Cultural Heritage

Festivals

Festivals are common features of all the ethnic groups in the country. In the Ashanti Region, festivals are few. The Akwasidae is a major festival held regularly at six-week intervals and nine times in a year. It is celebrated to remember past Asante leaders and heroes / heroines.If it falls on a Sunday, it is celebrated as Adaekese.

Language and ethnicity

Like the other regions of the country, there are many ethnic groups in the Ashanti Region. The 2010 Population and Housing Census (PHC) shows the largest group as the Akan  including Asante (74.3%), followed by the Mole-Dagbani (11.3%), Ewe (3.8%) and Gurma (2.8%). About 30.5 percent of the Akan in the country are in the Ashanti Region. The Mole-Dagbani population in the Ashanti Region is the second highest in the country after the Northern Region, their ancestral home. The populations of Mande (35.1%) and Grusi (16%) in the Ashanti Region are the highest in the country. The people of Asante speak mainly a major branch of Akan called Asante Twi.

Religion

About 77.8 percent of the people in the region in 2010 are Christians of different denominations. The proportion of Muslims is 15.3 percent, the second largest, while those with no religious affiliation are 5.4 percent and 0.7 percent are traditionalists.

Tourist Attractions

The region has a number of tourist attractions that include the museum at the Asantehene?s palace, a Cultural Centre and a sword which was stuck in the ground by Komfo Anokye in Kumasi, the Bosomtwi crater lake, the inland fort in Kumasi, the kente weaving industry at Bonwire and the Akwasidae festival. Other tourist attractions include the Owabi Arboretum and Bomgobiri wildlife sanctuaries.

Ethnicity

Table 3.9 shows the distribution of the population in the region by ethnicity and district. The ethnic groups identified are Akan, Ga-Dangme, Ewe, Guan, Gurma, Mole-Dagbon, Grusi and Mande. The Akan – comprising Akwamu, Fante, Denkyira, Akyem, Kwahu, Sefwi, Wassa, Akwapim and Assin – is the predominant ethnic group in the region (74.2%), followed by Mole-Dagbon (11.3%), Ewe (3.8%), Gurma (2.8%), Mande and Grusi (2.0% each), Guan (1.5%) and Ga-Dangme with the lowest proportion (1.2%).

In the districts, Amansie Central (91.4%) is the most heavily Akan-populated district. In 25 districts the proportions of Akan are between 50 percent and 90 percent. Offinso North (44.2%) and Ejura-Sekyedumase (32.1%) have low proportions. The proportion of the Mole-Dagbon is highest in Offinso North (35.0%), followed by Ejura-Sekyedumase (31.5%). The proportions exceed 20 percent in Ahafo Ano North (21.6%) and Offinso Municipal (21.5%). In nine districts, the proportions are between 10 percent and 20 percent and in the remaining 14 districts, the proportions are below 10 percent; the lowest proportion is 3.3 percent in Bosome Freho.

The population of Ewe in the region is concentrated in Adansi South (18.5%). In eight districts, the proportions are between 5 percent and 10 percent. In another 13 districts, the proportions are between 1 percent and 5 percent and in the remaining five districts, the proportions are below 1 percent, with the lowest in Sekyere Central, 0.3 percent.

The population of the Gurma in six districts is from 10 percent in Offinso North and Ahafo Ano North to 17.2 percent in Ejura-Sekyedumase. In three districts, the proportions are between 5 percent and 10 percent. In five other districts, the proportions are between 1 percent and 5 percent and in the remaining five districts, the proportions are below 1 percent the lowest is 0.5% in Amansie Central.

The Grusi population is concentrated in two districts, Ejura-Sekyedumase (4.6%) and Sekyere Central (4.1%). In the remaining districts, the proportions are from 0.7 percent in Amansie Central, Amansie West and Afigya Sekyere to 3.0 percent in Mampong Municipal. In 18 districts, the proportions are below 2.0 percent.

The Mande are concentrated in four districts, Ejura-Sekyedumase (5.5%), Offinso Municipal (5.3%), Ahafo Ano North (4.3%), Ahafo Ano South (4.0%) and Atwima Mponua (3.9%). In the rest of the districts, the proportions are mostly below 2.0 percent.

The Guan population is mainly in Ejura-Sekyedumase (4.3%), Kumasi Metropolis (2.5%) and Asante Akim South (2.4%), while the proportions are mostly below 1.0 percent in the remaining districts.

The Ga-Dangme are mainly in three districts, Asante Akim South and Adansi North (5.7% each) and Adansi South (4.6%). In the rest of the districts, the proportions are mostly below 1.0 percent.

Table 3.9: Percentage distribution of population by ethnicity and district District

Population

Akan

Ga-Dangme

Ewe

Guan

Gurma

Mole-Dagbon

Grusi

Mande

Other

All districts

4,780,380

74.2

1.2

3.8

1.5

2.8

11.3

2.0

2.0

1.1

Atwima Mponua

119,180

60.2

1.4

4.6

0.4

7.9

19.1

1.9

3.9

0.4

Amansie West

134,331

87.3

0.4

1.0

0.3

1.2

7.5

0.7

1.2

0.3

Amansie Central

90,741

91.4

1.6

1.5

0.1

0.5

3.6

0.7

0.6

0.1

Adansi South

115,378

67.6

4.6

18.5

0.7

1.5

5.5

0.8

0.6

0.2

Obuasi Municipal

168,641

75.2

1.0

3.9

0.6

0.7

13.9

2.3

1.9

0.5

Adansi North

107,091

75.8

5.7

9.9

0.8

1.1

4.7

0.7

0.9

0.3

Bekwai Municipal

118,024

89.4

0.4

1.3

0.2

1.0

5.6

0.8

1.1

0.2

Bosome Freho

60,397

83.5

4.0

6.7

0.3

0.7

3.3

0.8

0.7

0.1

Asante Akim South

117,245

69.4

5.7

8.3

2.4

1.5

9.1

1.1

1.9

0.6

Asante Akim North Muni

140,694

77.2

1.2

5.3

0.6

1.8

9.7

1.5

2.0

0.7

Ejisu Juaben Municipal

143,762

82.0

1.0

5.4

0.6

1.9

5.8

1.9

1.0

0.4

Bosumtwi

93,910

87.5

0.6

2.1

0.2

0.7

6.1

1.9

0.7

0.2

Atwima Kwanwoma

90,634

86.1

0.6

2.0

0.3

0.9

6.5

2.1

1.2

0.2

Kumasi Metro polis

2,035,064

74.9

0.9

3.5

2.5

1.0

11.0

2.5

2.1

1.7

Atwima Nwabiagya

149,025

80.0

0.7

2.7

0.6

2.8

8.4

2.2

2.3

0.3

Ahafo Ano South

121,659

59.0

1.3

5.2

0.7

11.3

16.1

1.8

4.0

0.6

Ahafo Ano North

94,285

52.6

1.7

6.9

0.6

10.0

21.6

1.4

4.3

0.9

Offinso Municipal

76,895

60.3

0.2

1.3

1.0

7.4

21.5

1.8

5.3

1.3

Afigya Kwabre

136,140

80.2

0.4

1.9

0.8

2.1

10.7

1.4

2.0

0.6

Kwabre East

115,556

80.4

0.4

1.6

1.9

3.8

7.5

1.5

1.8

1.2

Afigya Sekyere

94,009

79.2

0.1

0.5

0.6

4.7

11.2

0.7

2.3

0.7

Mampong Municipal

88,051

70.6

0.3

0.9

0.8

5.7

16.1

3.0

1.4

1.2

Sekyere East

62,172

84.5

0.3

0.8

1.6

1.4

7.7

0.8

1.4

1.5

Sekyere Afram Plains

93,937

69.9

0.2

0.5

1.3

10.1

14.3

2.3

0.8

0.6

Sekyere Central

71,232

64.1

0.1

0.3

0.3

12.0

17.9

4.1

0.4

0.8

Ejura-Sekyedumase

85,446

32.1

0.4

1.4

4.3

17.2

31.5

4.6

5.5

3.0

Offinso North

56,881

44.2

0.1

4.0

0.5

10.0

35.0

2.6

2.2

1.4

the remaining nine districts, the proportions are below 10 percent; the lowest is in Amansie Central (4.2%), followed by Bosumtwi (4.5%).

The proportions of traditionalists are between 2 percent and 4 percent in five districts. In 14 districts, the proportions are below 1 percent. Amansie Central (15.0%) and Amansie West (12.9%) have a relatively high population with no religious affiliation. In nine districts, the proportions of persons with no religion range from 8.0 percent in Ahafo Ano South and Ahafo Ano North to 9.4 percent in Offinso North. In another 12 districts, the proportions are between 5 percent and 8 percent. The proportions are less than 5 percent in the remaining four districts, with the lowest in Kumasi Metropolis (2.9%).

Table 3.10: Distribution of population by religious affiliation and district District

Total Population

No Religion

Christian

Muslim

Traditio-nalist

Other

All districts

4,780,380

5.4

77.8

15.2

0.7

0.8

Atwima Mponua

119,180

8.4

71.0

19.1

0.8

0.7

Amansie West

134,331

12.9

77.8

7.9

0.5

0.9

Amansie Central

90,741

15.0

78.4

4.2

1.4

1.0

Adansi South

115,378

9.0

81.7

6.8

1.6

0.9

Obuasi Municipal

168,641

4.1

81.6

13.3

0.2

0.7

dansi North

107,091

8.8

81.4

7.8

0.9

1.1

Bekwai Municipal

118,024

7.5

84.7

6.3

0.5

1.0

Bosome Freho

60,397

7.2

84.9

5.8

1.0

1.1

Asante Akim South

117,245

7.0

80.1

11.4

1.0

0.5

Asante Akim North Municipal

140,694

6.8

81.6

10.2

0.8

0.6

Ejisu Juaben Municipal

143,762

6.1

84.1

8.1

0.9

0.8

Bosumtwi

93,910

5.8

88.7

4.5

0.4

0.6

Atwima Kwanwoma

90,634

6.4

86.6

5.3

0.4

1.2

Kumasi Metropolis

2,035,064

2.9

78.2

17.8

0.2

0.8

Atwima Nwabiagya

149,025

5.6

83.2

10.3

0.3

0.6

Ahafo Ano South

121,659

8.0

70.9

19.2

1.1

0.7

Ahafo Ano North

94,285

8.0

68.7

22.3

0.6

0.4

Offinso Municipal

76,895

8.2

61.5

27.0

2.7

0.6

Afigya Kwabre

136,140

5.8

78.9

13.8

0.8

0.7

Kwabre East

115,556

3.9

78.5

16.5

0.5

0.6

Afigya Sekyere

94,009

5.3

74.6

18.2

1.6

0.4

Mampong Municipal

88,051

5.4

77.1

15.8

1.1

0.6

Sekyere East

62,172

8.6

76.2

13.3

1.2

0.7

Sekyere Afram Plains

93,937

7.7

74.5

13.7

3.5

0.5

Sekyere Central

71,232

8.0

70.5

16.1

3.8

1.6

Ejura-Sekyedumase

85,446

4.1

49.5

43.9

2.1

0.5

Offinso North

56,881

9.4

67.4

19.4

2.8

0.9

 

 

 



Date Created : 11/27/2017 4:42:47 AM