Ghana Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Ghana appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 13 different states, among them Ghana, Gold Coast, Asante, Akan, Mossi States.
GhanaExplore the history of Ghana in the interactive map
Who ruled the land of Ghana, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
| Map | Main states on this land |
|---|---|
| 1300 | Mali 3% |
| 1492 | Akan 17% |
| 1500 | Akan 17% |
| 1600 | Akan 31% · Mossi States 9% |
| 1650 | Akan 54% · Mossi States 20% |
| 1700 | Akan 54% · Mossi States 20% |
| 1783 | Asante 49% · Dahomey 14% · Mossi States 11% |
| 1800 | Asante 49% · Dahomey 14% · Mossi States 11% |
| 1815 | Asante 43% · Mossi States 26% · Fante 14% |
| 1880 | Asante 34% · Mossi States 31% · Kong Empire 17% |
| 1900 | Asante 34% · Mossi States 31% · Accra 9% |
| 1914 | Gold Coast 86% · Togoland 14% |
| 1920 | Ghana 100% |
| 1930 | Ghana 100% |
| 1938 | Gold Coast 100% |
| 1945 | Gold Coast 100% |
| 1960 | Ghana 100% |
| 1994 | Ghana 100% |
| 2010 | Ghana 100% |
Historic cities in Ghana
Famous people of Ghana
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| c. 1660 – 1717 | Osei Tutu | Founder of the Asante Empire |
| 1909 – 1972 | Kwame Nkrumah | First leader of Ghana |
Battles and historic sites
| Year | Battle or site |
|---|---|
| 1482 | Elmina |
Landmarks
Elmina CastleStanding · 1482
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Ghana?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Ghana belonged to Ghana, Gold Coast, Asante, Akan, Mossi States, Dahomey, along with 7 other states.
What was Ghana part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Ghana lay within Akan.
What was Ghana part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Ghana lay within Asante.
Further reading
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.