Akan people
Ethnic group in West Africa / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the meta-ethnicity and ethno-linguistic group Akan. For other topics, see Akan.
Not to be confused with Aka people.
The Akan (/ˈækæn/) people are a Kwa group living primarily in present-day Ghana and in parts of Ivory Coast and Togo in West Africa. The Akan speak dialects within the Central Tano branch of the Potou–Tano subfamily of the Niger–Congo family.[2] Subgroups of the Akan people include: the Agona, Akuapem, Akwamu, Akyem, Anyi, Ashanti, Baoulé, Bono, Chakosi, Fante, Kwahu, Sefwi, Wassa, Ahanta, and Nzema, among others. The Akan subgroups all have cultural attributes in common; most notably the tracing of matrilineal descent in the inheritance of property, and for succession to high political office.[2]
Quick Facts Total population, Languages ...
Total population | |
---|---|
c. 24–25 million (est.)[N 1][1] | |
Languages | |
Akan (Central Tano languages) • English • French | |
Religion | |
Christianity • Islam • Akan religion |
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