About Ghana
Languages
The major languages spoken are Twi, Fante, Ga, Hausa, Dagbani, Ewe
and Nzema. English is the official language of Ghana.
The Ashante are part of the Akan tribes who speak various dialects of
Twi. The language is very rich in proverbs, the use of which is taken to
be a sign of wisdom. Euphemisms are very common, especially about events
connected with death.
People
Ghanaians come from six main ethnic groups: the Akan (Ashanti and Fanti),
the Ewe, the Ga-Adangbe, the Mole-Dagbani, the Guan, and the Gurma.
Ashanti Tribe
The Ashanti tribe of the Akan are the largest tribe in Ghana and one
of the few matrilineal societies in West Africa. Once renown for the splendour
and wealth of their rulers, they are most famous today for their craft
work, particularly their hand-carved fertility dolls and their colourful
kente cloth. Kente cloth is woven in bright, narrow strips with complex
patterns; it's usually made from cotton and is always woven outdoors, exclusively
by men.
The village is a social as well as an economic unit. Everyone participates
in the major ceremonies, the most frequent of which are funeral celebrations
which typically last several days. Attendance at funerals is normally expected
from everyone in the village and the expenditure on funerals is a substantial
part of the household budget.
The Ashanti are noted for their expertise in a variety of specialized
crafts. These include weaving, wood carving, ceramics, and metallurgy.
Of these crafts, only pottery-making is primarily a female activity; the
others are restricted to male specialists. Even in the case of pottery-making,
only men are allowed to fashion pots or pipes representing anthropomorphic
or zoomorphic figures.
Ewé
The Ewé have over 600 deities to turn to in times of need. Many
village celebrations and ceremonies take place in honour of one or more
deities. They also weave kente cloth, and their more geometrical patterns
contain symbolic designs handed down through the ages.
The Ewe occupy south-eastern Ghana and the southern parts of neighbouring
Togo and Benin. Most Ewe were farmers who kept some livestock, and there
was some craft specialization. On the coast and immediately inland, fishing
was important, and local variations in economic activities permitted a
great deal of trade between one community and another, carried out chiefly
by women.
Fanti Tribe
The Fanti tribe are mainly located in the coastal areas of Ghana.
Gaun Tribe
The Guan are believed to have begun to migrate from the Mossi region
of modern Burkina around A.D. 1000. Moving gradually through the Volta
valley in a southerly direction, they created settlements along the Black
Volta, throughout the Afram Plains, in the Volta Gorge, and in the Akwapim
Hills before moving farther south onto the coastal plains. Some scholars
postulate that the wide distribution of the Guan suggests that they were
the Neolithic population of the region. Later migrations by other groups
such as the Akan, Ewe, and Ga-Adangbe into Guan-settled areas would then
have led to the development of Guan-speaking enclaves along the Volta and
within the coastal plains.
Ga-Adangbe Tribe
The Ga-Adangbe people inhabit the Accra Plains. The Adangbe are found
to the east, the Ga groups, to the west of the Accra coastlands. Although
both languages are derived from a common proto-Ga-Adangbe ancestral language,
modern Ga and Adangbe are mutually unintelligible. The modern Adangbe include
the people of Shai, La, Ningo, Kpone, Osudoku, Krobo, Gbugble, and Ada,
who speak different dialects. The Ga also include the Ga-Mashie groups
occupying neighborhoods in the central part of Accra, and other Gaspeakers
who migrated from Akwamu, Anecho in Togo, Akwapim, and surrounding areas.
Food
Soups are the primary component in Ghanaian cuisine and are eaten with
fufu (either pounded plaintain and cassava or yam), kokonte (cassava meal
cooked into a paste), banku (fermented corn dough), boiled yam, rice, bread,
plantain, or cassava. The most common soups are light soup, palmnut soup,
and groundnut (peanut) soup.
- Avocado and Peanut Dressing
- Jolof Rice
- Herb and Nut Chicken
- West Africa curry
- Kontonmire Stew or Palaver Sauce
Kente Cloth
Perhaps the most visible (and most marketable) cultural contribution
from modern Ghana is Kente cloth, which is widely recognized and valued
for its colors and symbolism. Kente cloth is made by skilled Ghanaian weavers,
and the major weaving centers in and around Kumasi (Bonwire is known as
the home of Kente, though areas of Volta Region also lay claim to the title)
are full of weavers throwing their shuttles back and forth as they make
long strips of Kente. These strips can then be sewn together to form the
larger wraps which are worn by some Ghanaians (chiefs especially) and are
purchased by tourists in Accra and Kumasi. The colors and patterns of the
Kente are carefully chosen by the weaver and the wearer. Each symbol woven
into the cloth has a special meaning within Ghanaian culture.
Adinkra symbols is one of the highly valued hand-printed and hand-embroidered
cloths. Its origin is traced to the Asantepeople of Ghana and the Gyaman
people of Cote' d'lvoire (Ivory Coast). However, the production and use
of Adinkra have come to be more associated with the Asante people than
any other group of people. Around the 19th Century, the Asante people developed
their unique art of adinkra printing. Adinkra clothes were made and used
exclusively by the royalty and spiritual leaders for very important sacred
ceremonies and rituals.
Wood carving is divided into many branches, each with its own
specialists. Among the major products are wooden sculptures of outstanding
artistic quality and the talking-drums (ntumpane).
The famous wooden "stools" are symbolic and ritual objects rather than
items of furniture. "In Ashanti, a generation or so ago, every stool in
use had its own special name which denoted the sex, or social status, or
clan of the owner"
Climate
The climate is tropical but relatively mild for the latitude. Climatic
differences between various parts of the country are affected by the sun's
journey north or south of the equator and the corresponding position of
the intertropical convergence, the boundary between the moist south-westerly
winds and the dry north-easterly winds. Except in the north, there are
two rainy seasons, from April to June and from September to November. In
the north squalls occur in March and April, followed by occasional rain
until August and September, when the rainfall reaches its peak.
Temperatures range between 21°C and 32°C (70°F - 90°F),
relative humidity between 50% and 80%. Rainfall ranges from 30 to 80 inches
a year. The harmattan, a dry desert wind, blows from the northeast from
December to March lowering the humidity and causing hot day and cool nights
in the north. The effect of this wind is felt in the south during January.
In most areas, temperatures are highest in March and lowest in August after
the rains. Variation between day and night temperatures is relatively small,
but greater in the north, especially in January, on account of the harmattan.
Music
Ghana is often described as a land of festivals, music, and traditional
dances. There is hardly any community, clan, or tribe which lacks an occasion
to celebrate annually.
There are three main types of music: ethnic or traditional music, normally
played during festivals and at funerals; "highlife" music, which is a blend
of traditional and ‘imported’ music; and choral music, which is performed
in concert halls, churches, schools and colleges.
Musical Instruments
Atsimevu is the lead drum. It is a narrow drum approximately
four feet tall and its head is about eleven inches in diameter.
Axatse is the name of this rattle or idiophone. It is constructed
by hollowing out a gourd or calabash. Then beads are attached to it with
some string which is woven around it in a fishnet style design.
Gankogui is the name of this double bell or gong. It is constructed
from iron. In Ewe music in general, and during Atsiã in particular,
gankogui keeps the time.
Kaganu is a narrow drum or membranophone. It is about two feet
tall, its head is about three inches in diameter and it is open at the
bottom.
Kidi is a drum which is about two feet tall, its head is about
nine inches in diameter and has a closed bottom. Kidi responds to calls
from the lead drummer.
Sogo is the largest of the supporting drums used to play Atsiã.
In some other pieces it is used as a lead drum. It is about two and a half
feet tall, its head is about ten inches in diameter and it is closed at
the bottom.
Accra
business people
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