Ghana’s history spans from its roots in the ancient Ghana Empire (6th-13th century), a powerful trade hub in gold and salt (though located in modern Mali and Mauritania), to its present-day borders shaped by diverse medieval kingdoms like the Ashanti, Mole-Dagbani, and others. In the 15th century, European contact began with Portuguese traders, followed by the British, Dutch, and others, seeking gold and slaves. Ghana became a British colony, the Gold Coast, in the 19th century. It achieved independence in 1957 under Kwame Nkrumah, becoming the first sub-Saharan African nation to do so, and has since evolved into a stable democracy with a vibrant cultural heritage.
