Kingdom of Agona

Origins

Agona was a small Akan state on the coast and hinterland between the Fante lands and Accra. It existed by the 16th century, with its political centre inland at Nyakrom and coastal towns that traded with European ships.

Rule and society

European visitors in the 17th century recorded female rulers of Agona, reflecting the importance of royal women in Akan politics. The Dutch built Fort Patience at Apam on its coast in the 1690s. Agona traded gold, slaves and food with European companies, but was often subject to stronger neighbours such as Akwamu.

Decline and legacy

In the 18th century Agona was drawn into the Fante sphere and the wars against the Ashanti Empire. It came under British rule with the Gold Coast Colony in 1874, and survives as a traditional area in Ghana's Central Region.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.