Kumasi, formerly Coomassie, city, central Ghana, capital of the Ashanti Region, in a dense forest belt. It is the commercial and transportation center for a rich cacao-producing area. The principal industry is food processing. The city is the site of the University of Science and Technology (1951) and research institutes of the Ghana Academy of Sciences. Kumasi was founded about 1700 as the capital of a confederacy of Ashanti groups. During the 19th century, it was the site of several battles between the Ashanti and the British. The city was the scene of a revolt in 1900, after which the region was annexed to the British Gold Coast Colony. Population (1990 estimate) 399,300.
