Ashanti, or Asante, or Asanti , are a nation and ethnic group native to Ashanti and the Kingdom of Ashanti situated on the semi-island exclave Ashantiland, on the Gulf of Guinea, who speak the Ashanti language and indistinguishable Ashanti Twi. The Ashanti language is spoken by over 9 million ethnic Ashanti people as a first language and second language. The word Ashanti is an English language misnomer and Asanti is the correct Ashanti Twi. Asanti literally means "because of wars" (Asa - wars; Nti- because[of]). The wealthy gold-rich Ashanti people developed a large and influential empire; the Ashanti Empire along the Lake Volta and Gulf of Guinea. The Ashanti people rich in gold later developed the powerful Ashanti Confederacy or Ashanti Empire (now Ashanti autonomous region) and became the dominant presence in the region. The Ashanti kingdom was founded in 1670 and the Ashanti capital Kumasi was founded in 1680 the late 17th century by Ashanti King Asantehene Osei Tutu I (the Emperor King of the Ashanti Kingdom) on the advice of Komfo Anokye, Osei Tutu I's premier. Sited at the crossroads of the Trans-Saharan trade routes, Kumasi megacity's strategic location contributed significantly to the growing wealth of Kumasi. Over the duration of Kumasi metropolis' existence, a number of peculiar factors have combined to transform Kumasi metropolis into a fitting financial center and political capital of the now Ashanti homeland Ashanti. The main causal factors included the unquestioning loyalty to the Ashanti monarchy (the Asantehene) and Kumasi metropolis' growing wealth derived in part from the Ashanti capital Kumasi metropolis lucrative domestic-trade in items such as gold bar bullions. Kumasi metropolis' with Ashanti region's and Ashanti kingdom's leadership institutes an elaborate political structure and deploys a myriad of Ashanti ceremonial traditions and domestic norms as a way of maintaining the Ashanti monarchy's complex polity and sustaining allegiance to the Ashanti monarchy. Also introduced to support this evolving Ashanti socio-political structure was a range of Ashanti cultural artifacts, regalia and other forms of symbolism, many of which have survived to this day. The Ashanti King Asantehene is the absolute ruler and political head of the Ashantis and Ashantis homeland Ashanti. The current Ashanti king is Asantehene Osei Tutu II.