Ghana – from the Gold Coast to Africa's first independent colony
The lands of today's Ghana were home to many peoples and states long before European contact. Trade routes connected the region with the Sahel and North Africa, and from the late seventeenth century the Ashanti Empire grew into a powerful Akan state, rich in gold and centred on Kumasi. The country later took its name from the medieval Ghana Empire, which lay further to the northwest.
In 1482 the Portuguese built the fortress of Elmina, and other European powers followed with forts along the coast. The Gold Coast became a centre of the transatlantic slave trade, which carried countless people into bondage. In the nineteenth century Britain expanded its control, fought several wars against the Ashanti and established the Gold Coast Colony.
On 6 March 1957, under Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan colony to gain independence, inspiring liberation movements across Africa. The following decades saw several military coups and changes of government. Since the 1992 constitution Ghana has held regular multi-party elections and peaceful transfers of power.
Today Ghana is shaped by its rich cultural diversity, its traditional chieftaincies, its pan-African heritage and a lively democratic life.
Do you have your own memories or family stories about Ghana? Share them with other members in our Local History section!