The Ashanti Region lies in the forest heartland of central Ghana and is the historic home of the Asante Kingdom, one of the most powerful and enduring states in West African history. It was constituted as one of Ghana's administrative regions at independence in 1957, and its capital, Kumasi, remains the seat of the Asantehene, the King of Asante, at Manhyia Palace.

Today the region is the second most populous in Ghana, home to 5,426,437 people (2021 PHC), roughly 17.6% of the national population, and it has the largest number of local assemblies in the country: 43 MMDAs. Kumasi, often called the "Garden City of West Africa", is Ghana's second-largest city and a commercial crossroads linking the north and south of the country.