1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Volta

VOLTA, the largest river of the coast of Upper Guinea, between the Gambia and the Niger, with a length of about 900 m. Its mouth and the greater part of its course are in British territory. Its lower course had been known since the discoveries of the Portuguese, from whom it received (15th century) its name on account of the winding nature of its stream. It was not, however, until the last fifteen years of the 19th century that the extent of its basin &mdash; extending far north within the bend of the Niger &mdash; was made known.

The lower Volta was explored by M. J. Bonnat in 1875, but the upper basin was first traversed by the German traveller G. A. Krause (1886-87) and the French captain L. G. Binger (1888). It has since been explored by a number of colonial officials &mdash; German, French and British. Between 6&deg; 41' and 8&deg; 8' N. the Volta forms the boundary between the Gold Coast and Togoland.