Wilhelm Amo
(1703–1756), qualifies as the first Western black philosopher, that is, specifically, the first black African to receive a philosophical education in Europe and to publish philosophical works there. In Germany
, he published "The Rights of Moors" (among other works) and taught philosophy at the University of Jena
.
Kwame Nkrumah
, the first president of independent Ghana, was born in the small village of Nkroful
, located just west of Axim, and lay buried there until the removal of his remains to Accra
. In the 1930s, Nkrumah worked as headmaster of a Catholic school in Axim and led an intellectual circle there.
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. It lies 64 kilometers west of the port city of Takoradi, south of the highway leading to the Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
border, in the Western Region to the west of Cape Three Points
Cape Three Points
Cape Three Points is a small peninsula in the Western Region of Ghana, West Africa.Forming the southernmost tip of Ghana, it is located between the coastal towns of Dixcove and Princes Town, Ghana...
.
Fort Santo Antonio
Fort Santo Antonio was a fort built by the Portuguese in 1515 near the town of Axim, in what is currently the West African country of Ghana. In 1642, the Dutch captured the fort and subsequently made it part of the Dutch Gold Coast. The Dutch expanded the fort considerably before they turned it...
, built by the Portuguese in 1515 and between 1642 and 1872 expanded and altered by the Dutch
Dutch Gold Coast
The Dutch Gold Coast or Dutch Guinea, officially Dutch possessions on the Coast of Guinea was a portion of coastal West Africa that was gradually colonized by the Dutch, beginning in 1598...
, who were in possession during that period. The fort, now property of the Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian state is currently in the custody of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) and is open to the public. Off-shore there are some picturesque islands, including one with a lighthouse.
The town is divided into two parts: Upper Axim and Lower Axim. The fort lies roughly on the division between the two parts, but closest to the centre of Upper Axim. Here, several large mansions of lumber-trading magnates and other businessmen remain from the British colonial period. Axim is ruled by two traditional omanhenes or chiefs and a political District Chief Executive of Nzema East.
The economy relies mainly on Axim's fishing fleet, but the area also has two tourist beach resorts as well as coconut and rubber plantations. The scenic and fertile terrain features many palm trees. Local artisanal miners pan for gold in streams inland from Axim. Axim has a transport station, two major bank branches, and some rural banks.
Every August, the major festival of Kundum takes place, coinciding with the best fishing-catch of the year; people come to Axim for the festivities and to fish and trade from several countries on the Guinea Coast.
Culturally, Axim forms part of the Nzema
Nzema
The Nzema are an Akan people numbering about 328,700 people of whom 262,000 live in southwestern Ghana and 66,700 live in the southeast of Côte d'Ivoire.In Ghana the Nzema area is divided into two electoral districts of Nzema East District and Nzema West which is also referred to as Jomoro District...
complex within the Akan culture. Residents speak the Evalue, Fante
Fante language
Fante is one of the three formal languages of the Akan language. It is the major local language spoken in the Central and Western Regions of Ghana as well as in settlements in other regions from mid to southern Ghana. One of such communities is Fante New Town in Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region of...
, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
languages. Most of the townsfolk profess Christianity, with many churches including Anglican, Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, and several newer sects. Axim has a small Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, and numerous traditional fetish priest
Fetish priest
In Ghana, Togo, and Benin and other parts of West Africa a fetish priest serves a spirit associated with an image or object that is usually kept in an enclosed place called a fetish shrine, often a simple mud hut with some kind of enclosure or fence around it. He performs rituals to consult and...
s.
A native of Axim, Anton Wilhelm Amo
Anton Wilhelm Amo
Anton Wilhelm Amo or Anthony William Amo was born in what is now Ghana, taken to Europe, and became a respected philosopher and teacher at the universities of Halle and Jena in Germany. He was the first African known to have attended a European university.-Early life and education:Amo was a Nzema...
(1703–1756), qualifies as the first Western black philosopher, that is, specifically, the first black African to receive a philosophical education in Europe and to publish philosophical works there. In Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, he published "The Rights of Moors" (among other works) and taught philosophy at the University of Jena
Friedrich Schiller University of Jena
Friedrich Schiller University of Jena , is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany....
.
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
, the first president of independent Ghana, was born in the small village of Nkroful
Nkroful
Nkroful is a village in Ghana, located near Axim in the Western Region. It stands inland 5 km from the coastal highway, from the Essiama village junction turnoff....
, located just west of Axim, and lay buried there until the removal of his remains to Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
. In the 1930s, Nkrumah worked as headmaster of a Catholic school in Axim and led an intellectual circle there.