The Aowin, along with the

Denkyira Denkyira was a powerful nation of Akan people that existed before the 1620s, in what is now modern-day Ghana. Like all Akans, they originated from Bono state. Before 1620, Denkyira was called Agona. The ruler of the Denkyira was called Denkyira ...

and

Akwamu Akwamu was a state set up by the Akwamu people in present-day Ghana. After migrating from Bono state, the Akan founders of Akwamu settled in Twifo-Heman. The Akwamu led an expansionist empire in the 17th and 18th centuries. At the peak of their ...

were among the three original great

Akan Akan may refer to: People and languages *Akan people, an ethnic group in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire *Akan language, a language spoken by the Akan people *Kwa languages, a language group which includes Akan * Central Tano languages, a language group ...

Empires.Ogot, B. (1999). Africa from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. London: Heinemann ;. Prior to the rise of the Denkyira state, the Aowin (Ebrosa) was the most powerful state in what is now

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

's south-western region. Originally a gold producing state they dominated the trade between the Savannah regions of west Africa and the coastal regions later focusing their trade on the coast. Like many Akans the Aowin are believed to have originated further up north eventually settling in

Bonoman Bono State (or Bonoman) was a trading state created by the Bono people, located in what is now southern Ghana. Bonoman was a medieval Akan kingdom in what is now Bono, Bono East and Ahafo region respectively named after the (Bono and Ahafo) a ...

and then migrating from there to their present location due to several existential forces: Namely, the Denkyira and Ashanti, who after decades of war gained control of the Aowin state during various periods of time airhead, J., & Leach, M. (2003). Reframing deforestation global analyses and local realities : Studies in West Africa. London: Routledge./ref> . Even when under occupation the Aowin continued to wield significant power and remained relatively independent as a powerful gold producing Akan state with relative military superiority over neighbors.

References

Ethnic groups in Ivory Coast {{IvoryCoast-stub