They form a series of distinct kingdoms and share a common language, known as Twi, which has many dialects.
Akan people are believed to have migrated to their current location from … Origin and ethnogenesis.
The Akan comprise a cluster of peoples living in southern and central Ghana and in southeastern Ivory Coast. The Twi speaking people include the Akuapem, Akyem, and the Asante.
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Memorial head, Akan culture, Ghana, 17th–mid-18th century; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.This article was most recently revised and updated by
Most Akan people speak the Twi Fante. Akan, ethnolinguistic grouping of peoples of the Guinea Coast who speak Akan languages (of the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo family). They include the speakers of the Akyem, Anyi, Asante (Ashanti), Attié, Baule, Brong, Chakosi, Fante (Fanti), and Guang languages; some scholars also consider Twi a distinct Akan language. The Akan speak Kwa languages which are part of the larger Niger-Congo family.
They adopted Christianity as their primary religion, but others identify as Muslims.
Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. The Ancient Akan people worshipped Each subgroup of the Akan is ruled by a king who is chosen from the royal line of the Kingdom. They migrated from the north, they went through Egypt and settled in Nubia (Sudan). The king is chosen by various officials of the tribe and must receive the blessings of the “queen-mother” who is not the actual mother of the king but a senior woman of the tribe. The Akan people number about 20 million and are among the African tribes that have maintained indigenous languages with minimal influence from Western languages.The Akan are a religious group of people. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. They dominated the goldfields between the Volta and Komoe Rivers where they mined the precious metal and traded it with other local communities …
The Akan people are believed to have migrated from the Sahel region and the savannas of The majority of the Akan people speak the Twi or Fante language while a few others speak the Bia language. The total Akan population numbers some five or six million.
The Akan are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. Around 50… Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.Yams are the staple food crop in the Akan economy, but plantains and taro also are important; cocoa and palm oil are major commercial resources.Traditional Akan society is composed of exogamous matrilineal clans, the members of which trace their descent from a common female ancestor; these clans are hierarchically organized and are subdivided into localized matrilineages, which form the basic social and political units of Akan society.
The Akan people are believed to have migrated from the Sahel region and the savannas of West Africa.
The majority of the Twi speaking communities include people from the Akuapem, Asante, and the Akyem. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
An average Akan person speaks English. The main constituent kingdoms include Akyem, Akwamu, Akuapem, and Kwahu; the Anyi cluster of som…
Among this huge population of the Akan, the Ghanaians are more popular, perhaps because of the political influence of the Ashanti Empire in the area. Oral traditions of the ruling Abrade (Aduana) Clan relate that they originated from ancient Ghana. The Bia language is spoken by the Wassa, Kwahu, and the Agon. The list of Akan people includes notable individuals of Akan meta-ethnicity and ancestry; the …
It is one of the west African tribes or group of people t… The average population of Akan people is estimated to be about 20 million.
Political structures exist for cultural reasons only since have been superseded by the federal administration.All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2020 worldatlas.com Their population is scattered across West Africa and beyond. With over 20 million members the Akans are one of the biggest Ethnic groups in West Africa today. Others speak the Bia language.
The Bia language is spoken by groups that include Agon, Kwahu, Wassa, and the Fante.
The Akan people are believed to have migrated to their current location from the Sahara desert and Sahel region of Africa into the forested region around the 11th century, and many Akans tell their history as it started in Eastern region of Africa as this is where the ethnogenesisof the Akan as we know them today happened. Get kids back-to-school ready with Expedition: Learn! Twi is a tonal language and, since missionary work during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, has been written in Roman script. Between the 15th and 19th century, they dominated trading and gold mines in the region, and by the 17th century, they were already among the most influential communities in Africa. Most Akan live in compact villages that are divided into wards occupied by the matrilineages and subdivided into The most prominent aspect of Akan religion is an ancestor cult the rites of which serve to enforce tribal unity and
The Akan are the largest ethnic group in both Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.
The Akan people are a historically important ethnic group of West Africa.