Kumasi

Kumasi

Kumasi is a city in the south-central region of Ghana. It has a humid, wet climate, and is carved out of a dense forest belt between hills rising to 300 meters. Osei Tutu, an Asante king in the 17th century, selected the site for his capital and held land bargaining under a kum tree, hence the city’s name. Over the years Kumasi became an important commercial center because of its location on the North-South trade routes. Following the defeat of the Asante Kingdom in 1874, the British opened up new commercial routes in the region, severely reducing Kumasi's influence as a clearing house. It was not until the early 1900s, when the British took control of the city. Cocoa farming was started and the railway from Sekondi was constructed. A fast population growth led to the expansion of the city, the draining of the swamps, the installation of a sewage system, and modern urban planning. The city continues to be the seat of the Asantehene and the location of the Golden Stool, the symbol of royal authority and the unity of the people. Known as the "Garden City of West Africa", Kumasi is divided for commercial, industrial and residential areas. The population is dense in the old part of the city, which is within a 3 km radius of the British Fort, which today houses the Ghana Regiment Museum. It is near the site of the Asante Palace, demolished by the British in 1874. The old town, dominated by the Kumasi Central Hospital, has been modernized with paved streets, parks and gardens. A museum, zoo, and regional library are housed in the Asante Cultural Center. Northeast of the city are remains of traditional Asante buildings, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.