The Kingdom of Sanwi is a
kingdom located in the south-east corner of the
Republic of Ivory Coast in West
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
.
It was established in about 1740 by
Anyi migrants from
Ghana
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
with its capital at
Krindjabo. In 1843, the kingdom became a
protectorate
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over ...
of
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. In 1959, it merged with Ivory Coast.
In the early 19th century, Sanwi was a
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...
to the
Asante Empire
The Asante Empire ( Asante Twi: ), also known as the Ashanti Empire, was an Akan state that lasted from 1701 to 1901, in what is now modern-day Ghana. It expanded from the Ashanti Region to include most of Ghana and also parts of Ivory Coast ...
until this status was destroyed as a result of French colonial expansion in the region.
The kingdom declared American singer
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
to be Prince of the Sanwi in 1992.
Reciprocal visits by Jackson and King Amon N'Douffou IV were made to
Krindjabo and
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
respectively. After Jackson's death in 2009, an elaborate two-day funeral was held in Sanwi.
Jesse Jackson was declared prince in August of that year when he was crowned Prince Nana by
Amon N'Douffou V.
References
External links
European Delegation of Sanwi Kingdom(in French)
{{Coord missing, Ivory Coast
1959 disestablishments in Ivory Coast