The Guan or Guang people are an ethnic group found almost in all parts of Ghana, including the Akyode people who speak Gikyode, Krachi people Nkonya tribe, the Gonja, Anum, Larteh, Akposo, Etsii in the Central Region, Nawuri, Nyagbo and Ntsumburu. The Guan are believed to have been the first settlers in modern day southern Ghana, migrating from the Mossi-Dagbon region of modern Ghana[2] and Burkina around 1000 A.D.[3] The Gonja of the Guan are however late settlers in northern Ghana, invading eastern Dagbon in the 1600s, capturing Daboya and many towns.[4][5][6][7]
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They primarily speak the Guan languages of the Niger-Congo language family.[8] They make up 3.7% of the population of Ghana.[9]
However, some of the Guan languages have been influenced by major languages especially the Anii-Basila in Ghana, depending also on the location of a particular Guan tribe.Guans can be found in the Eastern region which includes Anum, Makɔ who once spoke Anii, Boso, Larteh, Okere, and Kyerepong. Guan in the Oti Region includes Akyode, Krachi, Buem, Nkonya, Likpe, Santrokofi, Akpafu,etc. Guan in the Volta Region includes Avatime, Logba, Nyagbo, Tafi etc. In the central region are the Efutu, Awutu-Senya,Bawjiase as well as the Etsii groups who now form an arm of the modern Fante Confederacy. The Gonja people are in the north and part of Brong Ahafo, Bono and Ahafo. The Nawuri people live in parts of the North and parts of the Oti Region, mostly at the eastern end of the Salaga district, on the west bank of the Volta Lake/Oti River, some 70 kilometers north of Kete Krachi.
As Guan were the first settlers in Ghana, some were assimilated into the cultures of the major ethnic groups in the various regions of today. Thus, some indigenes of Kpeshie in Greater Accra and Nzema, Sefwi, Ahanta, etc. in the Western and Western Noth region may also trace their roots to Guan people. The indigenes of most of the Fantes in the central region including Asebu, Edina (Elmina), Ogua (Cape Coast), Aguafo, Assi, etc. as well as Agona can also trace their origins from Guan.These Guan groups are mostly referred to as "Etsii". At present it is accepted that the Guan people can be found in twelve (12) regions in Ghana: Oti, Northern, North East, Savannah, Bono, Ahafo, Central, Western North, Western, Eastern, Volta, and Brong Ahafo Regions. They are very tolerant and live as commoners in their various environments. They speak the languages of the major ethnic group where they are found natively, speaking their distinct languages at home.[citation needed]
Origins
The Guans originated from the savanna regions of Ghana and Burkina Faso.[10][2][11] These regions are inhabited by the Mossi-Dagbon people.[12][13]
References
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